Scattered Light by Jim Campbell at NorthPark Center

Scattered Light by Jim Campbell at NorthPark Center

The Lamplighter School presents its 2014-15 Dolores Evans Speaker Series, kicking off Monday, Nov. 10. The program, “Change Makers: Changing the World with Food, Robots and Pencils,” begins at 7 p.m. Speakers include Ellen Gustafson, a sustainable food system activist and author of “We the Eaters: If We Change Dinner, We Can Change the World;” James McLurkin, a robotics engineer who worked on projects with Disney Imagineering and iRobot and recognized by Time as one of America’s top engineers; and Adam Braun, a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Pencils of Promise, an organization that has built 200 schools around the world. Tickets are $15, available online or at the door.

Among other holiday performances, St. Rita Catholic Community Church presents a memorial concert, “Flights of Angels,” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18. Part concert, part theater, part liturgy, the St. Rita Choir and Festival Orchestra perform an eclectic blend of music, including Bach, Mozart, St. Hildegard and Henry Purcell.

Ticket sales end Nov. 13 for author Susan Orlean’s Nov. 20 visit to Temple Emanu-El. Hosted by the Friends of the Dallas Public Library, the event focuses on Orlean’s newest work, “The Library Book,” chronicling the story of the Los Angeles Public Library and its rebirth after a 1986 fire. Admission is $35 for the program, $180 for the program and dinner. Orlean is best-known for her book, “The Orchid Thief” on which the 2002 film “Adaptation” was based.

Terri Woodward's holiday heirlooms

Terri Woodward’s holiday heirlooms

Here’s a reason to trek south of our neighborhood. Coinciding with the Snider Plaza Tree Lighting Nov. 23, Eclectic Galleries hosts Preston Hollow artist Terri Woodward and her handcrafted holiday heirlooms, noon-5 p.m. Her playful creations use vintage fabric, buttons, trims and jewelry. No two designs are alike.

Santa Days are back at the Plaza at Preston Center. The annual tradition features pictures with Santa and live reindeer 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 7, 14 and 21. The pictures are free with a donation to the North Texas Food Bank.

A new art installation, Scattered Light (pictured above), is on view at NorthPark Center throughout the holiday season. Created by artist Jim Campbell the three-dimensional, cascading grid of 1,800 flickering lights was most recently displayed at Madison Square Garden in New York City. You can find the display in NorthPark’s CenterPark Garden.