MONDAY, DEC. 23 2013 >>>

1. In the same way that sharks must keep swimming to keep breathing, it seems Melanie Owen andJoseph Barton must spread their talents across various musical projects in order to stay alive. Owen travels between Denver and Seattle with her band, The Groovetramps, fronts Cedar Avenue Blues Band in Denver and does duo work with other blues players. She guest fronts with The Thommy Knoxvilles in Denver, the Armed & Dangerous Blues Review in Seattle and plays bass for the Joseph Barton Trio - yes, her musical partner. Barton has played for numerous Denver bands such as The Clam Daddies, The Train Wreckers and Tempa & the Tamtrums. Currently, in addition to The Groovetramps and his trio, Barton and plays bass with Armed & Dangerous Blues Review and other Seattle and Denver bands. These frequent flyer points freaks will showcase their old school blues and Americana at 8 p.m. in The Swiss - if they don't collapse first.

2. Whether you want to channel your inner Winter Olympics sports nerd, capture the magic of the season in a vibrant urban venue or just have a wintery and sporty adventure, break out the ice skates, people, because the Franciscan Polar Plaza, in partnership with the Tacoma Art Museum, is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bring family and friends to Tacoma's holiday ice rink for holiday fun and a good time right in the heart of downtown Tacoma.

3. Make Monday the day you check out Zoolights or Fantasy Lights - both South Sound institutions. Zoolights, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's holiday light show and extravaganza, offers a stroll through more than half a million lights, crafted whimsically throughout the zoo from 5-9 p.m. Take a driving tour of Fantasy Lights in Spanaway Park, where carloads of travelers can see more than 300 stunning displays of lights and imaginative animation over a two-mile stretch of Spanaway Lake Park from 5:30-9 p.m. 

4. See the ultimate sad sack Charlie Brown and his sad sack little Christmas tree find the holiday spirit in the Christmas classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, at a dreamy locally renowned theater. Break out the "peanuts" to take in this charming Tacoma Musical Playhouse production, and watch young and aspiring local actors from the theater's innovative and premiere education program show their stuff in this quaint and heartfelt little show, which begins at 7 p.m. 

5. We all love to sing. Singing is fun; singing is cool. However, life is cruel, and as much as we all love to sing, well, we can't.  We suck.  Or, to put this in a positive manner, there are those who can sing solo and there are those who should always, always, sing in groups. The larger the better. For those of you who fall into the second category, head to Olympia. The Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia present a "Messiah Sing-Along" so you can sing to your tone-deaf little heart's content at 7 p.m. in the Washington Center.          

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Monday, Dec. 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area