<b>2or3 Treasure House&nbsp;</b><b>collecting winter coats</b>

The 2or3 Treasure House at 203 Carteret St. in Beaufort is collecting children's winter coats in all sizes for both boys and girls in response to a request for help from local schools.&nbsp;

If you have some older or outgrown children's coats taking up space in the closet, bring them to the Treasure House, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

<b>Symphony orchestra&nbsp;</b><b>to play holiday favorites</b>

The Beaufort Symphony Orchestra will present the Nutcracker Suite and Holiday Pops at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, and at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17.

Concerts will be held at Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady's Island Drive, Beaufort.

Tickets range from $15 to $40 and can be purchased online at TIX.com, or by calling 800-595-4849.

<b>Smiles for Santa&nbsp;</b><b>at farmers market</b>

The Beaufort Garden Club will hold its second annual Smiles for Santa event from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Port Royal Farmer’s Market. Bring your children and/or pets to the Gazebo area at the market and have your picture taken with Santa. Your photo will then be emailed to you. A $5 donation is suggested. All proceeds will go to local charities.

<b>Conroy center presents&nbsp;</b><b>evening of song, stories</b>

An Evening of Stories &amp; Songs with Lee Smith, Jill McCorkle and Marshall Chapman will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at the USCB Center for the Arts.

The program is being presented by the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

The three women have performed many times together and share an on-stage feel-good collaboration that has been deemed a meeting of “Dixie divas.”&nbsp;

General admission is $45 and reserved seating (including a private reception with the performers) is $75. Tickets are on sale through the USCB Center for the Arts box office by calling 843-521-4145 or visiting&nbsp; www.uscbcenterforthearts.com.&nbsp;

The event is being sponsored by the Hootie &amp; the Blowfish Foundation and the Anchorage 1770 Inn.

<b>Book clubs invited&nbsp;</b><b>to convention</b>

The Conroy Center will host a first-ever Lowcountry Book Club Convention from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at the Technical College of the Lowcountry.

Sponsored by South Carolina Humanities, this free event is open to book club members and anyone interested in joining a book club.

The program will be keynoted by a conversation between best-selling authors Will Schwalbe (“Books for Living” and “The End of Your Life Book Club”) and Cassandra King Conroy (“Moonrise”).

Panels will feature discussions among professional book reviewers, the leaders of representative Lowcounty book clubs and writers recommended by local book clubs.

Register at lowcountrybookclubconvention2017.brownpapertickets.com.

<b>Riverview Baptist holding</b><b> Christmas celebrations</b>

Riverview Baptist Church at 2209 Boundary St. will hold its Christmas Cantata during worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. &nbsp;

The children of the church will present “Little Stars of Bethlehem” at 6 p.m., followed by the adult Christmas play, “Starbrite.”

Following the presentations, all are invited to join for Christmas refreshments in the Fellowship Hall.

<b>Wardle Family YMCA&nbsp;</b><b>offers Holiday Day Camp</b>

The Wardle Family YMCA of Beaufort County, located at 1801 Richmond Ave. in Port Royal, will offer a full day camp for children age 3 to 13.

This day camp will include crafts, field and gym games, nature walks (weather permitting), swimming and optional field trips for kids age 5 and up.&nbsp;

The day camp is open to Y members and nonmembers but space is limited so register soon at the Y in Port Royal.&nbsp;

Scholarship assistance is available but allow at least one week to process requests.

The day camp will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Thursday, Dec. 21, to Friday, Jan. 5.

Visit ymcabeaufortcounty.com.

<b>Holiday market is&nbsp;</b><b>open on Wednesdays</b>

The Santa Elena Foundation’s Holiday Market, in partnership with Hank's Lowcountry She Crab Soup, will be open from 2-6 p.m. every Wednesday until after the new year, and will feature live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, local food artisans, giveaways and a kid's craft table. The event is open to the public and the entertainment, parking and kid's craft table are free. The market will be at the corner of Bladen and North streets in downtown Beaufort.

<b>BAA gallery holds&nbsp;</b><b>holiday boutique</b>

A portion of Beaufort Art Academy’s Gallery will be transformed into a winter wonderland full of fine art and crafts especially created for the holiday boutique, which will be held through Sunday, Dec. 31, at 913 Bay St. in Beaufort. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; and from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Visit www.BeaufortArtAssociation.com. &nbsp;

<b>Advent celebrated&nbsp;</b><b>at Morning Glory</b>

All Nations Community Church and Morning Glory Homestead invite you to celebrate the season of Advent on the farm. This four-week gathering, will take place every Sunday evening in December until Christmas.&nbsp;

Copies of the Advent devotional, “The Expected One,” will be on hand for each household in attendance, and a wintery soup buffet will be served each week.&nbsp;

Morning Glory Homestead is at 42 Robert and Clara Trail, St. Helena Island. &nbsp;

Call Tony Jones at 843-812-0344 to RSVP or for more information.&nbsp;

<b>Photo club to present&nbsp;</b><b>annual exhibition</b>

The Photography Club of Beaufort will present The Power of Color: Annual Photography Exhibit from Jan. 5-16, 2018, at the USCB Center for the Arts in Beaufort.

An opening reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5.

This exhibit will be judged by Marge Agin, a noted Bluffton area fine art photographer and author.&nbsp;

In addition, viewers will be able to cast their ballot for their favorite image for a People's Choice award.&nbsp;

For more information, visit&nbsp; www.photoclubbeaufort.com/

<b>Habitat for Humanity&nbsp;</b><b>in need of volunteers</b>

Wondering how you might be able to help LowCountry Habitat for Humanity?&nbsp;

Attend their Volunteer Orientation held at 10 a.m. the second Saturday of every month at 616 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort.&nbsp;

For more information, contact Lee McSavaney, volunteer coordinator at 843-522-3500 or email info@lowcountryhabitat.org.

<b>Weekly historic tours&nbsp;</b><b>available at Fort Mitchel</b>

Join The Heritage Library for weekly tours at 10 a.m. Thursdays of the Civil War battery on Skull Creek built to protect Port Royal Sound and the Seabrook Coaling Station.&nbsp;

The cost is $12 for adults and $7 for children.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/FtMitchelTours.

<b>Christian theater&nbsp;</b><b>performances offered</b>

Music of Forever, a Christian theater production, is being held at 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Grace AME Chapel on Charles Street in Beaufort.

According to Hillary Lathan, who puts on the show with her husband, Alan, the show puts Jesus on a personal level that everyone can relate to. &nbsp;

“People that may never walk into a church will come to the drama and experience the gospel in a way that is real and fresh to them,” she said. &nbsp;

The free show includes seven characters and seven pieces of music. The irony of the number is intentional, as seven is a biblically significant number, according to Hillary. &nbsp;

For more information, visit www.musicofforever.org.&nbsp;

<b>Pan-African group&nbsp;</b><b>seeks volunteers</b>

The nonprofit Pan-African Family Empowerment &amp; Land Preservation Network Inc. is seeking volunteers for multiple positions.

Among other things, the Beaufort-based public charity provides financial and technical assistance to help Gullah-Geechee, and other African-descent families save their ancestral homes and land for current and future generations.&nbsp;

They have an immediate need for an experienced webmaster, grant writers and administrative assistants.

Training for all volunteers will be held at the Pan-African Family Empowerment Network’s office in the Landmark (Regions Bank) Building, 69 Robert Smalls Parkway, Suite 3B, Beaufort.

For more information, call 843-592-6076, or email volunteers@panafricanfamilyempowermentnetwork.org.