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Wednesday (Dec 22) The Filipino Club Parol Contest will be held at 7pm at the Filipino Club Villa in Adliya.

The event will feature singing of the national anthems of Bahrain and Philippines, invocation by Fr Ding Camus, opening remarks by Filipino Club president Agustus Cesar Navarro, a message by consul general Sajid Glang and raffle draw.

The event will feature competitions for the Best Christmas Costume for Kids and Christmas Lantern Contest. For more details, contact 39633210, 33066336 and 36848882.

Thursday (Dec 23)

A musical programme organised by the Goys will be held at the Salman Cultural Centre from 5.30pm. A National Festival by the Municipalities and Urban Planning Ministry will be held today and tomorrow at the Al Dana Mall at 3pm.

The Z-Club in Juffair will host a Christmas weekend today, tomorrow and Saturday with complimentary cocktails for the ladies and welcome shots for men accompanied by festive music. For New Year's Eve guest DJ Will from Berlin and resident DJ Arwin will entertain guests. Tickets are BD20 for a couple, BD15 for men and BD10 for ladies. For details contact 36725898.

The music of Polish composer and pianist Frederic Chopin will be celebrated at a 'Poet of Piano' recital event at the Cultural Hall, near the Bahrain National Museum, on Dec 23 at 8pm.

Bahraini pianist Noor Al Qassim and Lebanese Pianist Wasim Kaissi will both perform at the recital, organised by the Culture and Information Ministry.

Ms Al Qassim began playing piano at the age of four and went on to graduate from Vienna Conservatory for Music and Dramatic Arts in Austria. Earlier this year, she won the first prize at the Vienna International Music Competition and the Chopin Prize at the Bahrain International Chopin Competition as well as the Best Pianist prize and distinction awards at the Kuwait International Chopin Competition.

Mr Kaissi graduated with a piano diploma from the Lebanese Higher Conservatory for Music in 2004. He has performed live at events in Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait and Bulgaria.

Entry is free. For more details visit www.moci.gov.bh

The CinŽ-club will showcase French movie Les Soeurs F‰chŽes. The story is about two sisters, Louise and Martine at the Centre Culturel Franco-Bahre•nien La Maison Jamsheer in Muharraq at 7.30pm. Admission is free and the movie will have English subtitles. For details contact 17683295, email info@afbahrain.com or log on to www.afbahrain.com

Friday (Dec 24)

The Hamad Glory Festival by the Northern Governorate will be held at the Karawan Primary Girls School from 5pm to 7pm. The Great Bahrain March by Goys will be held at the King Faisal Corniche at 3pm. A musical concert will be held at the Shaikh Khalifa Sport Complex, Isa Town, from 9.30pm to 1am.

The British Club in Umm Al Hassam will stage a Christmas Eve dinner from 7pm. Tomorrow the club will host a Christmas Day buffet lunch from noon until 3pm. Tickets are BD15 for memners and BD20 for guests. Children aged three to 12 will be charged BD7. For details contact 17728245.

Saturday (Dec 25)

'For the Love of the Motherland' festival organised by the Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs will be held on the December 16 Highway at 3pm. A traditional dance and music performance will be held at the Isa Town Suq at 3pm.

Sunday (Dec 26)

Albareh Art Gallery in Adliya is hosting an exhibition entitled 'Birds' by leading sculptors until January 2.

Curated by Hayfa AlJishi and artist Ahmed Al Bahrani, the gallery will display work from Bahrain, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, France and Japan featuring the aesthetic aspects of birds either scattered, in motion or in groups. The participating artists are Ahmad Al Bahrani (Iraq), Hitoshi Tanaka (Japan), Jamal Abdulrahim (Bahrain), Samer Tabbaa (Jordan), Ali Nori (Iraq), Jivko (France), Mostafa Ali (Syria), Nabil Basbous (Lebanon), Khalil Al Hashimi (Bahrain), Nevine Farghaly (Egypt), Nedim Kufi (Iraq).

Albareh Art Gallery is open Saturday to Thursday, from 10am -8pm. For details contact 17717707 or log on to www.albareh.com

Monday (Dec 27)

An exhibition entitled Minimal/Maximal is being held at the Al Riwaq Art Space in Adliya until January 12.

It presents the works of 24 international students who belong to the sculpture class of the artist and professor Gregor Schneider from the UniversitŠt der KŸnste, Berlin (Germany), together with a contribution of the same artist. Participating artists include Emma Bjšrnespaar, Katja Burlyga, Miriam Christof, Lara Dorsett, Lonny Fechner, LŽa Gilloire, Lola Gšller, Sandra Krause Gomez, David Iselin-Ricketts, David Kršll, Simon Jung, Mari Matsutoya, Christoph Medicus, Alessandro Reichmann, Ricarda von Ribbek, Lysander Rohringer, Francisco Rozas, Mike Ruiz, Fiene Scharp, Gregor Schneider, Gon Seok, Lidia Sigle, Diana Sirianni, Flavia Spichtig and Luca Vanello. This event is free and open to the public.

For details contact 17717441 or email info@alriwaqartspace.com