Free Holiday Music

Sing we now of Christmas, Sing we now Noel...

There's nothing like a good Christmas carol. Of course, it's even better when it is free. In most places, you can find a radio station that plays all holiday music through Christmas Day. However, live entertainment is best.

You can go to a free hour-long concert at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage every evening of the year at 6 PM. (Can't make it in person? They broadcast them online.) Here's a listing of the holiday concerts that are coming up in December:

December 9: Beltway Brass
December 11: The Peace Ringers & The Carol Ringers
December 14: Merry TubaChristmas
December 16: High Groove Steelers
December 18: Sweet Heaven Kings
December 21: The Junkyard Saints
December 23: Prelude
December 24: Monumental Brass
December 25: All-Star Christmas Day Jazz Jam
December 28 & 29: Alexandria Kleztet, Holiday Vaudeville, Sean Grissom, Mark Mitton
December 30: Last Train Home

Also, here is a listing of some other DC area holiday concerts (some of which are free) on About.com: Holiday Concert Guide.

For areas outside of DC, check About.com, Google, or your local paper for concerts. If nowhere else, many churches and schools have concerts this time of year that are free or low cost. But you might be able to find some in cool venues like Atlanta's Fox Theatre. On December 18, they are having the second annual Larry, Carols, and Mo!, a free holiday concert and sing-a-long with their organist in residence. As a bonus, it's followed by a showing of Miracle on 34th Street. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advanced. (Ticketmaster charges a small service fee or you can just go to the box office.) At this event, they will have donation boxes for new, unwrapped toys and/or non-perishable food for the needy. Consider taking something if you are going. (Read my post entitled Triple the Fun! for some ideas on how to get some inexpensive or free food items. This time of year you can find good deals on toys at most stores too.)

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