Things to do in Downtown/ Paradise Nov. 13-19

In Your Neighborhood

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Dance is scheduled to perform "Dynamic Moves" at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday in Dance Studio One in the Alta Ham Fine Arts Building at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Tickets are $10 to $18. Call 702-895-2787.

The third annual Global Day of Jewish Learning, with art, film and theater offerings and more, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. Admission is free and open to all. Visit tinyurl.com/jewishlearningLV.

Santa Claus is set to arrive with a free holiday parade at Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South, at 7 p.m. Friday. In addition to photos with Santa, visitors can enjoy faux snow in Town Square Park at 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 7 and 8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays throughout the holiday season. Visit mytownsquarelasvegas.com.

A Miss Mexico U.S. Runway Show is scheduled at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Boulevard Mall, 3528 S. Maryland Parkway, in the west parking lot.

A concert featuring ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro is scheduled at 7 p.m. Sunday at Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Tickets are $25 to $45. Call 702-895-2787 or visit pac.unlv.edu or jakeshimabukuro.com.

Croatian classical guitarist Ana Vidovic is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. Saturday inside the Doc Rando Recital Hall in the Beam Music Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Tickets are $40. Call 702-895-2787.

Fitness America Weekend, with competitions in fitness, bodybuilding, modeling and more, is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday at the Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St. A one-day pass is $40, and two days are $60. Visit fitnessamerica.com.

A holiday arts and crafts bazaar is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Miley Achievement Center, 245 N. Pecos Road. Call 702-799-5631, ext. 4100.

The Puerto Rican Association of Las Vegas plans a Discovery of Puerto Rico Dinner/Dance with live music by the Latin Connection at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Riviera, 2901 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $45. Visit facebook.com/puertoricanassociationlv or call
702-638-4654 or 702-319-1419.

The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, is scheduled to host its annual Winter in Venice festival Sunday through Jan. 6. In addition to decorations and ongoing chef competitions, winter parades are scheduled at 6 and 8 p.m., and outdoor ice skating is offered from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Visit venetian.com or palazzo.com.

The Las Vegas Academy Theatre is scheduled to present "The Taming of the Shrew" at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the school's Lowden Theater for the Performing Arts, 315 S. Seventh St. Tickets are $15. Visit lvacademytheatre.org.

Joshua Meltzer is scheduled to present a free Brookings Mountain West Lecture on climate change and international trade at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Greenspun Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Visit brookings
mtnwest.unlv.edu.

A free International Survivors of Suicide Day healing conference is scheduled from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. RSVP at www.surveymonkey.com/s/7cff8d8 or call 760-459-9959.

A musical comedy, "I Know I Came in Here for Something," is planned for 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave. Call 702-749-2000 or visit gatewayartsfoundation.org or iknowicameinhereforsomething.com.

Speeding Theatre, a nonprofit group of actors 55 or older, plans a fundraiser from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday at Clay Arts Vegas, 1511 S. Main St. Guests will receive a clay sculpture and enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres and theater at the top and bottom of each hour. They will also get to observe an artisan at work. Tickets are $50. Call 702-435-3366.

The Nevada Conservatory Theatre production of "Rabbit Hole" is scheduled to run at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday in the Black Box Theatre on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Tickets start at $15. Call 702-895-2787.

Sandra Huntsman: Broadway and Beyond, a monthly evening of cabaret featuring local talent hosted by Huntsman, is slated for 10:30 p.m. Friday at the Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave. Tickets are $15. Visit onyxtheatre.com or call 702-732-7225.

A cocktail reception for an Art Wreath Festival to benefit ALS of Nevada is scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Las Vegas Design Center, 495 S. Grand Central Parkway. See dozens of wreaths from local designers on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday. Reception admission is $50 in advance, $60 at the door. Visit alsofnevada.org.

In celebration of the House of Blues charitable organization's 20th anniversary, the House of Blues Foundation Room in Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, plans happy hour gatherings from 5 to 8 p.m. throughout November and December to benefit local charities. Admission is free. This week's charities include Southern Nevada Bully Breed Rescue on Wednesday, New Vista on Friday and After School All-Stars on Monday. Visit houseofblues.com or call 702-632--7600.

Worth a Drive

The third annual Mustachio Bashio is scheduled at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Silverton, 3333 Blue Diamond Road. The event is free and invites attendees 21 or older to sport their best mustache for the night. Beer pong, drink specials, karaoke, a mashed potato eating contest and other events are planned. Celebrity judges are to choose contestants for a chance to win the title of Mr. Stash 2012 and $1,000. Mustachio Bashio T-shirts are to be available with proceeds going to the Movember initiative to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Visit silvertoncasino.com.

Opportunity Village's Magical Forest is set to open for its 21st year on Nov. 21 at the 6300 W. Oakey Blvd. campus. In addition to the holiday display, attendees can expect photos with Santa, nightly entertainment, a carousel, train rides, a gingerbread house display, mini-golf and more. Tickets are $9 for children, $11 for adults and free for children 3 or younger. The entry fee does not include rides. Passports, which include entry and rides are $15.50 for children 3 to 12 and $17.50 for those 13 or older. Parking is free. Call 702-259-3741 or visit magicalforest.org.

Ethel M's annual cactus-lighting event is set for today. A limited number of tickets will be available to those who bring one new, unwrapped toy to the factory at 2 Cactus Garden Drive. For each toy, people can receive a four-pack of tickets to the event, with a limit of eight tickets per family. Toys will be donated to the annual KLUC Toy Drive. The lighting event is expected to feature entertainers, photos with Santa Claus, face painting, balloon artists, raffles and chocolate samples. The holiday cactus garden is set to be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Jan. 1. Visit ethelm.com.

Ongoing Events

City of the World, 1229 S. Casino Center Blvd., plans to present the work of Maria and Scott VanderMolen in the main gallery throughout November. Visit cityoftheworld.org.

Sean C. Jones' "Cinematic Montage" is scheduled to be on display through Nov. 25 in Jana's Red Room inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. Visit janasredroom.com.

The Jenny Valdez Gallery inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., plans to display "40 Winks" a show of work of artist/illustrator DB Donovan through Nov. 30. Visit jennyvaldez.weebly.com.

The Brett Wesley Gallery, 1112 S. Casino Center Blvd., plans to show Kevin Mack's "New Forms" through Dec. 1. Visit brettwesleygallery.com or call 702-433-4433.

Kleven Contemporary inside EmergencyArts, 520 E. Fremont St., is scheduled to exhibit T. G. Miller's "Acrylic Satanic" through Dec. 15. Visit

Blackbird Studios, 1551 S. Commerce St., Suite A, is set to continue "Into the Wild: New Works by Su Limbert," through Nov. 30. Visit blackbirdstudioslv.com or call 702-782-0319.

Chef Robert Teddy's "Redefined Sugar: A Sugar Glass Installation Benefiting Communities In Schools" is scheduled to run through Nov. 30 at the Trifecta Gallery inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. Visit trifectagallery.com.

Javier Sanchez and Marlene Siu's photographs of Las Vegas residents are presented in non-traditional, three-dimensional formats that invite the viewer to engage with the work in unexpected ways in "Relative Perspectives" a show on display in the Rotunda Gallery inside the Clark County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway through Nov. 30. Visit clarkcountynv.gov/parks.

Kids can spend some time hanging out in the trees at the touring "Tree House: Look Who's Living in the Trees" exhibit scheduled to be on display through Jan. 14 on the second floor of the Lied Discovery Children's Museum, 833 Las Vegas Blvd. North. The exhibit includes a tree house kids can explore, 3-D images of animals living in trees, an animal dance floor where kids can try to identify animal sounds and a computer forest game where children can harvest trees without harming wildlife. Through Sunday the museum offers $5 admission to military personnel and their families (limit six people) with identification. Regular admission is $9.50 for adults, $8.50 for children. The museum also plans to showcase "Torn From Home: My Life as a Refugee" through Dec. 16. The exhibit features photographs and interactive elements depicting refugee families from Colombia, Afghanistan, Republic of Congo and more. Visit ldcm.org.

Harriet Smith fell in love with Africa on her first photographic safari in 1995. A photo exhibit capturing the Summerlin artist's journey through South and Eastern Africa's national parks is scheduled to be on display through Dec. 4 in the gallery at the West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd. Visit lvccld.org.

Guatemalan-born artist Sergio Valenzuela studied in Paris and has work on display in private collections in Spain, Norway, Nicaragua, El Salvador and the United States. Thanks to the the Honorary Vice Consul of Guatemala, Aldo Aguirre, Valenzuela's work is scheduled to be on display in the gallery at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, through Jan. 2. Visit lvccld.org.

Wings over the Springs is back at the Springs Preserve with owls, falcons, hawks and ravens flying overhead in two live shows at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekends and select school holidays through Feb. 24. New to the show are the Harris hawk, peregrine falcon, yellow vulture, African augur buzzard, common buzzard and a pair of yellow-billed black kites native to Southern Africa and the Middle East. The two female kites are said to be the only members of this species in the U.S. The flight shows are free with Springs Preserve membership or paid admission. For $10, guests can upgrade to a backstage pass that allows direct interaction with the birds after the show. Visit springspreseve.org.

Vermont painter Daniel Gottsegen's exhibit "Mountains and Valleys Without End" is scheduled to be on display through Dec. 8 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 Brush St. Visit artslasvegas.org.

The Bet on the Farm! Farmers Market is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. Admission is free. Most farmers accept only cash. Visit springspreserve.org or betonthefarm.com or call 702-822-7700.

The Downtown 3rd Farmers Market is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays on Third Street between Stewart and Ogden avenues in the old downtown transportation hub building. Visit downtown3rd.com.

Happy Hour Improv is scheduled to host a "Jam Session" from 7 to 9 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of the month at Theatre7, 1406 S. Third St. For a $10, cash-only fee, audience members will have an opportunity to participate in the improv show. Visit happyhourimprov.com or call 702-372-3201.

Plan ahead

The Southern Nevada chapter of the American Guild of Organists plans a free traditional Advent-Christmas organ recital featuring local musicians at 4 p.m. Dec. 2 at Christ Church Episcopal, 2000 S. Maryland Parkway.Visit sncago.org.