Holidays in the Rogue Valley 2021

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WINTER 2021

IN THE

ROGUE VALLEY

Holiday plays and concerts Entertaining and DIY gift ideas Ashland is all lit up Holiday favorites back in Central Point Grants Pass is all decked out

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ASHLAND

ALL LIT UP!

By Jim Flint

for the Mail Tribune

C

amera! Lights!

Christmas!

Ashland is all lit up for the holidays with more than a million lights turning the Plaza and downtown into a magical Christmas fairyland.

The Ashland Chamber of Commerce launched its annual Festival of Light celebration with the spectacular Grand Illumination Nov. 18.

But it doesn’t end there.

Even though there will be no parade this year and Santa is still in quarantine, numerous events and promotions are planned throughout the season, designed to add fun and excitement for holiday shoppers. A brand-new event, Soundwalk, will add to the festivities.

Many local businesses will have Small Business Saturday specials Nov. 27 and participate in Giving Tuesday Nov. 30. The global initiative kicks off the charitable season, and participating merchants will donate a share of sales to local charities and organizations that day.

“We want people to experience the magic of the holidays in Ashland,” said Dana Preston, membership and business development director for the chamber. “Come explore, shop local, taste the flavors, and find your holiday spirit in our season of celebration.”

The festival attracts visitors as well as locals, providing a boost for Ashland eateries, shops, hotels and B&Bs. Ashland all dressed up for the holidays has attracted national attention. “You can spot our lovely downtown in numerous Hallmark Channel movies throughout the season,” Preston said.

Even though there will be no parade this year and Santa is still in quarantine, numerous events and promotions are planned throughout the season, designed to add fun and excitement for holiday shoppers.

“We absolutely love the Festival of Light parade and are very excited to bring it back when we are able,” Preston said.

Soundwalk New for 2021 is a partnership with Rogue World Music for a winter-themed Soundwalk.

“Soundwalk is a curated audio track featuring music from cultures around the world connected to the November-January season,” Preston said.

It will guide listeners through the festive downtown Ashland cityscape along a set path of visual installations from Nov. 26 to Jan 6.

Participation is free.

Ice Skating Ashland Parks and Recreation will add to the holiday fun with its outdoor ice-skating rink at 95 Winburn Way, across the street from the Lithia Park playground.

The Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink will open Nov. 20. The annual First Frost event Dec. 18 will feature live music and figure skating performances.

“Because of staff shortages, we are looking at running rec skate Thursday through Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m.,” said Lonny Flora, city recreation manager. “And on Saturday and Sunday, we will

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Downtown Ashland is all lit up for the Christmas holiday season.

also have hockey skate in the mornings, starting at 8 a.m.”

The rink will be used Monday through Wednesday for skating lessons, including youth hockey sessions.

Love Ashland Local The Love Ashland Local Campaign will reward people for shopping at home.

Shoppers who spend $5 or more at an Ashland business (in person or on their websites) can submit the receipt via text and have a chance to win one of the $100 weekly gift certificate prizes awarded from Nov. 28 through Dec. 25.

The campaign began Nov. 15. To join, text the word “SHOP” to 541-482-3486.

See the chamber’s website for more details.

Chamber members encourage locals to support hometown businesses in order to save time, gas and money. For many people, it’s the natural thing to do, to build their own community instead of somebody else’s.

Gift Certificates Can’t figure out what to get for somebody on your Christmas list? No problem.

The chamber offers gift

certificates in several denominations as part of its holiday promotion. They can be purchased online at ashlandchamber.com. The office is open 10-3 Monday through Friday.

“Every year this program grows and grows,” Preston said. “Last year, between the pandemic and the fire response, we saw more than double the sales of gift certificates than in previous years.”

The chamber has been contacted already by several organizations planning to buy gift certificates.

“They make great holiday gifts and are redeemable at more than 40 locations in Ashland,” Preston said.

“They’re a great way to keep our dollars local.”

Certificates can be mailed to the purchaser or the recipient. To purchase certificates with a check or cash, call 541-482-3486, at which time a pickup day and time can be arranged.

Elf Extravaganza Last year’s Rudolph Scavenger Hunt was a hit with families.

This year it’s the Elf Extravaganza, another

scavenger hunt, but this year with an elf theme.

Game cards will be available on the chamber website.

Families will be asked to find hidden elves all throughout town and win prizes.

Shop Ashland Website The ShopAshlandOregon. com website was launched last year, allowing local businesses to showcase their holiday goods on a community online platform, with links to the stores’ own websites.

The project has wide participation again this year.

The chamber developed new back-end tools that make the site more user-friendly for participating businesses.

In addition to local advertising, the chamber will use social media to spread the word.

A strategic paid social media campaign will also introduce the Ashland Chamber’s new Instagram handle, @ShopAshlandOregon, which will include contests throughout the month of December.

For more information and updates, go to ashlandchamber.com.

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CENTRAL POINT

MANY HAPPY RETURNS!

MAIL TRIBUNE/FILE PHOTO

Fire District No. 3 Chaplain Lorin Myers played Santa during a ride on a fire engine last year through Central Point.

By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune

A

fter a year of socially distanced festivities, the city of Central Point is gearing up for a return of everyone’s favorite holiday happenings.

Tree lighting and Santa visits – check.

Holiday parade – check, check.

Central Point Chamber President Stephanie Hendrickson said the folks in charge of all things fun — namely the city and chamber — had been chomping at the bit to see their streets filled with community members decked out in Santa hats and wide grins.

This year’s holiday festival is slated for Saturday, Dec. 4, featuring a parade and tree lighting.

The return of the annual parade — COVID put the kibosh on last year’s event — will step off at 5:15 p.m. and head down Pine Street followed by a 6 p.m. tree lighting behind City Hall and the Central Point library.

“We are very excited for this holiday season. Last year we had a very pared-down version where basically the City Council and the mayor did a small tree lighting and we did do a socially distanced community

MAIL TRIBUNE/FILE PHOTO

Nash Weaver, 3, of Medford, left, Ella Smith, 5, of Jacksonville, Lake Weaver, 4, of Medford, and Lennox Smith, 2, of Jacksonville, wave as Santa passes by in a fire truck in Central Point during last year’s scaled-down Christmas celebration.

Christmas for the kids so that we had at least something fun for them to do,” Hendrickson said.

“The chamber always tries to have activities that involve children visiting local businesses with a passport, and they get a stamp at each business and then they’re given a treat like a candy cane or cocoa. Not getting to have that in person last year, we think everyone really missed it. The holidays are all about bringing everyone together to celebrate, so that’s what we’re hoping to have happen this year.”

This year’s kid-friendly activities include visits with Santa, chamber activities and hot cocoa.

The city of Central Point will host Santa’s Village with free crafts, hot cocoa and other fun activities for the whole family. They’re also encouraging local families to bring homemade cards for local seniors, being collected as part of the city’s “Community Cupids.”

An annual favorite, Table Rock Kiwanis will be on hand at the Central Point Library for its “Books For Kids” holiday book giveaway.

With the parade, tree lighting and fun activities, Christmas will once again be in full swing Dec. 4.

“We’ve been so excited while planning this. We almost had to hold ourselves back because, after missing

last year, we want to do ALL the things this year,” Hendrickson said.

“We’re just so excited to bring our community Christmas back to Central Point this year.”

To register to be part of the holiday parade, or to volunteer for the holiday event, send an email to nikki.peteresen@centralpointoregon.gov or call 541-663-3321, ext. 130.

Parade participation costs $10, with all proceeds going to purchase Santa bags for local children.

For more information, see centralpointoregon.gov/parksrec/page/ community-cupids-holiday-edition and centralpointchamber.org/ community-christmas/

“We’ve been so excited while planning this.

We almost had to hold ourselves back because, after missing last year, we want to do ALL the things this year.”

Stephanie Hendrickson, president Central Point Chamber of Commerce

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MEDFORD

MAIL TRIBUNE/FILE PHOTO

Medford’s community Christmas tree will be lit at the Winter Lights Festival Saturday, Dec. 4, in Pear Blossom Park.

WINTER LIGHTS FESTIVAL

T

he annual lighting of the community Christmas tree will be held Saturday, Dec. 4, in downtown Medford’s Pear Blossom Park.

The annual event will include a coloring contest for kids in the

Lithia Lobby, photos with Santa, live performances, a candy cane hunt, booths, activities and a fireworks show. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. and conclude at 8.

The free candy cane hunt, for children ages 1-12, starts at 4:30 p.m.

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ENTERTAINING

INNOVATE YOUR HOLIDAY MENUS

By Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune

T

ake it from Hilary Cano: It’s OK to take a break from elaborate holiday menus and expectations around entertaining.

As the manager of special events at Jacksonville’s Bigham Knoll, Cano called it quits amid last year’s coronavirus surge. Once pandemic restrictions eased, she decided against resuming her job overseeing three catered meals each day, Thursday through Sunday, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Cano’s expertise easily could feed her family of 26, whose gatherings the chef likens to “mini catering.”

But the family divvies up dishes among its members in a major departure from Cano’s childhood, when her grandmother spent all day in the kitchen while the men watched football and the kids harassed her.

While many families crave holiday nostalgia, Cano advocates for some innovation within a familiar framework.

The chef has spiced winter squash with curry, in lieu of serving candied yams, and mingled mashed potatoes with steamed and riced cauliflower.

“It helps really lighten it up for people,” she says. “You feel like you’re eating a vegetable; it tricks the kids into eating a vegetable.”

There’s no mistaking, however, the green golfball-sized spheres of Brussels sprouts — “strangely” the item most requested at Bigham Knoll’s holiday events, says Cano.

The most popular protein from Bigham Knoll’s German-themed kitchen was beef Stroganoff, easy to make a day ahead and forgiving enough to keep hot throughout an hours-long gathering.

A canvas for seasonal vegetables, Cano’s stuffing is more like a casserole or savory bread pudding, accommodating fresh produce from leeks and kale to

ERIK M. LUNSFORD/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Gluten-free vanilla bean cheesecake

While many families crave holiday nostalgia, Hilary Cano advocates for some innovation within a familiar framework. The chef has spiced winter squash with curry, in lieu of serving candied yams, and mingled mashed potatoes with steamed and riced cauliflower. apples and fennel.

Fall vegetables, in particular, tend to hold up to advance cooking and reheating, says Cano.

To build a menu like a culinary professional, Cano says to “find your salad,” matching its tone to the overall spread, whether upscale or “pizzeria-style.”

“The salad really sets the stage for the rest of the meal.”

Then “perfect your starch,” which is the element that excites so many people. Cano notes that diners often eat more potatoes than turkey or ham and are disappointed when spuds don’t deliver.

Regardless of the base ingredient, cooks shouldn’t cut any corners on a satisfying starch, she says.

“Are we doing mashed potatoes? Are we doing au gratin? Are we doing rice?

You’re gonna have gluten-free friends; you’re

probably gonna have a vegetarian or vegan,” she adds.

“How do I appease everybody without isolating anybody?”

Cano’s latest strategy is merging a new family tradition with the old.

Cano decided to swap Christmas eggnog with another spiced, milky beverage — horchata — in a nod to her husband’s Mexican heritage.

She’s also working to update her family’s traditional tapioca pudding with the flavors of apple pie.

Some foods bridge generational and cultural differences and bring everyone to the table, says Cano.

“Everybody loves cheesecake in any format.”

Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Cheesecake For crust: 3 cups crisp rice cereal 1 cup pecans

1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted 1 tablespoon vanilla extract For cheesecake filling: 16 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup sour cream 1 cup granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean 2 tablespoons butter, softened 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cornstarch For mousse topping: 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped coarsely 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 vanilla bean 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Make crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch, springform pan.

Process the rice cereal in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the pecans to food processor and process until they start to stick to bowl’s sides. Add pecans to rice mixture.

Add the salt and brown sugar to rice mixture; blend

well. Add the melted butter and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Mix until mixture starts to stick together when lightly pressed.

Press into bottom and slightly up sides of springform pan.

Make filling. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the 16 ounces cream cheese, the sour cream and granulated sugar; mix until sugar is dissolved.

Split 1 vanilla bean in half and gently scrape seeds into cream-cheese mixture. Add the softened butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and the cornstarch.

Beat with mixer for 2 minutes or until smooth. Do not overmix.

Pour filling over crust and smooth gently with a spatula.

Bake in preheated oven until edges brown slightly, for 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool for 1 hour. While cheesecake is cooling, chill a mixing bowl.

Make mousse. In cold mixing bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Melt the white chocolate in microwave in 30-second bursts, taking care not to overmelt. (Chocolate does not have to be completely liquid, but it should not have any visible chunks.) Place the 4 ounces cream cheese in unwashed mixing bowl.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.

Split second vanilla bean in half and gently scrape seeds into bowl with cream cheese.

Add melted chocolate and the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream one-third at a time.

Spread mousse over cooled cheesecake with an offset spatula. Refrigerator for 4 hours or until cold. Run a warm knife around edge before removing sides of springform pan.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

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Quick and Easy Beef Stroganoff

ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS

Crisp Sprouts served with a simple sweet and sour vinaigrette.

Crisp Sprouts 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts 3-½ tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 strips bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips 2 tablespoons chopped red onion 1-½ tablespoons red wine vinegar ¾ teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 small garlic clove, peeled and mashed with a bit of salt Trim root ends of the sprouts.

Halve sprouts through root ends.

Heap sprouts onto a baking sheet.

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toss with the salt.

Scatter on the bacon.

Spread out sprouts, cut sides down.

Roast in a 450-degree oven, tossing once or twice, until dark and crisp, for about 20 minutes.

While sprouts are cooking, let the chopped onion mellow in the vinegar with the sugar.

After about 20 minutes, whisk in remaining 1-½ tablespoons olive oil, the crushed red pepper flakes and garlic.

Toss roasted sprouts with vinaigrette. Alternatively, simply sprinkle sprouts with a bit of red wine vinegar. Scrape onto a serving platter. Makes 3 servings.

4 cups uncooked, medium, no-yolk noodles (about 8 ounces) 1 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free beef broth 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon salt, divided ¼ teaspoon black pepper, divided Cooking spray, as needed 1 pound boneless sirloin steak (about ½ inch thick) 1 cup chopped onion 1 (8-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream ¼ cup chopped, fresh parsley Cook the noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and oil. While noodles cook, whisk the beef

ED HAUN/DETROIT FREE PRESS/TNS

Quick and Easy Beef Stroganoff

broth in a medium bowl with the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, ½ teaspoon of the salt and ⅛ teaspoon of the pepper.

Spray a Dutch oven or large pot with some of the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with remaining salt and pepper. Add beef to pan and cook for 3-½ minutes. Remove from pan.

Add the onion and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Stir in the flour; cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Stir in broth mixture; cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring continuously.

Cut beef into thin strips; return to pan. Stir in cooked pasta, the sour cream and parsley; cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Makes 5 servings.

Recipe adapted by Tribune News Service from Cooking Light magazine’s September 2002 issue

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GRANTS PASS

HOLIDAYS MERRY AND BRIGHT

By Tammy Asnicar for the Mail Tribune

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he 2021 holiday season promises to be merrier and brighter than 2020, with most favorite events and celebrations going live.

All in-person events will operate following COVID-19 protocols and social distancing guidelines. Masks will be required at indoor performances and events.

Downtown Grants Pass will be decked out in holiday style when the Evergreen Federal Bank-sponsored installation of the “Magical Christmas Murals” and giant nutcrackers is rolled out in late November. Twenty fiber-optic winter and holiday scenes light up Sixth and Seventh streets with dozens of nutcrackers standing guard.

Thanksgiving Day literally gets off to a running start with the Grants Pass Family YMCA’s Turkey Trot Nov. 25. Runners are invited to “strut’ their stuffin’” in either the 5K race or 2-mile fun run. Participants will run in 5-minute intervals beginning at 7:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. with a maximum of 50 racers in each wave. Entry into the 5K is $35 per person. Entry into the fun run is $20 per individual or $45 per family. Registration can be done in person at the YMCA, 1000 Redwood Ave., or online at www.grantspassymca.org.

Clarion Theatre Co. will present “Hatter’s Daughter,” a two-act Christmas musical with performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 27, and 3 p.m. Nov. 28, at the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center on the campus of Grants Pass High School, Eighth and Dean streets.

The original play written by Grants Pass resident John Buckley Sleadd is set in the Great Depression and centers on Radiana Topps, a haymaker’s daughter struggling to find her self-worth and faith.

The show features 21 songs: ballads, jazz tunes and harmonies performed by a men’s barbershop quartet. Tickets

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“Magical Christmas Murals” and giant nutcrackers will be rolled out in late November in downtown Grants Pass.

PHOTO BY JIM INGRAHAM

The Stillpoint Ballet Company will present “The Nutcracker Ballet” Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center. The dancers pictured, from left, are Erin Law, Sierra Geohring and Keziah Taylor.

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“Father Christmas” will visit the historic Schmidt House gardens at Fifth and J streets in Grants Pass Dec. 18. The Josephine County Historical Society will host the family-friendly event.

are $15 for adults and youth 12 and older, and $6 for children younger than 12. Ticket prices are reduced to $12 per person for groups of four or more.

The 19th annual Rogue Winterfest will be a virtual affair Dec. 2-5. Four days of festivities will be “broadcast” from the Bear Hotel in Grants Pass. The virtual gala and grand auction featuring 20 exquisitely decorated holiday trees and a giant gingerbread house kicks off the event at

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Twenty fiber-optic winter and holiday scenes light up Sixth and Seventh streets in downtown Grants Pass during the holidays, with dozens of nutcrackers standing guard.

7 p.m. Dec. 2, with “guests” bidding on the trees by phone, tablet or computer. Guests can also bid online during the virtual silent auction that runs through Dec. 5. Proceeds benefit Family Solutions, Kairos and Options of Southern Oregon. To participate in the auctions, guests will need to visit www.roguewinterfest.org to view and bid on items offered at auction.

The city of Grants Pass

will host the annual tree lighting during the First Friday Art Walk Dec. 3 at the Holiday Plaza, Fifth and G streets. The celebration begins at 7 p.m., with Santa Claus greeting children from the North Pole via Zoom. The tree will be lit at 7:30 p.m.

Barnstormers will perform James Devita’s “Christmas Angel,” Dec. 3-19 in the intimate theater at 112 N.E. Evelyn Ave., with

performances at 7:30 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. A “quirky family” is visited by an even quirkier angel who helps them rediscover the meaning of Christmas amid chaos. Tickets are $18 per person.

A community Christmas Parade is set for Dec. 4.

More than two dozen floats will cruise the length of Sixth and Seventh streets and bring holiday cheer to local nursing homes. This event was a hit last year when volunteers scrambled to stage a community-wide parade after learning the city-sponsored event had been canceled.

The Stillpoint Ballet Company will present the 30th annual performance of “The Nutcracker Ballet” Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center on the campus of Grants Pass High School, Eighth and Dean. The curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. opening night, Dec. 11. As a gift to the community, tickets are $10 for all seats.

Additional performances will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 12; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18; and 2 p.m. Dec. 19. Section A tickets are $15; Section B tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for youth ages 3 to 17, and for seniors 62 and older.

“Father Christmas” will visit the historic Schmidt House gardens Dec. 18. The Josephine County Historical Society will host the family-friendly event.

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DO-IT-YOURSELF TREATS

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFFERSON FARM KITCHEN

Jefferson Farm Kitchen in Jacksonville stocks gift baskets of locally grown and prepared foods.

GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN

By Sarah Lemon

for the Mail Tribune

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idestepping the season’s supply chain stress can be as simple as supplying friends and family with gifts from the kitchen.

Bonus points go to both giver and recipient when wholesome recipes are packed into new, reusable containers, says chef Kristen Lyon.

“Something I try to do is packaging as the gift,” says Lyon, whose Jefferson Farm Kitchen stocks gift baskets of locally produced foods, along with reusable containers.

“We’re oversaturated with all these to-go containers and packaging.”

Many households are equally saturated around the holidays with rich, sweet snacks and treats. Lyon advocates for spiced nuts, homemade granola, dried apple and pear slices, even kale chips as more nutritionally sound alternatives.

Compared with batches of cookies, candy or fudge, savory snacks can be even easier to make and more budget-friendly, says Lyon.

Recipes for spiced nuts and kale chips require hardly any measuring or mixing. An electric dehydrator transforms apple and pear slices into chewy chips, although a low-temperature oven works, too. For recipients with a sweet tooth, homemade candied

ginger and citrus peel still feel festive but not too indulgent, says Lyon.

Make a more significant contribution to holiday spreads with baked Brie, comprising a wheel of cheese, accented with fresh or dried fruits wrapped inside commercially prepared puff pastry. Lyon presents hers in a new stainless steel container that — lid removed — can go straight from freezer to oven. The recipient can use the container long after eating the Brie.

Even easier for the giver are grab-and-go potpies and takeand-bake meal packages from Lyon’s Farm Kitchen in Jacksonville. Weekly meal packages start at $44, and individual items, from meatloaf to raw vegan cashew cheesecake, range from $16 to $32.

Cooking with organic, locally grown and raised ingredients geared toward special diets, Lyon even offers “everything but the turkey” side dish packages and heat-and-serve holiday appetizer assortments that include compostable cocktail napkins and plates, from $99 to $200. See jeffersonfarmkitchen.com.

“Just the gift of giving someone our meals, you’re giving them the gift of time,” says Lyon.

Keeping shopping dollars local, Lyon notes, is vital for small businesses that faced so many challenges for nearly two years. Given that “$100 in sales can make or break” a

JULI LEONARD/RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER

Baked Brie

local business for the day, she urges browsing their inventories before browsing online.

Ashland-based Ecopiggy is Lyon’s source for stainless steel containers. Topped with silicone lids, the containers are lighter than glass and available in the Farm Kitchen storefront. Lyon also fills some with house-made snacks for gift giving.

The chef also touts canning jars topped with festive fabric for homemade treats or a new kitchen towel tied with ribbon around a bottle of wine as eco-friendly solutions to gift wrap.

Baked Brie ½ cup pecan halves 3 tablespoons brown sugar ½ package (1 piece) frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 (8-ounce) round of Brie 1 large egg yolk 2 tablespoons heavy cream In a small bowl, combine the pecans and sugar, using your fingers to thoroughly mix; set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

Lightly dust work surface with flour. Cut the piece of puff pastry in half and place on work surface, 1 piece directly on top of the other.

Using a rolling pin, adhere 2 pieces of puff pastry together.

Continue rolling puff pastry until it is very thin, slightly less than ⅛ inch thick.

Place the Brie in center of puff pastry. Top Brie with pecan mixture, spreading to within ½ inch of edges of cheese. Be sure to remove any sugar or nuts from puff pastry, as they may cause holes to form during baking.

Fold puff pastry up and over Brie to enclose. Use a sharp knife or clean scissors to trim excess pastry, reserving scraps. Transfer Brie to prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk and cream to make an egg wash. Cut reserved scraps of puff pastry to make decorative shapes.

Using a pastry brush, gently brush decorative shapes with egg wash and adhere to wrapped Brie. Brush wrapped Brie evenly with egg wash.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake Brie in preheated oven until golden brown and puffed, for about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake until dark golden brown, for 10 to 15 minutes more.

Serve with sliced baguette, crackers or fruit. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe adapted by Tribune News Service from Martha Stewart.

Chile-Lime Roasted Cashews 1 lime, zested and juiced 1 teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon ancho chile ¼ teaspoon chipotle chile 1 egg white 2 cups raw, whole cashews Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the lime zest, salt, ancho chile, chipotle chile and egg white. Add the cashews to bowl and toss to combine, making sure nuts are evenly coated.

Transfer nuts to prepared baking sheet, spreading them out in an even layer. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Remove nuts from oven and drizzle, while hot, with the lime juice. Let nuts cool. Once completely cooled, transfer nuts to an airtight container and serve as needed.

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PERFORMANCES

HOT TICKETS

Camelot, CTP, Randall offer classic fare for the holiday season

By Jim Flint for the Mail Tribune

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ot tickets abound during this year’s holiday season in the Rogue Valley.

Performances at Camelot Theatre, Randall Theatre Company and Collaborative Theatre Project fill the calendar from Nov. 24 through New Year’s Eve.

Camelot Theatre “Elf, The Musical” opens at Talent’s Camelot Theatre Nov. 24. Based on the beloved holiday film, this fishout-of-water comedy follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to find his true identity.

“This modern-day holiday classic is perfect for all audiences,” said Dann Hauser, executive director.

“It reminds us to embrace our inner elves. After all, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is ‘singing loud for all to hear,’” he said, quoting one of Buddy’s lines from the show.

The cast includes Cody Pettit as Buddy, Courtney Crawford as Jovie, Christopher Green as Dad, Lauren Blair as Mother, Lanny Horn as Santa, and Jackson Deal and Wes Bartholomew sharing the role of Michael.

Music is by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin.

A preview performance with all seats $20 or pay what you can will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24. Opening night is Nov. 26. Performances are generally Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., with special performances Christmas week and a New Year’s Eve matinee.

For tickets ($33-$38) and more information, go to camelottheatre. org or visit the box office at 101 Talent Ave., phone 541-535-5250.

Randall Theatre “The Great Randall DIY Holiday Spectacular” will run Dec. 10-11-12 at the Ghostlight Playhouse, 115 E. Main St., in Medford.

A variety revue in the style of holiday TV specials of the 1960s and 1970s, it will feature performances by guest artists, holiday singalongs, and other surprises.

Think “The Andy Williams Show,” where guests dropped into his living room to chat and sing.

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CJ Reid is the White Witch in Collaborative Theatre Project’s production of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” opening Nov. 26 for a six-week run at CTP’s theater in the Medford Center.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11, and 2 p.m. Dec. 12. Tickets are $20 per person.

“Any seats remaining unsold 30 minutes before curtain will be available at pay-what-you-want pricing on a first-come, first-served basis,” said Kathy Wing, artistic director.

A New Year’s Eve show is in the planning stages. COVID restrictions at the time will be followed, and shows are subject to change. Ticket holders will be informed if their performance is affected.

Masks will be required inside the building except when actively eating or drinking. Performers will not be masked.

For tickets and updates, go to randalltheatre.com.

Collaborative Theatre Project CTP will present a multimedia production of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” based on the Jerome Robinette adaptation of the C.S. Lewis classic.

The show opens Nov. 26 with six weeks of performances. Evening

COURTESY PHOTO

Cody Pettit, left, and Lanny Horn will appear in “Elf, The Musical” at Camelot Theatre in Talent Nov. 24 through New Year’s Eve.

shows are at 7:30 and matinees are at 1:30 p.m. All performances are at the CTP theater, 555 Medford Center, across from Cold Stone Creamery.

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring this story to life,” said Susan Aversa-Orrego, artistic director,

“complete with battle scenes and imaginative staging.”

The show stars Jeff McCamish as the magical Lion, Asian, and CJ Reid as the White Witch.

The ensemble cast includes Zag Wentworth, Alayna Riley, Grace Marical, Dominick Valasco, Steven Dominguez, Annie Loggins and Aaron Carter.

Choreography is by Aaron Carter, battle choreography is by Russell Lloyd, and Aversa-Orrego directs.

The production will feature live actors, puppets and film montages.

Lighting designer Charles Baldwin will incorporate projections and film segments. Daniel Sessions Stephens is creating the lion, and Diana Rasmussen is creating some of the fantasy creatures.

Tickets are $25 for seniors and students, and $30 for adults. Patrons must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test, and masks are required in the theater.

For tickets and more information, go to CTPmedford.org or call the box office at 541-779-1055.

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OREGON CABARET THEATRE

BOYFRIEND MEETS THE FAMILY IN ‘CHRISTMAS, CONTIGO’

By Jim Flint for the Mail Tribune

T

he lechón is roasting, the yuca bubbles and the flan is steaming in the oven. You can smell the tantalizing aromas coming from the kitchen as you’re seated for a performance of “Christmas, Contigo” at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland.

The world premiere of the new play by Carlos-Zenen Trujillo will be performed at the dinner theater now through Dec. 31. It’s a play with music. “Lots of it,” said Valerie Rachelle, co-owner of the Cabaret with husband, Rick Robinson.

“Since the play takes place in Florida and centers around a Cuban family, our menu will have some wonderful Cuban dishes for our audiences to explore,” she said.

“The menu will be heavily influenced by the play,” Robinson said.

“The playwright himself has contributed ideas.”

The menu will include dishes like lechon y yuca (roasted pork and cassava), ropa vieja vegano y maduros (shredded jackfruit and plantains), and fricasé de pollo y maduros (slow cooked fricasseed chicken and plantains). Sides will include Cuban-inspired rice and beans.

The play’s story is about a holiday family reunion with an unexpected twist.

All the trappings of Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) await Iris Delgado-Piñeira on her trip back to her family home in Hialeah. Only this year she’s bringing a surprise, her boyfriend and soon-to-be fiancé, Bryan,

COURTESY PHOTOS

The world premiere of “Christmas, Contigo,” a play with music by Carlos-Zenen Trujillo (right), will be performed at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre Nov. 18 to Dec. 31. Trujillo, a Cuban-American playwright and author of “Christmas Contigo,” lives in Oregon.

to meet her parents and her aging grandmother — just another ingredient in the chaos before Christmas.

“We invite audiences to join the Delgado-Piñeiras as they fall in love, reconnect, rediscover traditions and prepare a Christmas Eve for the ages,” Rachelle said.

Playwright Trujillo was born in Bejucal, Cuba, and has been an Oregonian since 2006. He was scheduled to appear in Oregon Shakespeare Company’s “Bernhardt/Hamlet” in 2020 before the season was canceled due to the pandemic.

He was featured by the 2021 Ashland New Plays Festival as one of five Emerging Playwrights. The SOU BFA

grad has acted in several regional theater productions, written several plays, and has dramaturgy and directing experience.

The cast includes Al Espinosa with nine seasons at OSF; Jezabel Montero, a Cuban-American actor, writer, director and producer; Angela Hernandez, who acted at SOU and was an OSF acting trainee; JL Rey, a New York actor, director and teacher; Savanna Padilla, who acted at SOU and was an OSF acting trainee; Dan Lin, with regional theater experience and who was cast in OSF’s 2020 “Peter and the Star Catcher”; and Alina Cenal, a Cuban-American actor, dancer, director and writer.

Show times are 1 p.m. for matinees and 8 p.m. for evening performances.

Patrons have the option of arriving early for dinner, with menus varying over the run of the show and reservations required. Appetizers, desserts and drinks are also available before the show and during intermission.

Food and drink are optional and not included in the price of a ticket.

Tickets are $43 for A level seating, $39 for B level, and $29 for C level.

Masks are required except when dining. Proof of vaccination or a recent negative test is required.

For more information and to order tickets, go to oregoncabaret.com or call the box office at 541-488-2902.

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OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

‘IT’S CHRISTMAS, CAROL!’ OSF’s first holiday show brings world premiere to Bowmer with hopes of starting a tradition

By Jim Flint for the Mail Tribune

I

f you laughed your head off at the antics of Mark Bedard, Brent Hinkley and John Tufts in Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Marx Brothers comedy romps, you’re going to love them in OSF’s first-ever holiday show, “It’s Christmas, Carol!”

Written by and starring the zany trio, this new work from the twisted minds of OSF’s favorite clowns has its world premiere Nov. 23-Jan. 2.

“It promises to be a silly and uplifting way to mark the holidays and celebrate the festival’s return to live indoor performances,” said Blake Zidell, OSF spokesman.

Although they have done considerable work for OSF, the three actors may be best known for their appearances in “Animal Crackers” in 2012 and “Cocoanuts” in 2014.

The song-filled holiday show will run 2 hours, 30 minutes with one intermission in the Angus Bowmer Theatre. Music and lyrics are by the playwrights, with Pirronne Yousefzedeh directing.

Preview performances are scheduled Nov. 23, 24, 26 and 27.

Thereafter, shows will be held Wednesdays through Sundays through Jan. 2 with a mix of evening and matinee performances.

“It’s Christmas, Carol!” is the story of businesswoman Carol Scroogenhouse, who is taken by three ghosts through space and time to reckon with how she’s abandoned humanity for hollow capitalism.

The question is: Will Carol find her soul as she is whisked by these ghostly apparitions to a Shakespearean theater, prehistoric holiday celebrations, and a zombie future?

Along the way, the show skewers Dickens, the holidays and Shakespeare, with a dose of the Marx Brothers, fractured carols and more.

OSF will offer an encore run of the show during the holidays in 2022 and beyond.

“We are hopeful that the production will become a holiday tradition for people living in the Rogue Valley and beyond,” said OSF Executive Director

COURTESY OF COSTUME DESIGNER VALÉRIE BART

Costume sketches for the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, in the style of The Marx Brothers, for this season’s holiday show at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Below left, a costume sketch for the character of Carol Scroogenhouse.

“We are hopeful that the production will become a holiday tradition for people living in the Rogue Valley and beyond.”

David Schmitz, executive director, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

(various), Kate Mulligan (Carol Scroogenhouse), Benjamin Pelteson (David Crotchit and others), Lynette Rathnam (Marley and others), and James Ryen (Tom Crotchit and others).

Additional creative team members are Sara Ryung Clement, scenic designer; Valerie Bart, cosDavid Schmitz. “We hope to attract tumes; Xavier Pierce, lighting; Paul audiences from around the country James Prendergast, sound; Dolores to experience a holiday show that is Duran-Cafalu, music director, unique to Ashland.” arranger; Jaclyn Miller, choreographer, The cast of 11 includes Bedard Martine Kel Green-Rogers, drama(Ghost of Holidays Past), Hinkley turg; Rebecca Clark Carey, voice and (Ghost of Holidays Future), Tufts text; Lily Riopelie, assistant director; (Ghost of Holidays Present), Lisa Birn- U. Jonathan Toppo, fight director; baum (Barbara Crotchit and others), Roxana Khan, stage manager; Karl Armando Duran (various), Safiya Alphonse, assistant stage manager; and Quy Ton, assistant stage manager.

Fredericks (Narrator), Amy Lizardo

Understudies are Catherine Castellanos, Kate Hurster, Cristofer Jean, Eddie Lopez, and K.T. Vogt.

The play is deemed suitable for the entire family, although the rapid-fire dialogue contains some occasional innuendo.

All audience members 12 and older must present proof of vaccination or a recent COVID negative test. Audience members 18 and older must present a photo ID at the door. Seating will be assigned with social distancing.

And all audience members must wear masks.

Tickets are $35 and $75. For show dates and times, tickets, and more information, go to osfashland.org and click on “It’s Christmas, Carol!”

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MUSIC OF THE SEASON

‘A MORE INTIMATE PRESENTATION’ Rogue Valley Chorale, Jefferson Baroque Orchestra combine for ‘Christmas Messiah’ concerts Dec. 4-5 PHOTO BY CORNELIUS MATTEO

By Jim Flint

Southern Oregon Repertory Singers’ holiday concerts will include seasonal music both sacred and secular, ancient and modern.

for the Mail Tribune

I

n most cities with strong arts communities, it wouldn’t be the holidays without a performance of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.” Medford is no exception.

Rogue Valley Chorale, in concert with the Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, will present two performances of “Christmas Messiah” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at the Craterian Theater.

“We adopted that name for the concert because we are highlighting Part 1,” said Michael Morris, artistic director, “which is sometimes known as the Christmas segment.”

Fans of Handel’s oratorio won’t be disappointed to learn that the concert will also include the iconic “Hallelujah Chorus,” as well as the final movement of the work, which includes segments titled “Worthy is the Lamb” and “The Great Amen.”

Typical performances of the entire “Messiah” are usually 2.5 to 3 hours long. The Rogue Valley Chorale performance of excerpts will be approximately 1.5 hours in length.

During the pandemic, shorter performances have been the norm.

“Most performing organizations have reduced the time of their programs to limit the exposure time for audiences and performers,” Morris said.

“Originally we planned a longer program, but after the uptick in COVID-19 cases when the delta variation took hold, we modified the program.”

Jose Rubio

Jennifer Matsuura

‘WE HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME TO SING’ Repertory Singers’ holiday concerts are first live performance since start of pandemic

By Jim Flint for the Mail Tribune

S Shelly Cox-Thornhill

Colin Campbell

Handel composed “Messiah” for a small orchestra of stringed instruments, trumpets, timpani and harpsichord.

“We are very fortunate to be collaborating with the Jefferson Baroque Orchestra,” Morris said.

Its members, under the direction of Morgan O’Shaughnessy, play on period instruments or modern copies in order to recapture the transparent timbres and lively articulations of orchestras in the 18th century.

“I wished to return to the sound of the original orchestration,” Morris said.

“It allows a more intimate presentation.”

Featured soloists include Jennifer Matsuura, soprano; Shelly Cox-Thornhill, mezzo-soprano; Colin Campbell, tenor; and Jose Rubio, bass.

“We are very excited to

have engaged these amazing soloists,” Morris said. “They have made their mark not only in Southern Oregon, but nationally and internationally as well.”

The text for Handel’s “Messiah” was written by Charles Jennens, an English land baron and patron of the arts. Handel wrote the music in 24 days of swift composition.

The rapid pace was seen

by Jennens not as a sign of ecstatic energy, but rather as “careless negligence,” and relations between the two men would remain strained.

Jennens urged Handel to make “improvements” but the composer stubbornly refused.

Tickets for “Christmas Messiah” can be purchased at craterian.org or at the Craterian Theater box office, 16 S. Bartlett, downtown Medford, 541-779-3000

outhern Oregon Repertory Singers’ return to live performance will be “The Waiting Sky,” a program of seasonal holiday music at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18, and at 3 p.m. Dec. 19.

The concert will be held at Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall, 450 S. Mountain Ave., in Ashland.

The program will include music from the Renaissance to the present by well-known and emerging composers.

“We have been waiting a long time to sing for live audiences again,” said Paul French, Rep Singers music director. “And we hope our music brings long-overdue holiday cheer.”

The concert title, “The Waiting Sky,” comes from an a cappella piece on the program by award-winning composer Oliver Tarney, who has been featured on several of Rep Singers’ previous holiday programs.

“One of the concert highlights will be a stunning ‘Ave Maria’ by Polish composer

Pawel Lukaszewski,” French said. In a review, Rebecca Tavener said the composer manages to make just two words “into a meditational poem of great devotional power.”

Other highlights: “The Christ Child’s Lullaby,” a haunting setting of a Hebridean folksong by American composer Gwyneth Walker for choir and mezzo soprano soloist; “Winter,” a piece that includes some visual projections, written by young Black American composer Alvin Trotman; And music by two of Britain’s top choral composers: a lively Spanish carol, “Romance of the Angels,” arranged by Howard Goodall, and “My Lord Has Come,” a carol by Will Todd — “heartbreakingly lovely,” French said.

Also on the program is a variety of seasonal songs from around the world, both ancient and modern; traditional secular carols such as “Wassail Carol,” “Jingle Bells,” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”; and a commissioned setting of the Scottish favorite, “Auld Lang Syne,” by Rep Singers accompanist and resident composer Jodi French.

For tickets, call the box office at 541-552-0900.

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CRATERIAN THEATER

By Jim Flint

A HOLIDAY TRIFECTA

Christmas, to a time when neighbors would gather in each other’s homes, bringing their traditional instruments, songs and dances.

“Tom has the distinction of being the only artist the Craterian has presented for over 20 consecutive years,” McCandless said. “It took a global pandemic to interrupt the tradition.”

The program offers poetry, prose, song and dance. “It will certainly make you smile, and likely bring a tear to your eye,” McCandless said.

Accompanying Foley on his tour is a band composed of regulars and award-winning guest artists, many from Ireland.

for the Mail Tribune

M

edford’s Craterian Theater will celebrate the Christmas season with a holiday trifecta: Teen Musical Theater of Oregon’s online production of “A Countdown to Christmas,” Jake Shimabukuro’s “Christmas in Hawaii,” and Tomaseen Foley’s “A Celtic Christmas.”

December’s two live shows will be the Craterian’s first touring productions of the 2021-22 season.

In addition, the annual James Collier GingerBread Jubilee will award cash prizes to contest winners and raise money to help fund Craterian shows.

‘Countdown to Christmas’ This holiday season, TMTO will reprise its hit video series from 2020, “A Countdown to Christmas,” with 14 new songs and featuring 33 of TMTO’s talented teens.

“Last year’s series was widely popular,” said Stephen McCandless, Craterian executive director. “Even now, people tell us that it gave them hope and light throughout the dark days of the pandemic.”

The first holiday video debuts Dec. 12, with subsequent videos released daily.

You can find them on the Craterian’s YouTube channel and its Facebook and Instagram pages.

“They will be available free,” McCandless said. “We think of it as our Christmas gift to the community.”

When the state “opened up” this summer, TMTO announced plans to produce “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” this winter. But because of the delta surge, the show was postponed to next summer.

‘Christmas in Hawaii’ Jake Shimabukuro’s “Christmas in Hawaii” will play at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6. A ukulele master, Shimabukuro is known as the Jolly Ambassador of Aloha.

He’ll perform a set of popular

COURTESY PHOTO

There will be music, singing and dancing when Tomaseen Foley brings his beloved show to town Dec. 19. The Craterian will offer two performances of “A Celtic Christmas,” at 3 and 7:30 p.m.

COURTESY PHOTO

Teen Musical Theater of Oregon will reprise its online video series, “Countdown to Christmas” with 14 new songs and 33 of TMTO’s talented teens, like Luke Hamilton, seen here in the 2020 show.

holiday songs with Hawaiian stylings and selections from a repertoire of his hits.

He also will sing songs from his new album, “Jake and Friends,” slated for release this November, on which he is joined by Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Jack Johnson, Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, Amy Grant and others.

This is a return engagement for the Hawaiian artist.

“He is warm and engaging,” McCandless said. “He’s the perfect personality to bring holiday cheer to our community.”

Appearing with him will be bassist Jackson Waldoff and special guests Thunderstorm Artis on vocals (a finalist on “The Voice”) and Taku Hirano on percussion.

‘A Celtic Christmas’ Closing out 2021 for the Craterian will be Tomaseen Foley’s “A Celtic Christmas,” with two performances Dec. 19, at 3 and 7:30 p.m.

The show has been warmly reviewed wherever it plays.

“Like a pint of Guinness, ‘A Celtic Christmas’ is going down rich and smooth,”

COURTESY PHOTO

It will be Jake Shimabukuro’s 21st appearance at the Craterian Monday, Dec. 6, when he performs “Christmas in Hawaii” with fellow musicians Jackson Waldoff on bass, Thunderstorm Artis on vocals, and Taku Hirano on percussion.

said the Huntington, West Virginia, Herald-Dispatch.

“A wonderful weaver of good tales,” said the Palm Beach Daily News.

Raised on a small farm in southwest Ireland, Foley takes his audiences back to Ireland of the 1950s, to a night before

GingerBread Jubilee The annual GingerBread Jubilee gives gingerbread artisan bakers a chance to show off their skills and win prizes.

Also, through an auction of the entries, it helps fund shows at the Craterian.

Gingerbread creations can be viewed Nov. 19-22 in the community window display at the Collier Creative Center, 50 N. Fir, in Medford.

“Sometimes people who purchase the gingerbread houses at the auction display them at community businesses,” said Aspen Droesch, development director. “But we never know if or where until after the event.”

The online auction of the entries opens at 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 19 and runs through 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21.

“Some packages will be auctioned off during our live virtual gala Friday night,” Droesch said.

The virtual gala will take place at 7:30 p.m., featuring entertainment, a live auction, a retrospective of the past year, and a look at the new season.

Both the auction and the gala can be viewed for free via the Craterian’s YouTube link.

For links to online happenings and additional information on any of the holiday events, go to craterian.org.

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Friday, November 19, 2021 |

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GINGERBREAD JUBILEE

NUTS ABOUT THE SEASON

Grays work together to make ‘gingerbread season’ a family affair

By Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune

A

thousand dollars is on the line, but Dave Gray says he would enter an annual baking contest even if his only reward was a candy cane.

“I’m not totally nuts yet,” says the Medford resident.

Gingerbread fever, however, grips Gray’s entire family once summer subsides. Gray, a 63-year-old retired park ranger, finishes his maintenance and groundskeeping work for local state parks just in time to begin baking. His wife, daughters and grandsons also consider the months between Labor Day and Thanksgiving “gingerbread season.”

“It’s just like another season — another holiday,” says Gray’s daughter, 38-year-old Katy Gray of Medford.

The Grays’ enthusiasm has brought progressively better showings at the annual GingerBread Jubilee, where they won first place in last year’s mixedage group category. In 2018, they took second place, improving on 2017’s thirdplace finish. The Jubilee’s grand prize is $1,000 for best in show out of more than $3,500 awarded in three categories.

The Grays’ first Jubilee entry was in 2015, after Dave and wife, Francine, relocated from San Jose, California.

The couple’s daughters had introduced them a few years earlier to the Jubilee at downtown Medford’s Collier Center for the Performing Arts, where Dave said, “I could do that.”

The can-do attitude of longtime Jubilee bakers has bolstered Craterian Performances through the coronavirus pandemic. Although the celebration of entirely edible artworks was significantly scaled back for 2020 and 2021, the Jubilee — planned Nov. 19-23 — still draws roughly the same number of entries as in previous years and has surpassed fundraising expectations, says Aspen Droesch, Craterian development director.

“We did get a lot of really positive feedback,” says Droesch.

A figure slightly reduced from previous years, $223,000 raised in 2020 pushed the Jubilee total over $2.4 million generated since its 2003 inception, says Droesch. A livestreaming auction and gala stand a good chance of restoring this year’s fundraising

JAMIE LUSCH PHOTOS / MAIL TRIBUNE

Dave Gray works on part of his gingerbread display for this year’s Gingerbread Jubilee.

figure to pre-pandemic levels.

“I almost feel like I’m planning a completely new event,” says Droesch.

Statewide restrictions on public gatherings accelerated too quickly in 2020 for the Jubilee to move its gala entertainment online. This summer’s surge of the delta variant prompted the Jubilee — like many organizations — to scrap plans for an in-person event but left plenty of time to orchestrate virtual festivities.

“I think that we’ve embraced a lot of technology that makes for greater success,” says Droesch.

The livestreaming gala will kick off at 7 p.m. Nov. 19, providing an hour of visual and musical spectacles, a 2022 Craterian season preview and a behindthe-scenes look at 2021 highlights, concluding with the live auction of 10 premier packages that boast travel accommodations, private parties and theater tickets, along with the top five

COURTESY PHOTO

Dave Gray’s family won first place in the mixed-age group category at the 2020 GingerBread Jubilee for “Nutcracker Prince.”

gingerbread pieces, says Droesch. The event is free and open to the public — instead of just a couple hundred ticket holders — who can register online to bid through Nov. 22. See craterian.org/ support-us/gingerbread-jubilee/ Also free for virtual streaming is the community tour, which typically hosts 30,000 people over several days at the theater. While the virtual tour takes viewers inside the Collier Creative Center, in-person observation outside through the building’s large windows is encouraged Nov. 19-23 at 50 N. Fir St. Anyone interested in bidding, says Droesch, can peruse the cookie and candy creations — free of charge — Friday before the auction opens later in the evening.

Hopes for the Jubilee’s return

to “normal” in 2022 for its 20th year do collide with support, says Droesch, for continuing to display the gingerbread pieces at the Collier Creative Center, a former Scan-Design, instead of returning them to the theater several blocks away. It’s much easier to get the fragile sculptures in and out of the new location, says Gray, and their arrangement — although behind glass — allows for getting even closer to some pieces.

A reconfigured Jubilee has only encouraged Gray’s own unconventional gingerbread designs, rendered last year as a 26-inch-tall nutcracker figurine.

“I think outside the box,” he says.

“That’s what keeps me going — I’m always trying to do something different.”

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Friday, November 19, 2021 |

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Friday, November 19, 2021 |

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PROVIDENCE FESTIVAL OF TREES

‘WE WANT TO GROW NURSES’

30th annual event will help educate future caregivers

Caregiver education is the charitable cause for the event’s 30th year.

Providence Medford’s scholarship program awards money to employees advancing their schooling and training in health care.

A virtual auction of festive trees — held Nov. 26 through Dec. 4 and promoted in a televised holiday special — invites the public to support this local growth of health-related careers.

By Sarah Lemon for the Mail Tribune

A

smaller Providence Festival of Trees still has a big mission.

Caregiver education is the charitable cause for the event’s 30th year. Providence Medford’s scholarship program awards money to employees advancing their schooling and training in health care. A virtual auction of festive trees — held Nov. 26 through Dec. 4 and promoted in a televised holiday special — invites the public to support this local growth of health-related careers.

“What we want to do is continue to grow nurses,” says Kyndra Irigoyen, event coordinator for Providence Community Health Foundation.

Last year’s fundraising total of $350,000 also benefitted caregivers who lost their homes in the region’s catastrophic wildfires. The auction’s paddle call alone raised $100,000 for Providence Foundation, which this year awarded 30 employee scholarships totaling more than $40,000, says Irigoyen.

“We still have a lot of employees who want to continue in health care.”

A Providence staffing scheduling coordinator, Lila Farney was ready to transition into patient care but worried how her family would afford college tuition. The Gold Hill resident completed her associate degree at Rogue Community College but encountered double the cost for her degree program in human development and family sciences through Oregon State University’s e-campus.

“The big concern is how we’re gonna pay for it,” says Farney, 39. “My family and I don’t have money set aside for college.”

COURTESY PHOTO

A tree designed by employees of Garrison’s in 2020 for the Providence Festival of Trees honored first responders and those who lost homes in wildfires.

MAIL TRIBUNE / JAMIE LUSCH

Beth and Travis Sheets designed the “Forest Friends Christmas” tree at a past Festival of Trees for Patterson Plumbing Co. and Sentinel Security Group

The Providence Festival of Trees will be an online event this year.

Hearing about Providence scholarships from her supervisor, Farney thought she “might as well try.” Her subsequent award, coupled with an Oregon Opportunity Grant and scholarship from Oregon State University Extension, entirely paid for Farney’s schooling, allowing her to reduce her work hours without losing medical insurance, upon which her husband and children rely, or other Providence benefits.

“It made me feel great

behavioral health or mental health counseling career path,” she says. “There’s a huge need for mental health practitioners.”

A variety of needs in local health care have been beneficiaries of Providence Foundation’s fundraising, totaling more than $11 million from the Festival of Trees over the past 29 years. The community celebration, presented by Safeway, traditionally hosted thousands to peruse its elaborately

about myself … and also about where I work,” says Farney, employed in various administrative capacities since 2009 at Providence.

Providence’s local health system offers numerous settings, from outpatient clinics to palliative care, where Farney can enter her new field. In addition to her Bachelor of Science, a certification in clinical social work may be in Farney’s future.

“I ultimately wanted to get into something in the

MAIL TRIBUNE / JAMIE LUSCH

decorated holiday trees but went virtual last year amid statewide precautions to curb the coronavirus.

“Being a health care provider in the community, we knew we had to design an event that was safe,” says Irigoyen.

Instead of filling the Medford Armory with its holiday decor and auction items, the Festival relocated to downtown’s One West Main building, where the public could view the trees from outside. Smaller than 2020’s event, this year’s display of seven large trees, nine tabletop trees, a toy sleigh and kids’ playhouse, will not be available for public viewing but rather auctioned online.

Register for the auction or make a donation at https:// pchfot2021.ggo.bid/bidding/ package-browse Tuning in to the holiday special Dec. 1 and Dec. 4 on local ABC affiliate KDRV, viewers can hear about the vital role that scholarships play in recipients’ pursuit of their career goals, says Irigoyen.

“Maybe it’s someone in the cafeteria who’s ready to move on to the patient care setting.”

For more information, see https://providencefoundations.org/events/ safeway-providence-festival-of-trees-southern-oregon/ or call 541-732-5193.

H26 | Friday, November 19, 2021

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Friday, November 19, 2021 |

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SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY

HOLIDAY CONCERTS DECK RECITAL HALL

By Jim Flint for the Mail Tribune

S

anta has something for everyone at the Oregon Center for the Arts, an academic division of Southern Oregon University, as well as an arts presenter, partner and producer.

Between now and Christmas, there will be more than a dozen events on campus, including concerts and recitals. In addition to musical performances, there is a special exhibit at the Schneider Museum of Art. Following is a list of events, all occurring at the Music Recital Hall, 450 S. Mountain Ave., Ashland, unless otherwise noted. Some events are live, others are online, and some are both. The list includes some Music Hall productions that are not associated with SOU. Nov. 19: Castalian String Quartet, part of the Chamber Music Concerts season, 7:30 p.m.

The London-based quartet has been performing internationally for nine years.

Nov. 20: Castalian String Quartet, 3 p.m.

Nov. 30: Chamber ensembles concert, 7:30 p.m., featuring Elena Patterson, cello; Tatjana Luce, clarinet; and Ivana Petrovich, violin.

Dec. 1: Ryan Freiheit, percussion, senior recital, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 2: SOU Jazz Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 4: Band O Rama concert, featuring Oregon High School Honor Bands, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 5: SOU Chamber Choir concert, 3 p.m.

Dec. 10: Tutunov Piano Series featuring Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow, 7:30 p.m. Cheng is professor of piano at Oberlin College and Conservatory.

Chow, who has appeared throughout North America and Asia, performs duos extensively with Cheng, his wife, and with his twin brother, Alan Chow.

Dec. 12: Rogue Valley Symphonic Band holiday concert, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 18: Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 19: Rep Singers, 3 p.m.

Now through Dec. 9: Schneider Museum of Art exhibition, Bruce Burris: “A Shrine for a Shrine.” The solo exhibition by the Corvallis-based artist can be viewed during regular museum hours, 10 to 4 Tuesday through Thursday. A 2018 Hallie Ford Fellow in the visual arts, Burris is known for his ornate, brightly colored, text-based paintings, collages and assemblages.

COURTESY PHOTO

The Castalian String Quartet, part of the Chamber Music Concerts season, will play at SOU Nov. 19 and 20.

COURTESY PHOTO

Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow will be the featured guest pianists during the Dec. 10 concert of the 10th anniversary season of the Tutunov Piano Series.

For more information about OCA events, go to oca.sou.edu. For tickets, go online, call the box office at 541552-6348, or check with independent organizations using the hall.

For more information about exhibits at the Schneider Museum of Art, go to sma.sou.edu.

Siskiyou Singers holiday concert online this year With the pandemic still rolling along, Siskiyou Singers will present an online holiday concert, premiering Saturday, Dec. 10, on the choir’s website, siskiyousingers.org.

“In past years, the Siskiyou Singers

presented two holiday concert programs at SOU’s Music Recital Hall,” said director Mark Reppert.

“The pandemic has forced the choir to suspend in-person rehearsals and performances, but we have continued to create video concerts each season during the past two years.”

The concert, “The Most Wonderful Time,” is free and can be viewed at any time after the premiere date.

Choir members have participated in weekly remote rehearsals, using a variety of online and streaming tools.

Then they recorded their individual parts of each composition at home, with Reppert assembling them to produce the online concert.

“As it has for many years, the choir will present a version of ‘Silent Night,’” Reppert said, “this one by Mark Hayes. And we will close with John Rutter’s arrangement of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas.’”

The program will include a collection of pieces in a wide range of styles, ranging from traditional to contemporary and from spirituals to jazz.

Among the selections are: ■ “When Mary Walked Through Woods of Thorn,” a delicate German carol; ■ “Lullay My Liking,” a lullaby based on a 15th century Middle English lyric poem and composed by Gustav Holst; ■ “Here’s a Pretty Little Baby,” an energetic Christmas spiritual; ■ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” a lush jazz waltz arrangement of the holiday standard; ■ “Winter Wonderland,” another jazz interpretation of a classic.

H28 | Friday, November 19, 2021

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