We’ve hit peak holiday season, with just a few more days to go until Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. So we’ve made a list, and checked it twice, with the following deemed suitable for all, whether you’re naughty or nice. Partake in our mix of holiday-themed stage shows, music concerts, and outdoor pop-up parties and markets. Consider this your last call for all things 2024. This time next week, we’ll guide you to ideas for ringing in 2025.

MADELINE’S CHRISTMAS — Creative Cauldron presents a staged entertainment that also offers a transporting escape, suitable for all ages, to a romanticized depiction of Paris. That, in essence, is the appeal of Madeline’s Christmas, the holiday musical that, over the past decade, has become a recurring seasonal hit for the Northern Virginia company. Based on the classic illustrated book Madeline, the focus is on a precocious Parisian girl and her teacher Miss Clavel at an all-girls boarding school. Adapted for the stage by Jennifer Kirkeby and Shirley Mier, the holiday-themed adventure finds everyone at the boarding school sick in bed on Christmas Eve and unable to go home for the holiday. But Madeline saves the day by taking her friends on “a Christmas journey they will never forget” with the help of a “magical rug merchant.” As Miss Clavel, Shaina Kuhn is one of several adult actors in a cast featuring 21 children, elementary- and middle-school-aged students, all part of Creative Cauldron’s Musical Theater Ensemble educational program. To Dec. 22. Creative Cauldron, 410 South Maple Ave., Falls Church. Tickets are $20 to $30, or $75 for a Family 4-Pack. Call 703-436-9948 or visit www.creativecauldron.org.

HOLIGAY POP-UP BAR — Pitchers is working to draw guests not named Santa up to its rooftop this season for a special pop-up all aglow with Christmas lights and decor. Those willing to brave the elements will be rewarded with beverage specials, including Irish Coffee and Tea, as well as a series of themed outings with more specials, plus the potential to win prizes. The schedule includes an Ugly Sweater Competition & Party set for Friday, Dec. 13, starting at 8 p.m., with the Ugliest Sweater earning a $50 bar tab; a Naughty or Nice Cocktail Party on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 10 p.m., featuring “special drinks for the best and worst of us”; a Holiday Drag Show & After Party on Thursday, Dec. 19, at 10 p.m.; an Ice Bar White Out, with customers encouraged to “wear your whitest,” on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 10 p.m. There’s also a Christmas Tea every Sunday afternoon. A Customer Appreciation Party will be celebrated on all floors of the complex on Wednesday, Dec. 18, with an Open Bar from 7 to 8 p.m. and half-priced drinks until 10 p.m. Pitchers DC, 2317 18th St. NW. Call 202-733-2568 or visit www.pitchersbardc.com.

TINGLE BELLS — The chief draw to this year’s holiday special at ARTECHOUSE, the pioneering digital art gallery in Southwest D.C., is an immersive “experience designed to soothe your senses and warm your spirit.” Tingle Bells features “calming soundscapes, captivating visuals, and interactive digital installations,” all inspired by ASMR, sensory technology that uses hushed sonics and delicate movements designed to promote a sense of calm and relaxation. Those seeking the more typical spectacle type of ARTECHOUSE installation will enjoy the reprise of last year’s holiday show, Spectacular Factory, in the Immersion Gallery. It invites guests to “step into the dazzling imaginary world of a holiday gift factory brought to life [with] dreamlike visuals and heartwarming holiday themes.” To Jan. 5. ARTECHOUSE DC, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets are $19.08 to $37.10. Visit www.artechouse.com.

AN IRISH CAROL — Developed by Keegan Theatre company member Matthew J. Keenan, this Irish-inflected homage to Charles Dickens returns for its 14th year at the Dupont Circle-based theater company. Set in a modern pub in Dublin, An Irish Carol relates the familiar story of friendship, compassion, and redemption with the addition of biting Irish humor and candor. As David, the pub’s wealthy owner who’s lost touch with his own humanity, veteran actor Kevin Adams leads a cast of Keegan regulars, including Timothy H. Lynch, Mike Kozemchak, Michael Replogle, Taylor Witt, and Sarah Chapin. To Dec. 31. Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $59 to $69. Call 202-265-3767 or visit www.keegantheatre.com.

A CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS — Now in its 63rd season, the Washington Chorus celebrates the 15th anniversary of this beloved holiday treat, a series of family-friendly concerts with the full 200-voice chorus led by Artistic Director Eugene Rogers performing on select dates in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and the Music Center at Strathmore. This year’s concerts will feature performances from the National Capital Brass and Percussion ensemble as well as two selected high school ensembles, Virginia’s Alexandria City High School Choir, on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Strathmore, and Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Kennedy Center, and Maryland’s HB Woodlawn High School Chamber Singers on Saturday, Dec. 21, and Sunday, Dec. 22, at the Kennedy Center. In addition to the usual assortment of “cherished carols” and a namesake candlelight processional, this year’s program features performance of “Parranda,” a new work from guest artist Suzzette Ortiz highlighting Christmas traditions from Puerto Rico, and “Peace, My Soul,” a brand-new work commissioned from composer Ellen Gilson Voth incorporating the text of “Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem,” written by Maya Angelou for the 2005 White House Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Tickets are $49 to $126. Call 202-342-6221 or visit www.thewashingtonchorus.org.

A VERY IMPROV HOLIDAY — Chances are, right about now you’re aching for “the gift of holiday hilarity and surprise” — and that’s exactly what Washington Improv Theater is promising with this year’s series of holiday-themed shows. This being improv, every performance is prompted by audience suggestions, resulting in a different show every time. And each show features a different mix of WIT ensembles. A majority of the shows in this year’s series will be led by the new holiday-themed ensemble “White Elephant Blitz,” a collective of more than two dozen WIT performers. Worthy of note is the performance set for Friday, Dec. 20, featuring the WIT ensemble Queer Variety Players, who will “improvise a delightful queer holiday romp” as well as field questions about “holiday queer etiquette.” Select dates to Dec. 29. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 per show. Call 202-642-2867 or visit www.witdc.org.

WINTERFEST AT KINGS DOMINION — Roller coaster enthusiasts don’t have to wait until summer to indulge in their favorite pastime. They don’t even have to wait until Christmas to get the gift of a ride on Twisted Timbers or the historic carousel at Kings Dominion, or any of 25 rides intended to be open right now, with the not insignificant caveat “depending on the weather.” The Six Flags park outside of Richmond transforms into a “light-filled holiday village” decorated with more than six million lights and over 450 decorated trees. WinterFest also features vendors serving seasonal drinks and food items, and adds attractions such as ice skating in the shadow of the “Eiffel Tower” on Snowflake Lake and private heated igloos. Select dates to Jan. 4. Kings Dominion, 16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell, Va. Tickets are $32.99 online or $49.99 at the gate. Call 804-876-5000 or visit www.kingsdominion.com.

&JULIET — Among this year’s holiday treats at the Kennedy Center is &Juliet, the national tour of the Broadway hit with an original twist on Shakespeare, one that’s ideal for all the feminist pop music lovers out there. The jukebox musical is an imagined sequel to Romeo & Juliet, posing the question what if the female heroine hadn’t ended it all over that ill-fated romance. In this alternate universe, Juliet sets out for a new life and adventure, with a new plot significantly propelled by a litany of turn-of-the-21st-century power-pop hits from Max Martin (“Since U Been Gone,” “Oops!…I Did It Again,” “I Kissed a Girl”). Rachel Simone takes on the title role in a production also featuring Corey Mach as Shakespeare and Teal Wicks as the Bard’s wife Anne Hathaway. Dec. 17 to Jan. 5 in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $45 to $239. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

SHI-QUEETA-LEE’S DIVA CHRISTMAS DRAG SHOW — The local drag celebrity Shi-Queeta-Lee and her “All-Star Cast of Celebrity Female Impersonators” offer a two-hour revue toasting the holiday in a big gay way — a slay-ride full of drag divas giving “glitzy, glamorous, and carefully duplicated performances.” The cast includes Capri Bloomingdale as Whitney, Dorselle Phinn as Britney, Delila B. Lee as Chaka, and Kabuki Bukkake as Cardi, “plus many more illusions” as a surprise. Friday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m. The Hamilton Live, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $40. Call 202-787-1000 or visit live.thehamiltondc.com.

THE SPIRIT OF KWANZAA — Founded in 1987 by the late Fabian Barnes, the Dance Institute of Washington has been a leading area purveyor of holiday programming, particularly with its annual show celebrating Kwanzaa, the pan-African and African-American winter holiday. A mix of dance, song, live drumming, and spoken word, “The Spirit of Kwanzaa” features a cast of 42 and revolves around the theme “For the Culture,” characterized as “a call to reclaim our heritage as a unifying force” and bearing the tagline, “Without culture there is no history, without history there is no future.” The Atlas will play host to a Ujamaa Market in the lobby that will open two hours before each performance and will feature vendors selling “one-of-a-kind treasures.” Friday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 3 p.m. Lang Theatre in the Atlas, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $30. Call 202-399-7993 or visit www.atlasarts.org.

HANDEL’S MESSIAH — It’s long been a holiday tradition for the National Philharmonic to perform George Frideric Handel’s quintessential oratorio as a climax of the season. Several years ago, the Philharmonic enhanced the tradition by enlisting a stellar cast of African-American soloists. And this year ushers in a reunion of that quartet: soprano Aundi Marie Moore, mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford, tenor Norman Shankle, and baritone Jorell Williams. They’ll once again enhance the holiday tradition as well as this year’s celebration of the Philharmonic’s 40th Anniversary Season. The Baltimore Choral Arts Society will join the soloists and the full orchestra under the baton of Anthony Blake Clark. Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 3 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md. Also, Monday, Dec. 23, at 7:30 p.m. Capital One Hall, 7750 Capital One Tower Rd., Tysons, Va. Tickets are $29 to $113. Call 301-493-9283 or visit www.nationalphilharmonic.com.

HOLIDAY MARKETS — This year marks the 20th anniversary of the large holiday market set up on the streets surrounding the Old Patent Office Building. It’s now under new management and officially taking the name of the presenting organization, the DowntownDC BID. This market is slightly bigger but also laid out in a way that feels more spacious, with a more defined stage and seating area and enhanced options for food and drink. This year’s market sees a sizable number of returning vendors as part of a larger and more diverse mix overall, with a whopping 90 percent of this year’s participating small businesses, more than 100 in total, led by women, BiPOC, or LGBTQ owners. The DowntownDC Holiday Market is open daily through Dec. 23, F Street between 7th and 9th Streets NW. Visit www.downtowndcholidaymarket.com.

There is also a smaller D.C. Holiday Market in Dupont Circle launched by the former operator of the Penn Quarter. Roughly half of the 30 or so vendors, set up in the block behind Kramerbooks just north of the Circle, are also represented among the Penn Quarter lineup. The D.C. Holiday Market is open daily through Dec. 23 at 19th and Q Streets NW. Visit www.dcholidaymarket.net.