Bend in the River Big Band, Holidays with Professor Piano at Edinborough Park

Baby, it's cold outside. Visit the ever-green for some warm holiday entertainment this week. 

The Sunday evening show is Bend in the River Big Band.

The band will rouse the crowd with an hour-long set packed with holiday tunes, both instrumental and with vocals. Instrumental selections will include "Winter Wonderland," "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Came Upon a Midnight Clear." Bend in the River Big Band vocalist Linnea Nelson Marrin will lend her vocal stylings to such holiday favorites as "Let It Snow," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." 

In addition to the vocal and instrumental full band numbers, each section will perform a holiday tune on its own. Director of the band Bob Hallquist will perform "I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)" with the trumpet section. The saxophones, trombones and rhythm sections will each perform their own number as well. 

Hallquist, who has been with Bend in the River Big Band for 11 years, explained that the band started as a Gustavus alumni band and is still primarily made up of alumni from the college. 

This is the band's last scheduled show until February. So escape the cold and take a break from the shopping and baking to celebrate the season with friends, neighbors and the Bend of the River Big Band.

The next Thursday noontime show is an especially festive treat for the kids. Jim Shannon, known to the kids at Edinborough Park as Professor Piano, is putting on a special show he is calling Holidays with Professor Piano. 

Professor Piano—a musical clown—typically offers a music professor program for kindergarten classes, small groups, parties and other occasions at spaces such as Edinborough Park. This show will be unique in that it will be largely a Christmas program.

There will be popular holiday tunes like "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer." Shannon said he will involve the kids in different ways, partly as a favor to the moms and dads who will bring them to the show.

"Kids are usually full of energy," Shannon said. "A couple days before Christmas they'll be super charged."

While the show will be entertaining, Shannon skips flash in favor of good old-fashioned fun.

"I don't swallow swords, I don't do handstands," Shannon said. "Mostly, I'll play the piano, the kids can come sit in front of the piano and we'll try to continue the Christmas spirit and the Christmas mood."

The show will be one hour or less and will provide the kids with plenty of opportunities to participate.

Jim Shannon can also be found in the summers at Centennial Lakes playing vintage piano tunes to a generally older crowd and not dressed as a clown. 

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If You Go:

What: Bend in the River Big Band Holiday Show and Holidays with Professor Piano

When: 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19 and noon on Thursday, Dec. 23

Where: Edinborough Park Amphitheater, 7700 York Ave. S., Edina

Cost: Free