Jazz & Classical Essentials Sunday Brunch Borders will be playing jazz and classical music from their essential catalogs. Coffee and pastry provided. Sundays, 1-3 p.m. Free. Borders, 3900 Colony Rd. 704-365-6261.

Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra Leonard and his animatronic ensemble entertain families with their 45-minute program of traditional and original holiday songs. Daily performances: Mon.-Fri. at 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 5pm, 6pm & 7pm. Sat. & Sun. at the top of every hour from 8am-11pm. Times are subject to change. Continues through Dec. 31. Free. Founders Hall, 100 N. Tryon St, Bank of America Corp Cntr. 704-632-4791.

Messiah Celebrate the season with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and the Oratorio Singers of Charlotte. Wed., Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m. $20. First United Methodist Church, 501 N. Tryon St. 704-972-2000.

Comedy

The Perch Theatre Perch Comedy. Cheerfully offending Charlotte since 1994. Showtimes are 9pm, 11pm, & 1am on Friday and Saturday nights. The 9pm show is non-smoking. Show #275: Dec. 6-14. Audience Favorites Part 2: Dec. 20- Jan. 4. The Talking Baby Talk Show is every Thursday at 9:30pm. Performances are rated R for verbal content. www.theperch.com. Fri., Sat. $10/$9 with students/military I.D. 1500 B. Central Ave. 704-372-7724.

The Comedy Zone Hypnotist, Mike Harvey. Dec. 18-21. College Night and "SIN" (Service Industry Workers) Night. Get free admission for the 8pm show and with your Comedy Zone ticket, get in free to Have a Nice Day Cafe. Wednesdays. Benny Baker & John Marks. Dec. 26-28. Allyn Ball & Al Ernst. Dec. 31-Jan. 4. 516 N. College St., Wed. & Thurs.- 8pm, Fri. & Sat.- 8pm, 10:15pm. 704-348-4242.

Dance

The Nutcracker North Carolina Dance Theatre will present Salvatore Aiello's The Nutcracker this holiday season. The Charlotte Symphony will accompany the production. Presented in the Belk Theater. Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 21, 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 22, 2 p.m. $17-55. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000.

Museums

Charlotte Museum of History/Hezekiah Alexander Homesite & American Freedom Bell Highways & Byways of Our State. A photographic road trip of eclectic NC sites and scenes, all viewed from the state's Highways and Byways, using archival images from Our State: North Carolina magazine. Mon.-Sun. Continues through Jan. 12. Soldier's Stories: War in the First Person. Multimedia exhibit in the Millennium Gallery tells the personal stories of war as shared through the written and recorded war-time correspondence of soldiers from the region. A Charlotte Shout event. Continues through Sept. 30, 2003. Regular Museum admission. 3500 Shamrock Dr., Between Eastway and Sharon Amity. 704-568-1774.

Gaston County Museum of Art & History Carolinas Textile Exhibit- The Ties That Bind. Interactive displays, engaging scale models, authentic artifacts and photos detail how the textile industry transformed the economy, technology and communities of the new south. Tue.-Sun. 131 W. Main St., Dallas. 704-852-6025.

Levine Museum of the New South Americanos: Latino Life in the United States. An exhibition presenting an intimate portrait of the Latino community through the work of 30 prize-winning photographers. The museum will also feature oral histories and artifacts from the Charlotte-area Latino community. Continues through Jan. 20. The New South's Love Affair with the Car. The exhibit explores four aspects of the South's relationship with the car. Vintage local photos, racing history, and more. Tue.-Sun. Continues through Dec. 31. 200 E. 7th St. 704-333-1887.

Mint Museum of Art Celebrating the Legacy of Romare Bearden. A juried exhibition co-sponsored with McColl Center for Visual Art. North and South Carolina artists' works were selected by David C. Driskell and reflect the inspiration of Romare Bearden. The exhibition is in two parts: one half at the Mint Museum of Art and one half at Spirit Square. Continues through Feb. 23, 2003. Colonial Williamsburg Collection. Since the 1930's Colonial Williamsburg has amassed the nation's largest collection of Southern furniture. Fifty-two examples of the cabinetmaker's trade illustrate the cultural diversity of the early South. Continues through Jan. 26. 2730 Randolph Rd. 704-337-2000 or 704-333-MINT.

Mint Museum of Craft & Design Coming of Age. Traces the evolution of the museum's collection (1937 to the present), illustrating the work of some of the 20th and 21st century's craftspeople and designers. Tue.-Sun. Continues through April 6. Currents In Craft. Ongoing exhibit. Tue.-Sun. Point of View: Public and Private Collecting Part I. Point of View demonstrates how materials, techniques and themes guide collectors on their quest to shape meaningful collections. Continues through Feb. 23. Tradition & Change: 19th and 20th Century Craft At The Mint. Ongoing exhibit. Tue.-Sun. 220 N. Tryon St. 704-337-2009.

Museum of York County All About Cats. This exhibit features many of the world's cats including the well-known lion, tiger, jaguar, panther, and leopard, as well as the lesser known species. Continues through Sept. 14, 2003. An Historical Look at Visual Communication: Illustrators of the 20th Century. Visitors can view over 50 works from past and current members of the Society of Illustrators. Continues through Jan. 3. Gatherin' Together: Scotch-Irish Lifeways in the Carolina Piedmont. Explore the origins of customs, traditions and lifeways of the Scotch-Irish through their language, music, folklore, religion, politics, industry, and decorative arts. Mon.-Sun. Continues through Feb. 2. Illustrator Vernon Grant: A Century of American Whimsy. This exhibit examines Grant's career that spanned seven decades. He produced gnomes, caricatures and nursery rhyme renderings, while his advertising icons sold a multitude of products. Continues through Oct. 5, 2003. The Nick of Time: New Classics from Old. This exhibit will present a new Christmas line produced by Department 56 and the original Vernon Grant illustrations from which it was based. Continues through Jan. 5. 4621 Mount Gallant Rd., Rock Hill. 803-329-2121.