On December 10 and 11, one of the Quad Cities' most adored holiday traditions returns to Davenport's Adler Theatre when the professional talents of Ballet Quad Cities perform Tchaikovsky's holiday dance classic The Nutcracker, this eagerly awaited family experience boasting choreography by Artistic Director Courtney Lyon, live musical accompaniment by Orchestra Iowa, and the return of popular guest artist Domingo Rubio, the longtime portrayer of the company's dancing Dracula.

With their newest, critically acclaimed album Spark released on September 16, the rock and folk artists of Whitney headline a December 4 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, their latest recording inspiring The A.V. Club to state, “If early tracks ‘Real Love,’ ‘Blue,’ and ‘Twirl,’ full of warm falsetto melodies and shimmering keyboards, offered a tantalizing taste of Whitney’s new direction, then the rest of Spark is sure to sate your appetite.”

An eagerly awaited holiday tradition taking place in the college's spacious Centennial Hall, the December 3 and 4 presentations of the yuletide celebration Christmas at Augustana will again boast the collective talents of no fewer than six magnificent Augustana College ensembles: the Augustana Symphony Orchestra, Augustana Brass Ensemble, Ascension Ringers, Augustana Choir, Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble, and Augustana Concert Chorale.

In addition to his rock, blues, and gospel smashes, Elvis Presley recorded numerous renditions of popular seasonal tunes, and many of those timeless hits will be heard when the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse hosts two December 8 performances of Blue Christmas: An Elvis Rock 'n' Roll Holiday Extravaganza, the return of the King-sized stage entertainment starring touring musician and noted impersonator Robert Shaw.