Celebrate the Christmas Season with Local Performances and Events
by Jim Collar
As temperatures chill, our hearts naturally grasp for the comfortable feelings of home. It’s a time of joyous memories, rich traditions, and it becomes so much easier to appreciate the many things we would otherwise take for granted.
That feeling of home shines through in our recipes, stories, and decorations. It’s a feeling that also extends to the greater community.
We’re fortunate in the Fox Cities to have easy access to famous performers and glitzy national productions. But we’re just as blessed to have an incredible amount of homegrown talent and artistic passion.
Our very own artists and organizations have become an integral part of the Fox Valley’s holiday traditions. From song and dance to reminders of Christmases past, our deep and varied list of holiday shows and celebrations demonstrates both our creativity and community strength.
Relish every moment of the events that have become part of your family’s Christmas celebrations and make a point to enjoy something new. If you still haven’t experienced our local arts scene and the wonderful work of our community groups, there’s no better time than during the holidays.
Experience Christmas in Chorus
Choral music is an art form rooted in community. In a season defined by togetherness, few traditions capture the spirit of the holidays quite like an evening with a talented chorus. Here in the Fox Valley, we’re blessed with an abundance of opportunities.
Key among them is the Appleton Boychoir and its signature event. They will present A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Dec. 13 at Lawrence Memorial Chapel with performances at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
The program begins with a solo boy soprano before a grand procession of singers arrives with a powerful organ accompaniment. The concert will feature 100 men and boys as well as Copper Street Brass and a variety of instrumentalists.
For many, the story of Christmas in Appleton couldn’t be told without mention of the Lessons and Carols concert, Executive Director Hilary Armstrong said.
“It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season,” she said. It’s been going for 45 years and it’s an event that is really engrained into the fabric of our community.”
Many of the Fox Valley’s finest young female singers will help usher in the holidays on Dec. 19. Badger State Girl Choir will present Midnight Clear, a celebration of Christmas that is part of its 20th anniversary season. Concerts will take place at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Appleton’s Belfry Hall.
The next day, many of our finest adult vocalists will leave their mark on the holidays. NEWVoices, an Appleton-based choir of more than 80 men and women, will perform Good News (Of Great Joy) at the Lawrence chapel on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy familiar carols and new settings of holiday classics during a performance that includes audience sing-alongs, the incredible sound of the chapel’s Brombough organ, and a traditional candlelight closing.
Perhaps you’re looking for something more fun than poignant. The Fox Valley also has that base covered.
The Fox Valleyaires Barbershop Chorus will bring their signature four-part, a cappella harmony to their holiday show, A New Santa Claus in Town, on Dec. 9 at the new Neenah High School Performing Arts Center. The 7 p.m. concert will feature Christmas classics sung by the chorus and chapter quartets. The Lawrence Community Girl Choir will also perform.
Those who can’t get enough of that delightful barbershop style can get a second helping on Dec. 13. Fox Valley Chorus, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, will offer a performance and Christmas market at First Presbyterian Church in Neenah at 2:30 p.m.
Strike Up the Band
The Fox Valley’s many talented instrumentalists also have plenty in store.
Fox Cities Tuba Christmas takes place on Dec. 5 at Appleton North High School. It’s free to attend and begins at 7 p.m. Organizer Greg Forton said it’s a wonderful evening of camaraderie for tuba and euphonium players and a delight for the audience.
The Appleton concert is in its 36th year and is just one of nearly 300 annual events worldwide. The audience will hear familiar favorites and is invited to sing along.
“For any tuba player or low brass player, there’s this feeling of joviality to be able to produce something together, and all the wonderful harmony,” Forton said. “We’re used to being at the back of the band producing backbeats. At this event, the amount of sound and type of sound is unique from anything else. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
Trade tubas for French horns and you have the idea behind Horns a Plenty Christmas, which will take place at 2 p.m. on Dec. 20 at Belfry Hall. This year, Horns a Plenty celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Our community bands will also spread their holiday cheer.
The Little Chute Community Band will perform Christmas favorites on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Little Chute High School Auditorium. The performance begins at 7 p.m. and will include treats, hot cocoa, and a visit from Santa. Just across the Fox River, the Kimberly Community Band will delight listeners at its annual Christmas concert at 2 p.m. on Dec. 7 at J.R. Gerritts Middle School. Meanwhile, the Neenah Community Band will hold its winter concert at 3 p.m. on Dec. 7
at the Neenah High School P.A.C.
Holiday Theater and Dance
While concerts are a staple of our holiday entertainment, local performances aren’t limited to song.
For many in our community, Christmas isn’t Christmas without experiencing the beauty of The Nutcracker Ballet. Join Valley Academy for the Arts for this beloved tradition at The Grand in downtown Oshkosh.
Featuring the music of Tchaikovsky, the classical ballet is based on E.T.A Hoffmann’s classic story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The Neenah ballet company will offer performances from Dec. 19–29. For tickets and showtimes, visit thegrandoshkosh.org.
For a little variety, include the Xavier Fine Arts Theatre on your list of destinations. It’s the host of Christmas Stars, a large-scale holiday revue that serves as a fundraiser for the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System. Performances run from Dec. 4–14 and will feature music, original choreography, comedic scenes, and a living nativity. Visit christmasstars.org for show times and ticket information.
Looking for a fun, irreverent take on the holidays? Take the short trek to Green Bay.
A Frank’s Christmas runs from Nov. 28–Dec. 27 at the beautiful Meyer Theatre. It’s presented by Let Me Be Frank Productions, a company well known for its hilarious, locally inspired, and always original stage performances.
Museums Dressed in Their Holiday Best
The Christmas season in the Fox Cities is much like an Advent calendar. Behind some doors, you’ll find time machines.
Step back into Wisconsin’s early days during the Grignon Mansion Christmas tours in Kaukauna. Charles A. Grignon built the mansion in 1837 as a gift for his bride. Today, the elegant home is a museum, and on Dec. 6, 13, and 14, volunteers will offer a glimpse into 1800s holiday traditions.
Volunteer Mary Grogan-Seleen said the tours will feature decor of the 1860s and 1870s.
“We want to tell the story of the Grignon family at Christmas and how some of the early families in Kaukauna would have celebrated the holiday,” she said. “We give a nod to the German heritage of our area. Every year, it gets a little bigger and a little grander.”
The events begin at 2 p.m. and include candlelit tours from 4–7 p.m., horse-drawn wagon rides, crafts, cider, and hot chocolate. Tickets can be purchased online at kaukauna.gov/grignon-mansion.
Appleton’s Hearthstone Historic House Museum will present nature-themed Christmas decorations in each room during its Victorian Christmas: Naturally Yours exhibit. They will also present How Victorians Invented Christmas. Enjoy guided tours and open houses throughout December. Check their website for dates and times, hearthstonemuseum.org.
Yet another historic home turned museum will use its ornate beauty to bring a beloved piece of fiction to life. Those who treasure The Nutcracker once again have an interactive opportunity within the historic Paine Art Center in Oshkosh. Nutcracker in the Castle includes 20 decorated settings and 70 Christmas trees. Its guided tours include music, actors, and dance performances. Reservations can be made at thepaine.org.
While Oshkosh’s EAA Aviation Museum isn’t ornate or historic, its high-flying team is just as adept at capturing the warm, generous spirit of the holidays.
On Dec. 6, enjoy free museum admission from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. during EAA Christmas In the Air. Children can write letters to Santa and visit the Sweet Shoppe. Local dance, music, and choral groups will perform throughout the museum and Santa arrives at noon by helicopter. EAA invites its visitors to bring along a donation of unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots or non-perishable food for Father Carr’s Place 2B.
As we count our blessings this holiday season, let’s include the wonderful entertainment and inspiration around us. After all, the concept of home isn’t just a backdrop to our celebrations, but the very heart of them. Make a point to enjoy the hard work and great talent of our friends and neighbors throughout December.
This article was originally published in the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Appleton Monthly Magazine.
