A Penguin Plunge, Pet Photos with Santa, an Adult Crafternoon, and More in Tolland This Weekend

Lez Zeppelin
Friday, 8:30 p.m. - In June, 2005, Chuck Klosterman wrote an article for SPIN Magazine that featured Lez Zeppelin as a leading protagonist in a trend of all-female hard rock “tribute” bands. He referred to the group “the most powerful all-female band in rock history” and described the rise of bands like Lez Zeppelin as a “kind of multilayered cultural phenomenon.” In April 2007, after touring in the US and Europe the band released its first album, Lez Zeppelin, which was produced by Eddie Kramer, former recording engineer on several Led Zeppelin albums. In the wake of this release, the band was invited at festivals including the Download Festival in the UK, Rock am Ring and Rock in Park in Germany, and the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans. Throughout 2008, the group continued to tour in the U.S. and in the late fall made its first visit to Japan to promote the release of its debut record. In March 2009, Lez Zeppelin played a benefit concert in Mumbai. In 2010, the band headed back into the studio to record a second album. Tickets are $20 in advance and are $24 the day of the show. The show is 18+. Visit www.thestaffordpalacetheater.com for tickets.

Penguin Plunge
Saturday, 10 a.m. - Brave souls will take the plunge into the chilly waters in Coventry on Saturday to raise money for the 5th annual Coventry Penguin Plunge. This event is one of nine Penguin Plunges that Special Olympics Connecticut hosts each winter season in various locations across Connecticut. The plunge will take place at Patriot’s Park and registration will begin at 10 a.m. and the plunge will begin at noon. Last year 4,000 penguins ran, jumped, dove, and tip toed their way into the freezing water and the hearts of our Special Olympics Connecticut athletes, and this year we are hoping for even more. To register online, visit http://www.soct.org/plunges/. Participants and 
spectators will enjoy the camaraderie and excitement the event promises with their friends, family, and coworkers.

Pet Photos with Santa
Saturday, 11 a.m. and Sunday, noon - For $5, you will get a keepsake photo with Santa. Each photo is 4x6 and includes a holiday card and envelope. Photos may be taken with or without Santa Claus, with pets only, or with pets and family members. All proceeds will benefit Help Willy’s Friends. 

Adult Crafternoon
Saturday, 2 p.m. - Join fellow crafters for a relaxed afternoon of creating holiday poppers (or "crackers") and other paper crafts. No crafting experience is necessary. Bring your own materials or use some of our supplies. Free on-site parking is available. For more information, call 860-236-5621 x222 or e-mail erin_strogoff@chs.org. 

Readings from a Mark Twain Christmas: A Journey Across Three Christmas Seasons
Sunday, 11 a.m. - “The approach of Christmas brings harassment and dread to many excellent people,” wrote Mark Twain in Following the Equator. But for all his humorous bah humbugging, America’s best known satirist took great delight in the holiday season and all its madness. In reality, Samuel Clemens, the man behind the famous pen name, loved Christmas. He especially loved the frenzied and festive Christmases celebrated with his family - his beloved wife Livy and their three adored daughters, Susy, Clara, and Jean - in the wonderful, sprawling, twenty-five-room High Victorian Gothic home on Farmington Avenue in Hartford, where they lived from 1874 to 1891, and where Twain wrote his classic novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Join author Carlo Devito as he shares three true, heartwarming Christmas stories featuring one of America's most historically beloved authors and humorists in his new book, A Mark Twain Christmas: A Journey Across Three Christmas Seasons.