The period of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is weird. There are more Christmas things happening during that time than there ever could be on Christmas day. There’s Christmas shopping, holiday-themed events, holiday art sales, Christmas decorations and Christmas lights.

There are corporate Christmas parties, family Christmas dinners, gift-exchanges, Ugly-Christmas sweater parties, Christmas theatre and holiday parades. There’s Christmas music playing in stores and restaurants.

For the most part, now is the time to get in the Christmas spirit, because by the time December 25th gets here, everyone is so sick of Christmas stuff that just hearing the word “Christmas” stresses them out. Maybe that’s just me?

Might as well enjoy some of this Christmas stuff while you can.

Tonight, there’s a Christmas show at UARK Bowl & Ballroom with Ceramic Cow Production’s “A Dupont White Trash Christmas.” Here’s a brief interview with the creator of the show, Mark Landon Smith.

Even the Goodfolk house has a holiday-related event tonight, with a Block Street Holiday Arts Sale.

In non-Christmas related items, you could check out some non-Christmas tunes. There’s a rock show tonight at Rogue with four bands for $5. Genome Chomsky, Ozark Mountain Nightmare Band, Rollo Tumasi and Bling Grenades should all be Christmas-music free.

George’s has The Bel Airs during happy hour and then The Poggs and A Good Fight play later on.

The Sarah Hughes Band is at Smoke and Barrel Tavern tonight, which as far as I know, will be a no-Christmas-music-zone.

Tomorrow night, there’s another Christmas-related show at the Walton Arts Center, with Handel’s Messiah.

Tunes-wise, George’s has a huge Blues show Saturday night when The Ozark Blues Society presents Blues in the Natural State. Isayah’s Allstars, Buddy Shute, and Marquise Knox will be in the front of the house, and the Dave Stiles Band, Cherry Brooks Band, RJ Mischo & Red Hot Blues Band and Michael Burks will be in the Garden.

Wednesday was Fayetteville rapper (and bartender) Lucio’s birthday, and Saturday night there’s a birthday bash for him at Smoke and Barrel Tavern. Jeff Kearney will open the show and then Raven, Lucio, DJ EQ and DJ Bizar will be performing. Word on the street is that a couple of Little Rock rappers could make an appearance as well.

On Sunday, there’s a really cool event at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. An Alternative Gift Market will be held from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm, where instead of getting someone a lava lamp or some other useless item, you could purchase a therapeutic feeding for an Indonesian child or a solar-powered computer for a rural school in Honduras in honor of someone you love. Pretty cool idea.

Tunes-wise, Josh Conklin & Candy Lee will be at Greenhouse Grille for brunch, and Memphis Pencils will be playing at Smoke and Barrel Tavern with St. Anthony and The Chairs from Appleton, Wisconsin. Check out The Chairs on Myspace. Pretty sweet.

There’s a lot more holiday and non-holiday related stuff below. What are you guys doing this weekend?

Friday, December 4

JJ’s Grill n Chill: Maud Crawford 

Smoke & Barrel Tavern: Sarah Hughes Band 

Ella’s: Raja 

Greenhouse Grille: Matt Smith Trio 

Boom Boom Room: Scarlet Nights 

George’s: The Bel Airs, The Poggs, A Good Fight 

Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall: Sophie Kirmanidou Piano Recital 8 pm

Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall: Piano Studio Recital 6 pm

Teatro Scarpino: Bill Dollar and Loose Change 

UARK Bowl & Ballroom: Ceramic Cow Holiday Show/Comedy Improv 

GoodFolk: Block Street Holiday Arts Sale 7 – 10 pm (more info)

Rogue: Genome Chomsky, Ozark Mountain Nightmare Band, Rollo Tumasi, Bling Grenades 

Saturday, December 5

Ella’s: Tiffany Christopher 

Boom Boom Room: People in the Paper 

George’s: Blues in the Natural State 6pm – close

Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall: Mark Shields Guitar Recital 1 pm

UARK Bowl & Ballroom: Ceramic Cow Holiday Show/Comedy Improv 

Walton Arts Center: Handel’s Messiah 8 pm

Nightbird Books: Brooks Blevins Reading, Q & A, and Booksigning 5 pm

Fulbright Building: New Design School Gala 2009: Daring Design 7 pm

Smoke & Barrel Tavern: Lucio’s Birthday Party 

Sunday, December 6

Smoke & Barrel Tavern: St. Anthony, Memphis Pencils, The Chairs 

Greenhouse Grille: Josh Conklin & Candy Lee 

Boom Boom Room: 2ME 

George’s: Big Gigantic, Somasphere 

Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall: Aurelien Boccard Piano Recital 3 pm

Walton Arts Center: Handel’s Messiah 2 pm

Fayetteville Public Library: Tim Ernst 

St. Paul’s Episcopal: Alternative Gift Market 8 am -2 pm