Buttons cost $10 for students and adults through December 30, $15 for adults on December 31, and are free for kids 5 and younger. Buttons and programs available at various locations. Info, www.firstnightstj.com or call 748-2600.

3 p.m.

PROFESSOR MARVEL’S MAGIC SHOW: Morse Center Theater, until 3:45 p.m.

4 p.m.

NO STRINGS MARIONETTE COMPANY: St. Johnsbury School, until 4:45 p.m.

FAMILY FUN FARE: Academy Fieldhouse, until 8:30 p.m.

PROFESSOR MARVEL’S MAGIC SHOW: Morse Center Theater, until 4:45 p.m.

ST. JOHNSBURY BALLET STUDIO: Fuller Hall, until 4:45 p.m.

ACADEMY HILLTONES: High school select choir. South Church, until 4:45 p.m.

‘GYPSY CARAVAN’: Film about a group of Roma musicians who go on a world tour. Catamount Arts Center, until 5:45 p.m.

SILENT MOVIES: Grace Church, until 4:45 p.m.

5 p.m.

NO STRINGS MARIONETTE COMPANY: St. Johnsbury School, until 5:45 p.m.

HIGH VOLTAGE STREET BREAKZ: Dance showcase. Academy Gym, until 7:45 p.m.

STEPHEN RICHARD LINDHOLM: Morse Center Theater, until 5:45 p.m.

THRIVE DANCE COMPANY: Fuller Hall, until 5:45 p.m.

ACADEMY JAZZ BAND: High school ensemble. South Church, until 5:45 p.m.

SILENT MOVIES: Grace Church, until 5:45 p.m.

6 p.m.

PROFESSOR MARVEL’S MAGIC SHOW: St. Johnsbury School, until 6:45 p.m.

KING OF SILLY: Morse Center Theater, until 6:45 p.m.

SWING DANCE LESSON: Streeter Hall Dining Room, until 6:45 p.m.

THRIVE DANCE COMPANY: Fuller Hall, until 6:45 p.m.

PINA ANTONELLI: South Church, until 6:45 p.m.

KINGDOM COUNTY COMIC THEATER: Catamount Arts Center, until 6:45 p.m.

NOT THE BEST: Universalist Church, until 6:45 p.m.

WINDROSE: Grace Church, until 6:45 p.m.

COUNTRY CORNERS SQUARE DANCERS WITH AL ROUFF: St. Johnsbury Community Recreation Center, until 7:45 p.m.

BILL TOBIN: St. Andrew’s Church, until 6:45 p.m.

PLANETARIUM SHOW: Fairbanks Museum, until 6:45 p.m.

JOSH HUNTSBERRY: North Church, until 6:45 p.m.

7 p.m.

THE GRAHAM HIGHLANDERS: High school bagpipe-and-drum band. St. Johnsbury School, until 7:45 p.m.

STEPHEN RICHARD LINDHOLM: Morse Center Theater, until 7:45 p.m.

SLANT SIX SWING BAND: Streeter Hall Dining Room, until 9:45 p.m.

TED LAWRENCE’S MINI-CIRCUS: Fuller Hall, until 7:45 p.m.

PINA ANTONELLI: South Church, until 7:45 p.m.

KINGDOM COUNTY COMIC THEATER: Catamount Arts Center, until 7:45 p.m.

ALAN GREENLEAF & THE DOCTOR: Universalist Church, until 7:45 p.m.

WINDROSE: Grace Church, until 7:45 p.m.

MASCEO: St. Andrew’s Church, until 7:45 p.m.

PLANETARIUM SHOW: Fairbanks Museum, until 7:45 p.m.

BOB AMOS BAND: North Church, until 7:45 p.m.

KARAOKE: Common Ground Café in Streeter Hall, and at the Kingdom Recovery Center, until 10:45 p.m.

8 p.m.

AVI & CELIA: St. Johnsbury School, until 8:45 p.m.

PRYDEIN: Bagpipe rock band. Morse Center Theater, until 9:45 p.m.

KING OF SILLY: Morse Center Theater, until 8:45 p.m.

MARKO THE MAGICIAN: Fuller Hall, until 8:45 p.m.

BEN SCHWENDENER JAZZ TRIO: South Church, until 8:45 p.m.

‘GYPSY CARAVAN’: Film about a group of Roma musicians who go on a world tour. Catamount Arts Center, until 8:45 p.m.

NOT THE BEST: Universalist Church, until 8:45 p.m.

DONAHUE FAMILY SINGERS: Grace Church, until 8:45 p.m.

CONTRA DANCE WITH THE QUADRILLES & DOUG BERGSTEIN: St. Johnsbury Community Center, until 9:45 p.m.

BILL TOBIN: St Andrew’s Church, until 8:45 p.m.

PLANETARIUM SHOW: Fairbanks Museum, until 8:45 p.m.

BOB AMOS BAND: North Church, until 8:45 p.m.

9 p.m.

AVI & CELIA: St. Johnsbury School, until 9:45 p.m.

POINT OF VIEW: Morse Center Theater, until 9:45 p.m.

TED LAWRENCE’S MINI-CIRCUS: Fuller Hall, until 9:45 p.m.

BEN SCHWENDENER JAZZ TRIO: South Church, until 9:45 p.m.

ALAN GREENLEAF & THE DOCTOR: Universalist Church, until 9:45 p.m.

PUMPKIN HILL SINGERS: Grace Church, until 9:45 p.m.

MASCEO: St. Andrew’s Church, until 9:45 p.m.

PLANETARIUM SHOW: Fairbanks Museum, until 9:45 p.m.

JOSH HUNTSBERRY: North Church, until 9:45 p.m.

10 p.m.

NOBBY REED PROJECT: St. Johnsbury School, until 10:45 p.m.

THE MANIX: Academy Gym, until 11:45 p.m.

BURKE MOUNTAIN BANDITS: Morse Center Theater, until 10:45 p.m.

MAPLE GROVE PANCAKE SUPPER: Late-night sweet flapjack treats. Streeter Hall, 10-11:30 p.m.

MARKO THE HYPNOTIST: Fuller Hall, until 10:45 p.m.

CATAMOUNT JAZZ ENSEMBLE: South Church, until 10:45 p.m.

‘GYPSY CARAVAN’: Film about a group of Roma musicians who go on a world tour. Catamount Arts Center, until 10:45 p.m.

WILLEM LANGE: New England backwoods humor. Grace Church, until 10:45 p.m.

GOPHER BROKE: North Church, until 10:45 p.m.

11 p.m.

NOBBY REED PROJECT: St. Johnsbury School, until 11:45 p.m.

BURKE MOUNTAIN BANDITS: Morse Center Theater, until 11:45 p.m.

CATAMOUNT JAZZ ENSEMBLE: South Church, until 11:45 p.m.

ST. J. AFRO-CARIBBEAN DRUM ENSEMBLE: Grace Church, until 11:45 p.m.

GOPHER BROKE: North Church, until 11:45 p.m.

12 a.m.

MIDNIGHT FIREWORKS & SOUND SHOW: Academy Gym.

Strings Attached

Barbara Paulson and Dan Baginski, founders of the Randolph-based No Strings Marionette Company, do move their puppets via threads – they’re just not shy about showing it. Their modus operandi entails letting the audience watch them animate their handcrafted figurines during performances – so the puppets get jerked around, but not the spectators. No Strings stages an original, optimistic adaptation of “Jack and the Beanstalk” that encourages kids’ curiosity. “All of the action is driven by the cow’s appetite,” says Paulson. And the giant? “He stays up in the clouds.”

No Strings Marionette Company, St. Johnsbury School, 4-4:45 p.m. &5-5:45 p.m. http://www.nostringsvt.com

This article appears in Dec 26, 2007 – Jan 1, 2008.

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