(illustration courtesy of the city of West Hollywood)

The city of West Hollywood will celebrate the holiday season with special programming throughout the month of December.

As part of the holiday fun, there will be decorative street pole banners and a commemorative holiday card featuring original artwork generously created and donated by the artist Shag (Josh Agle). As part of the holiday card, a poem entitled “Homecoming” was specifically penned for the season by West Hollywood City Poet Laureate Charles Flowers.

The poem and a digital image of the card are available on the city’s website at weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/holiday-programming-2019. Printed cards are available at West Hollywood City Hall, the West Hollywood Library and Plummer Park. Street pole banners featuring the holiday artwork may be seen on Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.

At noon on Dec. 8, the city of West Hollywood and the Avanti Art Center’s student dancers will present a special performance of “The Nutcracker” at Plummer Park’s Fiesta Hall, located at 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Suggested donation is $10. For information, call (310)980-3171.

From 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, West Hollywood will present the Holiday Jazz Quartet Quintet at the city of West Hollywood’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. Vibraphonist Nick Mancini and his quintet will perform. Admission is free. For information, visit weho.org/wintersounds.

At 11 a.m. on Dec. 28, children are invited to bring their parents and guardians to the West Hollywood Library’s Community Meeting Room for a special holiday Drag Queen Story Hour. Admission is free. For information, visit colapublib.org/libs/whollywood.

From 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve to 1 a.m. New Year’s Day, #BOOM!, West Hollywood’s premiere alcohol and drug-free New Year’s Eve event, will feature a DJ, dancing, food and alcohol-free midnight toast. #BOOM! will take place at the West Hollywood Park Auditorium, located at 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. For information and to RSVP, visit eventbrite.com/e/boom-2020-an-alcohol-and-drug-free-extravaganza-tickets-79270106021.

The city will also be conducting its 29th annual West Hollywood Toy and Food Drive. The city and the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station will partner to help provide a holiday meal for families and two toys for every child. The city will accept donations until Dec. 20 with the goal of providing up to 900 families with meals and gifts. For information, contact Bonnie Smith at bsmith@weho.org. Monetary donations can be made online at weho.org/holidaydrive or at the cashier’s window at West Hollywood City Hall, located at 8300 Santa Monica Blvd. A donation of $65 will help one family, but every donation, no matter how small, counts. Gift and food drive donations can be dropped off at City Hall or at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, located at 780 N. San Vicente Blvd.