“A Dickens' Christmas Carol – A Traveling Travesty in Two Tumultuous Acts”: The comedy written by Mark Landon Smith and produced by New Vision Theatre Company will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 17 at the Sunshine Brooks Theatre, 217 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside. Tickets: $15, $12 seniors, $10 military and $7.50 children 12 and younger. Family rates available. (760) 529-9140 or www.nvtheatre.com.

Breakfast with Santa: The Contemporary Women of North County and the city of San Marcos will have Breakfast with Santa, 8 to 10:30 a.m. today at the San Marcos Community Center, 3 Civic Center Drive, San Marcos. The event will include door prizes. $4 adults; $2.25 children. (760) 747-6233 or www.cwonc.org.Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony: The 22nd annual ceremony, sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Carlsbad, begins at 2 p.m. today at the Village Faire Shopping Center, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive. Cookies, coffee and hot apple cider will be available. Children can make holiday cards and listen to stories. The 4:45 p.m. lighting ceremony concludes the event. Free. (760) 434-3838.

American Red Cross blood drive: The First Presbyterian Church of Oceanside is sponsoring the drive from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today behind the church, 2001 El Camino Real and Fire Mountain Road. Appointments: (760) 724-0043. “A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol”: The Carlsbad Playreaders present this production at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Tuesday in the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium at the Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. Suggested donations: $5 for adults and $1 for students. (760) 494-4699, www.carlsbadplayreaders.org.Holiday Festival Fundraiser: The Assistance League of Rancho San Dieguito will have an event from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Barnes & Noble, 1040 N. El Camino Real, Encinitas. Local children's author Edith Fine will read from her “Cricket in the Manger,” and musicians, singers and dancers will perform holiday favorites. Mrs. Claus will be on hand from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. to read and pose for photographs. (760) 943-6400.

Oceanside Senior Anglers: The group meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Oceanside Senior Center, 455 Country Club Lane. Mark Ordonez, owner of the Pacific Voyager, will talk about fishing in Southern California waters. (760) 435-5250. Magee Park Poets Poetry Anthology 2007: The Carlsbad City Library hosts a poetry publication party at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium at the Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. Free. The anthology will be available for purchase for $5. Jessica Padilla: (760) 602-2012.

Courtly Noyse at the library: The group Courtly Noyse will perform Renaissance holiday music at the Escondido Public Library during the library's First Thursday concert series, 7 p.m. Thursday, 239 S. Kalmia St., Escondido. (760) 839-4601.

“Christmas Through the Ages”: Musical group Windsong will perform holiday music on Renaissance-and baroque-style instruments at 8 p.m. Friday at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The group will perform selections from the 13th century through present day in Renaissance attire. Tickets are $12.50. (800) 988-4253.

Pooch and kitty chakra readings: Animal communicator Paula Brown will read pets' chakras and energy patterns from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Dexter's Deli, 2508 El Camino Real, B-2, Carlsbad; and Saturday at Dexter's Deli, 1229 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar. Cost: $15 for 10 minutes. Funds raised benefit the Rancho Coastal Humane Society Animal Safehouse Program. Bring your pet or its photograph. (760) 720-7507.

Santa's Secret Art Class: The nonprofit Moonlight Beach Gallery art guild will host two-hour workshops for children in a private home in Encinitas from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday and Dec. 16. The instructor is art teacher and guild member Vanessa Weslow. Children will craft gifts they can give to parents. Reservations: (760) 420-5667.

Holiday Spectacular: The concert is at 2 p.m. Saturday and Dec. 10 at the First Presbyterian Church of Oceanside, 2001 El Camino Real. “Carols and Lullabies, Music of the Southwest” by Conrad Susa and “Ceremony of Carols” by Benjamin Britten will be presented by the North Coast Chorale, accompanied by harp, marimba and guitar. The MiraCosta College Chamber Chorale will present a program of traditional and contemporary music inspired by the holidays. Admission: $10; $7 for students and seniors. Tickets at the door. (760) 757-3560. Glass art demos: Bill Kasper of Hot Glass Studio will be the featured artist during the 16th annual Escondido Glass Artist Holiday Gift Sale, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Dec. 10 at the studio, 415 W. Grand Ave., Escondido. The event includes glassblowing and glass bead-making demonstrations. (760) 310-7379.

2nd Tuesday Book Club: The group will discuss David Baldacci's “The Christmas Train,” 7 p.m. Dec. 12 in the Turrentine Room of the Escondido Public Library, 239 S. Kalmia, Escondido. “The Christmas Train” is a holiday tale of a man taking a train to be with a loved one at Christmas. The 2nd Tuesday Book Club will resume on Jan. 9 with a discussion of “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro. Free. (760) 839-4839.

North County Parkinson Support Group: The annual holiday luncheon is planned for Dec. 13 at the Shadowridge Country Club, 1980 Gateway Drive, Vista. (760) 940-2763.

“The Nutcracker”: San Elijo Academy will present Tchaikovsky's musical “The Nutcracker,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21 through 23 and 2 p.m. Dec. 23 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. The performance features dancers from Pacific Northwest Ballet and music from San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra. Cost: $17.50 to $39. (800) 988-4253.

What's in an old jar?: The San Diego Archaeological Center will present Compositional Analysis of Archaeological Ceramics: New Applications, 2 p.m. Jan. 8 at the center, 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido. Archaeologist Patrick Quinn, a research officer at the University of Sheffield in England, will discuss his research, which involves analysis of thin-section ceramic from the Aegean Bronze Age. Reservations are recommended. Free. (760) 291-0370.

Ongoing

Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce needs a slogan: Develop an 85th anniversary slogan for the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce to be used on promotional fliers and for events. The winner receives a chamber prize package. (760) 931-8400, or www.carlsbad.org.FYI is compiled by Cheryl Walker. Send items at least 14 days before publication to northcounty@uniontrib.com or mail to: FYI, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 1152 Armorlite Drive, San Marcos, CA 92069. Items also may be faxed to (619) 260-5099.