The Kids Crawl

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's final Crawl of 2008 puts aside the edgier art openings in favor of holiday cheer for kids and families.

The free Kids Holiday Crawl in the Cultural District, Downtown, runs Saturday from 11 to 3 p.m. and is filled with crafts, cookies and music.

Here are the destination points:

• Eat'n Park, 803 Liberty Ave.: Free Smiley cookies (while they last).

• Gateway to the Arts, Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Ave.: River City Percussion Duo/Tap Jingle, Jangle & Clang (11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.); Tracie Yorke Dance Company/Stories on the Move (11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.).

• Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, 808 Liberty Ave.: Decorate holiday cookies, hot food and beverages.

• ArtUp, 820 Liberty Ave.: Olivia Hibel's Lalka Puppet Theater (noon and 2 p.m.).

• August Wilson Center for African American Culture, 937 Liberty Ave.: Create your own Kwanzaa family ancestor coloring book.

• Trombino Piano Gallerie, 942 Penn Ave.: Kids holiday recitals (11 a.m.-2 p.m.).

• Northside Urban Pathways Charter School, 914 Penn Ave.: Holiday craft workshop.

• Manchester Craftsmen Guild, 800 Penn Ave.: Make a musical instrument from repurposed objects.

• Pittsburgh International Children's Theater, 709 Penn Ave.: Nate the Great activities, temporary tattoos; Meet Mr. McFeely from "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" (2-3 p.m.).

• Celebrate Hanukkah, 707 Penn Ave.: Learn to play dreidel and other activities.

• Pittsburgh Celebrates, Benedum Center storefront, Seventh Avenue: Join the Westmoreland Museum of American Art for a holiday craft.

• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, 625 Liberty Ave.: Create spin art, make a whirligig, jewelry making.

• Iceburgh and Steely McBeam, Katz Plaza, corner of Seventh Street and Penn Avenue: Bring your camera and take a picture with Iceburgh, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and Steely noon-1 p.m.

• Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, 655 Penn Ave, Theater Square: Watch a chalk artist draw animals or create your own drawing.

• Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., Theater Square: Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus; free First Night button to all children 5 years old and under.

• Cafe Zao, 655 Penn Ave.: Holiday cookies.

• Pittsburgh CLO Mini Stars, 655 Penn Ave., Cabaret Theater: Performance at 11 a.m.

• Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Heinz Hall, Sixth Street entrance: Take a family photo with Fiddlesticks in front of the holiday tree, 1-3 p.m.

• Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Fifth Avenue Place, Fifth Avenue entrance: Nutcracker vignettes, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 p.m.

• Carnegie Science Center, Fifth Avenue Place, Fifth Avenue entrance: Face painting, caricatures, create a holiday souvenir.

• First Night Pittsburgh, Fifth Avenue Place, Fifth Avenue entrance: Help make a giant puppet for the First Night Pittsburgh Parade.

For more information, call 412-456-6666 or go to www.pghart.org.

Dinos rock

The floor of the Mellon Arena is usually reserved for young Penguins and dinosaur rock.

This week, it goes Jurassic with "Walking With Dinosaurs -- The Live Experience." Based on the BBC series, it features 15 "roaring, snarling" dinosaurs that are not singing Barney songs.

The show has been seen by more than 1.5 million people since it debuted in the United States in July 2007. Pittsburghers can see it at 7 tonight and Friday night; 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $30 to $78.75. Call 412-323-1919.

Unblurred

The Penn Avenue Arts District presents the holiday shopping version of the monthly Unblurred! series on Friday evening beginning at 5 p.m.

The Pittsburgh Glass Center, 5472 Penn Ave., holds its monthly Hot Jam, with a Holiday Glass Sale and studio demonstrations. On Saturday, guests can make their own glass ornament for $25. No experience is necessary.

For Unblurred, there will also be art sales at The Clay Penn, ARTica, and Sandidge Photography Studio, among others. For details, go to www.pennavenuearts.org.

Revising Copland

All conductors have "their" pieces -- compositions with which they especially connect or on which they did extensive study. One of Leonard Slatkin's is Copland's Symphony No. 3 (that's the symphony that incorporates his famous "Fanfare for the Common Man"). The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra principal guest conductor will present not only a celebrated interpretation of the work this weekend, but seven additional measures that Copland cut out of the end of the score on the advice of Leonard Bernstein. "With all respect, I think Bernstein was wrong," says Slakin. You can decide for yourself at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Heinz Hall.

Bernstein still will be heard, with Symphonic Dances from his musical "West Side Story." And an added jolt of energy comes in the form of a genre-defying string trio, Time for Three, performing a concerto co-commissioned by the PSO and the Philadelphia Orchestra and Wheeling Symphony: Jennifer Higdon's "Concerto 4-3." Tickets: $19-$75; 412-392-4900.

-- Andrew Druckenbrod

Christmas rarities

Already sick of the cliched carols? Then Pittsburgh Camerata has a concert for you. Its annual Christmas concert again shines a light on lesser-known Christmas music. Director Rebecca Rollett will offer carols ancient, such as Sweelinck and William Byrd, and contemporary, such as Eric Whitacre and Stephen Paulus.

It's not that all of the music is unknown. The choir will sing "Gesu Bambino" and "A Spotless Rose," and there are even a few favorites, such as "Silent Night." But heard in the context of the other music puts the carols in, well, a different light.

At 8 p.m. Saturday at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Highland Park (with later performances Dec. 12 at Sixth Presbyterian Church, Squirrel Hill; and Dec. 13 at Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church); 412-421-5884.

-- A.D.

Book fair

More than 40 authors from throughout the region assemble at the Senator John Heinz History Center Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the sixth annual Holiday Book Fair.

Visitors can purchase signed copies of books and mingle with the likes of Art Rooney, Jr., Jim O'Brien, Dave Crawley and Eleanor Schano.

There will be informal author talks throughout the day, as well as live entertainment by local artists. While you're there, check out the History Center's new exhibition, "Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation," celebrating the past 250 years of Pittsburgh's impact on the world. It is free, but regular admission prices apply for History Center exhibits. For details, go to www.heinzhistorycenter.org.

Craft alert

The I Made It Market! Holiday Market, billed as the city's only nomadic indie craft market, sets up at the Union Project in Highland Park Saturday from noon until 5 p.m. with more than 50 crafters.

Among the items for sale: notebooks using recycled paper, fused glass jewelry, woolly knit-wear and natural soap, bath and body products. For details, visit www.imadeitmarket.com.

• Local crafters are also gathering at the third annual Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair at the CC Mellor Library in Edgewood Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show will feature 25 local vendors selling jewelry, stationary, hand-knit wares, pottery, hangable art and more. Ten percent of proceeds will be donated to the library.

Bruce on screen

"Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Live In Barcelona" can be seen on TV, up in the higher cable numbers, but if you want to see it on a big screen in HD and full 5.1 digital sound, head to the SouthSide Works Cinema Saturday at 9:30 p.m. The 2 1/2-hour film was shot in October 2002, two months into the tour for "The Rising," so it has that post-9/11 feel to it. Tickets are $10 in advance; $12 day of show. On sale at the SouthSide Works Cinema box office and at www.sswcinema.com. Call 412-381-1681.

• Country music legend Loretta Lynn, who turns 75 in April, returns to the Pepsi Roadhouse in Burgettstown Friday at 7:30 p.m. During her visit there in 2005, Lynn performed in a plush chair and struggled with the words to the songs, doing only pieces of some of her classics. She's joined by Pittsburgh singer Kellie Lynne. Tickets for the dinner show are $85 to $105. 412-323-1919.

• The National Aviary begins its Saturdays with Santa, where St. Nick will be joined by his penguin pals, posing for pictures, listening to holiday wishes and passing out treats. Guests can shoot their own photos, or pay an additional $5 for one taken by Aviary staff. It runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., also Dec. 13 and 20. $9; $10 kids.

• It's hard to beat baroque music when the holidays are upon us and the Renaissance and Baroque Society again serves up another winner with Rebel, a baroque instrumental ensemble of recorder, flutes, strings and harpsichord. It will perform festive music and carols by Vivaldi, Telemann and more at 8 p.m. Saturday at Synod Hall, Oakland. $10-$30; 412-361-2048.

• Carnegie Mellon University's School of Music annual holiday concert takes place noon Friday in the University Center. Robert Page conducts the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, Concert Choir and Repertory Chorus in holiday favorites, as well as the premiere of CMU graduate student Christian Kriegeskotte's "Hodie Christus Natus Est."

• Even Duquesne University's Chancellor, John Murray (as a pianist in "White Christmas"), can be heard on its newest holiday CD. Members of the School of Music make up most of the participants on the classical and jazz disc, and it will hold a free release party at the Red Ring restaurant in the Power Center on campus at 6 p.m. Friday. The disc, Christmas at Duquesne Volume II., is available for $15 at local stores.

• Fresh from that summer tour with Counting Crows and Maroon 5, San Diego's Augustana turns up at Diesel tonight backing its second record "Can't Love, Can't Hurt," featuring melodic, piano-driven rock like the single "Sweet and Low." It begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $16 to $18. Call 412-323-1919.

• The Gay Blades, an indie-rock duo from New York City with spastic, danceable energy, plays the Lava Lounge on the South Side tonight at 9 with Stephen Foster & The Awesomes and The Broken Arms. Cover is $6.