COWPARADE NC: UNC campus. Through January 2013: Artist-rendered cow sculptures displayed. Cows will be auctioned Jan. 26. Proceeds benefit the N.C. Children’s Hospital. cowparadenc.com

MUSIC

ARTSCENTER: 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro. Dec. 17: Songwriters Circle, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4: Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys. Jan. 5: Grass Cats 15th Anniversary Concert. Jan. 11: Rory Block. Jan. 12: Ludy Kaplansky. Jan. 20: David Wilcox. Jan. 26: Jo Gore & The Alternative. Jan. 30: Lloyd Cole. artscenterlive.org, 929-2787.

CAT’S CRADLE: 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. Dec. 14: Southern Culture on the Skids, New Town Drunks, Fantastico! Dec. 15: of Montreal, Foxygen. Dec. 17: The Chorus Project and KidzNotes. Dec. 18: Concrete Blonde. Dec. 28: The Hackensaw Boys, Danny Barnes. Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve Party with Orquesta GarDel. Jan. 9: The Devil Makes Three. Jan. 11: Cosmic Charlie. Jan. 15: EMEFE, The Brand New Life, The Beast. Jan. 16: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Jan. 18: Abbey Road Live! Jan. 19: Carbon Leaf. Jan. 23: Yo La Tengo. 919-967-9053, catscradle.com

THE CRUNKLETON: 320 W. Franklin St. First Thursdays: Jazzbeau. 919-969-1125

EAST CHAPEL HILL HIGH SCHOOL: Weaver Dairy Road. Dec. 13: ECHHS Bands Concert. Dec. 18: ECHHS Orchestra Concert. Dec. 19: ECHHS and CHHS Jazz Bands Concert. All shows at 7:30 p.m.

FEARRINGTON VILLAGE: Dec. 12: Holiday Concert, Village Voices and Harmony Grits, 7:30 p.m.

LOCAL 506: 506 W. Franklin St. Dec. 13: Ninjasonik. Dec. 14: Almost People Album Release Show, Red Collar, Drag Your Chains. Dec. 15: Local H, Scott Lucas. Dec. 16: Crushed Out, The Ill Family. Dec. 19: Tori Sparks. Dec. 20: World, Inferno Friendship Society, O’Death. Dec. 21: Spiralfire, Jonas Sees in Color. Dec. 26: The Merch Holiday Party with Robes. Dec. 27: Cloudsang with Lisa Furakawa and Leon Monroe. Jan. 3: Forgetters, Future Kings of Nowhere. Jan. 5: The Vaudevillian Revue. 1919-942-5506, local506.com.

MEMORIAL HALL: Cameron Ave., UNC campus. Jan. 19: Radu Lupu. Feb. 8: Carolina Chocolate Drops and Vusi Mahlasela. Feb. 9: Abigal Washburn and Kai Welch with special guest Wu Fei. 919-843-3333, carolinaperformingarts.org

THE STATION: 201-C E. Main St., Carrboro. Dec. 13: Doug Largent Trio; The America Revue hosted by Sarah Shook & The Devil, featuring Curtis Eller. Dec. 14: Alex Bowers and Friends. Dec. 15: Degrees of Freedom. Dec. 17: Open Mic Night. Dec. 18: Mysti Mayhem. Dec. 19: The Requisition. Dec. 20: Dexter Romweber & Carrie Bobis; Nick White. Dec. 21: Alex Bowers and Friends. Dec. 22: Lee Gildersleeve & the Bad Dog Blues Band. Dec. 25: Mahalo Jazz, Dec. 27: Doug Largent Trio; Neil Cribbs. Dec. 28: Alex Bowers and Friends. Dec. 29: Puritan Rodeo. Dec. 31: M16 Record Release Show. 919-967-1967, thestationcarrboro.com

RECEPTIONS/OPENINGS

FRANK: 109 E. Franklin St. Dec. 14: Reception for “Getting Layered: 6 Women Artists Collaborate on Self-Portraiture.” 6-9 p.m. 919-636-4135, frankisart.com

ARTSCENTER: 300-G E. Main St. Dec. 13-16: “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914.” Dec. 15: Chuckle and Chortle Comedy Show; No Shame Theatre. Dec. 16: “The Art of Deception,” by Keith Burridge, presented by “Almost Ready: A Series of Plays by NC Writers.” Dec. 21: “Apocalesque!” Jan. 11-13: “Copenhagen” by Michael Frayn. Jan. 19: Chuckle and Chortle Comedy Show; No Shame Theatre. Jan. 26: Transactors Improv; Sacrificial Poets Poetry Slam. Jan. 27: “Almost Ready: Museum of Whores,” by Anthony Garcia Copian. 919-929-2787, artscenterlive.org

DSI COMEDY THEATER: Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro. Dec. 13: Student Showcase. Dec. 14: Improv Slam, Home for the Holidays, Mister Diplomat. 919-338-8150, dsicomedy.com

MEMORIAL HALL: Cameron Ave., UNC campus. Jan. 25-26: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and Siti Company. 919-843-3333, www.carolinaperformingarts.com.

ter for Dramatic Art, UNC campus. Through Dec. 16: “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” Jan. 26-March 3: “A Raisin in the Sun” in rotating repertory with “Clybourne Park.” April 3-April 21: “Cabaret.” 962-PLAY, playmakersrep.org

PRC2: Center for Dramatic Art, UNC campus. Jan. 9-13: “And God Created Great Whales.” April 24-28: “Spring Training.” 919-962-PLAY, playmakersrep.org

ST. MATTHEW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH: 210 St. Mary’s Road, Hillsborough. Dec. 13-14: “A Christmas Carol,” Allan Gurganus and Michael Malone. 919-732-7451.

FOR KIDS

ARTSCENTER: 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro. Jan. 15: “Tired and Souls: King and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.” Jan. 11: “Aesop’s Fables,” Bright Star Touring Theatre. 919-929-2787, artscenterlive.org