Embrace the holiday and winter spirit at the seventh annual Joy to the Ville community celebration! Join Waterville Creates, the Colby College Museum of Art, the Waterville Public Library, and the Children’s Discovery Museum as we celebrate the season’s magic with movies, art making, play, Community Maker Days, and more! Enjoy free holiday treats while supplies last.

Festivities include:

At the Waterville Public Library, 73 Elm Street:

10 am-3 pm Winter Card Making kit! Come by while supplies last for fun and free winter card kits.

11 am – 2 pm Custom Button Making
Make a custom pin-back button! You can make mini collages, pick a single image, or draw your own! This event is free and open to all ages.

At the Paul J. Schupf Art Center:

10 am Muppet Christmas Carol
Bah, humbug! Scrooge is a miserly moneylender who doesn’t appreciate the holiday, rejecting his nephew’s invitation to dinner and rebuking those seeking charity. Throughout Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who seek to rid him of his penny-pinching ways and enlighten him about the true meaning of Christmas. With an ensemble of Muppets playing critical roles in the story and a performance from Michael Caine fit for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Scrooge’s journey across time is fun for the whole family! It is free, but reservations are required. Reserve your seat here!

12-4 pm Solstice Luminaries
Drop in anytime for this free workshop to create luminaries with Waterville Creates and Colby College Museum of Art.

12-2 pm Glass Blowing Demonstration
Watch glass artist Jonathan Railo create beautiful icicle ornaments in a live glassblowing demonstration.

12-2 pm Clay ornaments, $21
In this class, Cassandra Rose will instruct you on how to roll out the clay, use clay tools, and add colors and designs to your ornament. By the end of the class, you will have created two ornaments you can take home the following week after they have been fired. These clay ornaments make great keepsakes for your tree or as a unique gift to someone special. For tickets, click here.

12-2 pm DIY Furoshiki Gift Wrapping, $21
Not only is Furoshiki a beautiful way to present a gift, recycle fabric, and learn basic sewing techniques, but it’s also an eco-friendly alternative to single-use wrapping paper. Join artist Kim Bernard in hand—and machine-sewing to make unique fabric wraps, then practice different tying techniques to create a wrap that gets passed from gifter to giftee. All fabric and supplies will be included. Participants are also welcome to bring their own fabric to work with. For tickets, click here.

12-2 pm Felt Mushroom Workshop, $21
Join artist Delilah Iris for a fun and creative workshop where you’ll sew charming mushroom ornaments using hand stitching and wool felt! You’ll be guided step by step in crafting whimsical mushroom decorations perfect for your home, to give as a gift, or to hang on your holiday tree! For tickets, click here.

12-2 pm 3D Printing for Clay and Printmaking
Join artist-scientist Misha Oraa Ali to see our new 3D printers in action and learn how 3D-printed rollers can create texture and patterns in clay and printmaking. With ink and rollers, you can create a colorful ornament out of polymer clay and a special greeting card. Reserve your free spot here!

2-4 pm Holiday Green Screen Photos
Pose with family and friends in front of winter and holiday-themed backdrops, including the Muppets Christmas Carol!

2 pm + 7 pm The Nutcracker at the Waterville Opera House, $39
Experience the magic of the holiday season with Bossov Ballet TheatrTheatre’stion of The Nutcracker. As a cornerstone of Maine’Maine’say celebrations, this production promises a memorable night for new and returning audiences, with every detail designed to captivate and inspire. For tickets, click here.

12-4 pm Kringleville Santa visits
For more info on visiting Santa, click here.

North Street Community Connector Trail: Winter Story Walk book opens “Counting Winter” by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Claudia McGehee

Joy to the Ville is sponsored by the City of Waterville, Central Maine Newspapers, Kennebec Savings Bank,  Maine General Health, and Back Office Solutions. Thank you!