CALENDAR: Leg lamp to holiday parade of boats

(NEW) A Christmas Story: Through Dec. 20: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 10-12, Dec. 17-19; matinees at 3 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 20, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston. Enjoy the story about Ralphie, his BB gun and the leg lamp in this holiday classic that returns for the season. Tickets are $30 to $67 for adults. More.

Holiday Festival of Lights:  Through Jan. 3, 2016, James Island County Park.  The annual light festival with millions of lights and lots of family fun opens for a seven-week run.  Lots of information is online here.

Path to Secession: 11:15 a.m., Dec. 8, John’s Island Regional Library, Johns Island. Join Charleston County Public Library historian Nic Butler to follow 50 years of events that led the state to secede from the union in 1860 in this installment of the library’s history series. The talk will be also offered 6 p.m., Dec. 9, at the main library on Calhoun St.

Stern lecture: 6 p.m., Dec. 10, Charleston Library Society, 164 King St., Charleston. “Remembering of the Remarkable Ted Stern: Charleston’s Compass” will be the focus of a lecture by Bob Macdonald, director emeritus of the Museum of the City of New York and vice chair emeritus of the S.C. Aquarium. Introduction by Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. Cost is $15 for non-members; $10 for members. Tickets.

Charleston Holiday Parade of Boats viewing party:  5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Dec. 12, Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston.  Join the Rotary Club of Charleston for fun, barbecue, great music and the best location in town to watch the annual Parade of Boats, a holiday tradition.  Tickets are $25 for adults, $5 for kids.  Chance to win a $38,000 boat is $100 per ticket.  More.

(NEW) West Ashley Senior Forum: 2 p.m., Dec. 15 (new date), John Wesley United Methodist Church, 626 Savannah Highway, West Ashley. The city of Charleston will host a forum on the preliminary design for a new senior center and its grounds. The new center will be located on the campus of Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital.

(NEW) Museum Mile Month is coming. For the cost of one $25 ticket throughout January 2016, adults can enjoy visits to 11 attractions along Charleston’s Museum Mile. These include the Aiken-Rhett House Museum, Charleston Museum, Nathaniel Russell House and Museum and The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. More: CharlestonsMuseumMile.org.

Bird walks: 8:30 a.m. to noon, every Wednesday and Saturday. This is the time of year that a great variety of migrating birds fly through the Lowcountry so what better time to take part in one of the regular early morning bird walks at Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel. Pre-registration is suggested. Cost is $5. Walks also are conducted on James Island and Folly Beach. Learn more online.

If you have an event to list on our calendar, please send it to editor@charlestoncurrents.com for consideration.  The calendar is updated weekly on Mondays.