First Lutheran Church will host The Hanging of the Green: A Ceremony of Christmas Carols at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at the church, according to a press release.

The event will feature the First Lutheran Church choir, First Lutheran Christmas orchestra, Rays of Light Children’s Choir, Sounds of Joy Children’s Choir and the First Lutheran Church handbell choir.

There is no admission fee to the event, which is open to the public. A reception will follow.

First Lutheran Church will also host special events on Wednesdays during Advent.

At 11 a.m. there will be devotions and prayer in Bethany Hall. Lunch will follow at 11:30 a.m. A recital will take place from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., and then there will be a stroll through the Creche Walk.

The recital on Nov. 30 will feature Holly Dalager. Dalager has performed in the southeast Minnesota area for the past 30 years. 

Dalager lives in Austin, where she is the principal oboe player with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. She also directs a youth choir at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and recently began a band program at Pacelli Catholic School.

The Ovation String Duo will present a program of classical, sacred and Christmas music during the recital Dec. 7. The duo consists of a violinist and cellist.

Violinist Laurie Melting performs with several groups in the Twin Cities, including Ovation String Quartet, Poetic Sound, Omega Band at Mt. Olivet Lutheran and Era Novair. Cellist Greg Byers is an active performer and educator in the Twin Cities area. He is a member of several groups, playing styles including classical, jazz and folk music.

Tim O’Shields will perform at the recital on Dec. 14. He is the minister of music and worship and organist at First Lutheran Church.

The weekly lunches are $6 each. The weekly reservation deadline is noon on the Monday preceding the Wednesday lunch. Reservations for all three lunches can also be made by noon on Nov. 28. Lunch reservations can be made by calling the church office at 373-6424.