Bloglander

The holiday season is in full swing, with just a few weeks to go before Christmas, so peruse our event listings and Staff Picks for all kinds of ways to keep the kids and visiting relatives entertained. And go ahead and pick out something nice for yourself, too.

Here are some highlights of the week ahead:

Monday, Dec. 5

LIVE BANDS | Bow before the power of the D! Well, half of Tenacious D, anyway, as the incredibly talented and hysterically funny Kyle Gass brings his Kyle Gass Band to the Big Dipper. Read Inlander music editor Laura Johnson's interview with Gass here, and give his band a listen as they cover Steely Dan:

Tuesday, Dec. 6

COMMUNITY | The creative minds with local arts organization Terrain quickly saw a local need to safely express and unite to share some of the emotional responses to this year's election, and the result is RALLY, an impromptu, community-driven art show opening tonight.

WORDS | The Taproot Speaker Series at Spark Central hosts Sandra Williams, editor of the Black Lens newspaper.

Wednesday, Dec. 7

MUSIC EVENTS | The two-day Music in Historic Homes features a selection of holiday tunes performed by local musicians in the stately Larsen-Lindholm House.

Thursday, Dec. 8

LIVE BANDS | Local rockers East Sherman prepare to launch themselves on tour with an EP-release party at The Observatory, where they'll be joined by Deformer, Cold-Blooded and Local Pavlov.

Friday, Dec. 9

THEATER | Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings continues its run at the Spokane Civic, just one of many holiday-themed theatrical offerings in the area.

THEATER | David Sedaris' The Santaland Diaries is up there with A Christmas Story for gloriously funny holiday fare, and the Kenworthy in Moscow is hosting Moscow Art Theatre (Too)'s production this weekend.

SPORTS & OUTDOORS | The Spokane Chiefs' annual Teddy Bear Toss means you get a chance to throw things on the ice without being ejected from the arena, and some kids get some awesome gifts they otherwise wouldn't have. Win-win.

Saturday, Dec. 10

WORDS | The Spokane Storytelling League delves into Christmas Stories at the South Hill Library.