An annotated list of interesting events happening in Orange County over the next week, prepared by the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau. For more information, visit www.visitchapelhill.org.

Decorated Furniture

A special lecture titled "Wood as Canvas: The Paint-decorated Furniture of Piedmont North Carolina" will be presented by June Lucas, director of research at Old Salem Museums and Gardens, at 3 p.m. today at Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., 620 Cornerstone Court, Hillsborough.

The free lecture will present an overview of the known groups of paint-decorated furniture from the region, as well as discuss the evolution of style changes over time.

Call (919) 644-1243 or visit http://www.llauctions.com/ for more information.

Carolina Inn Christmas

A tree lighting ceremony on the front porch will highlight activities from 6 to 8 p.m. today at The Carolina Inn, 211 Pittsboro St., Chapel Hill. The night will start with joyful holiday music with a bluegrass twist by the popular Big Fat Gap. Hot cocoa, eggnog and house-made cookies, plus a surprise guest to lead the countdown to light the tree on the front porch will be part of the festivities.

In keeping with the spirit of Christmas, consider bringing a new unwrapped toy. The Orange County Toy Chest will distribute these toys to needy children in our community.

Call (919) 933-2001 or click on http://www.carolinainn.com/ for more information on this free event.

Gingerbread House

Up to 30 gingerbread houses will be on display at the Burwell School Historic Site, with judging to start at 7 p.m. today. Visitors are welcome. Competition is sponsored by the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce.

The Burwell School Historic Site is at 319 N. Churton St., Hillsborough.

Call (919) 732-8156 or visit http://www.candlelighttour.com/ for more information on this free event.

Festival of Trees

The ArtsCenter in Carrboro joins with Arc of Orange County with a special celebration of the holiday season at 7 p.m. today with a room filled with over 30 trees and 15 wreaths and more at University Mall, 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill.

Family Day will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today offering the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of arts and crafts, picture taking with Santa and other free activities. The Festival of Trees Gala is from 6 to 9 p.m. in the middle of the wintry wonderland. Enjoy an evening of light hors d'oeuvres, signature poinsettias drinks with cranberry juice and champagne provided by Triangle Catering, music by Equinox, magic by Joshua Lozoff's Parlor Magic and more.

Tickets are: $50 per individual, $80 per couple. Go to http://www.arcoforange.org/ for more details.

Craft Show

St. Thomas More School will hold its annual craft show in the school gym, 920 Carmichael St., Chapel Hill, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The event features more than 60 local artisans. A wide variety of unique, handmade gifts and specialty items for sale including aprons, garden art, holiday ornaments and decorations, jewelry, hair accessories, knitted items, matted prints and cards, hand painted frames, plaques, trivets and more. Also included are a raffle, musical entertainment, bake sale and the "Reindeer Cafe" serving a hot lunch.

Call (919) 490-8493 for more details about this free event.

Daniel Boone Merchants

The Daniel Boone Merchants Christmas Craft Show is one of the best in the area, featuring only handmade items from regional crafters. It will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Daniel Boone Village and the Big Barn Convention Center off Churton Street in Hillsborough.

Available items include baskets, jewelry, holiday wreaths, candles and original art, stain glass, paintings and much more. It is sponsored by Daniel Boone Merchants Association, with free admission and free parking.

Call (919) 942-3330 or visit www.theshopsatdanielboone.com for more details.

Shops at Eastgate

The annual holiday open house will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Shops at Eastgate, 1800 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill.

Free horse and carriage rides, live holiday music with Who's Your Daddy Jazz Band, balloon art, face painting inside TCBY, a special meet 'n' greet with Santa, merchant specials and more are included in the free event.

Call (434) 977-9234 or click on http://www.shoppingeastgate.com/ to learn more.

Society Tree

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church will be holding "The Festival of the Society Tree" (FeST) event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the church, 210 St. Mary's Road, Hillsborough,

The event features handmade items, delicious foods, seasonal decorations, home and garden items, arts and crafts, cake walks, a marionette show, carolers and more. The inspiration for FeST is the work of the 19th century Ladies Sewing Society of the parish, which used a Christmas tree filled with handmade items as a church fundraiser in 1867.

Call (919) 732-9308 or visit http://www.stmatthewshillsborough.org/index.cgi to learn more about this free event.

Tracing footsteps

"A Winter Walk in the Footsteps of William Lanier Hunt" is the program that will be presented from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the N.C. Botanical Garden Education Center, 100 Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill.

Hunt was a horticulturist, garden designer, writer and lecturer who was educated and entertained audiences throughout the South. Beginning in his student days at UNC in the mid-1920s, Hunt praised the landscapes and plants of the UNC campus, describing them frequently in his newspaper garden columns. Guide Ken Moore will trace his footsteps on this tour, stopping to recall stories of plants and people from the past.

Tickets are $10 for the public and $5 for members and students. Call (919) 962-0522 or go to http://ncbg.unc.edu/ for more information.

Carolina Ballet

A holiday season staple, Robert Weiss' Nutcracker will be performed at a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee, at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Memorial Hall, 208 E. Cameron Ave., Chapel Hill.

The ballet is a fantasy classic, capturing the irrepressible imagination of a child's world in which all things are possible. For more information, visit www.carolinaperformingarts.org or call (919) 843-3333.

Hillsborough Parade

The annual Hillsborough Holiday Parade will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday along Churton Street in downtown Hillsborough. The community tree lighting will follow.

The free event is sponsored by the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce. Call (919) 732-8156 or click on http://www.hillsboroughchamber.com/ for further details.

Discover Your Universe

Warp space-time, create your own constellation and build a Mars lander during Family Science Night from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on the UNC Campus in Chapel Hill.

These free family-friendly games and activities for all ages will explain new discoveries in astronomy and how they are impacting the world of science.

Call (919) 962-1236 or go to http://www.moreheadplanetarium.org/ for more information.

Holiday Cabaret

The Chapel Hill Museum 10th Annual Holiday Cabaret features a fabulous meal with wine and a professional theater performance by award-winning EbzB Productions at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Chapel Hill Museum, 523 East Franklin St., Chapel Hill.

Serena Ebhardt, star of War Bonds, will present the cabaret, "In One Era and Out the Other."

Admission is $125 per couple, $70 per single. Call (919) 967-1400 or go to http://www.chapelhillmuseum.org/ to learn more.

Transactors Improv

Every year Transactors marks the holidays with a musical show containing lots of surprises -- from multiple simultaneous miraculous births on stage to a surfing Santa to bringing home a gift refrigerator on the subway. Celebrate the ups and downs of the holidays with Transactors' 100 percent certified organic improvisational theatre at 8 p.m. Saturday at The ArtsCenter, 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro.

Tickets are $14; $12 for Friend and $7 for students. Call (919) 929-2787 or visit http://www.artscenterlive.org/ for more information.