NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a garden seminar, “Deck the Halls: Using Evergreens to Decorate for the Holidays,” from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 7 at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

Evergreen branches and garlands once served as symbols of enduring life and a fruitful year to come. Dawn Stover, SFA Gardens research associate, will teach participants how to create elegant wreaths and garlands using these and other materials from the garden.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Steel Band at Stephen F. Austin State University will present its fall concert at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Directed by Dr. Ben Tomlinson, adjunct professor of percussion in the School of Music, the student ensemble will perform a number of traditional calypso selections from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago and additional tunes from around the world.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. The competition provides an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, Stephen F. Austin State University’s historic downtown gallery, will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, but open during regular gallery hours during the rest of the Thanksgiving holiday week.

The art center will also be open from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, for the Main Street Nacogdoches Jingle and Mingle holiday event, featuring extended shopping hours for downtown retail stores, live entertainment, food trucks and more.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Stone Fort Museum will close Friday, Nov. 22 through Nov. 29 for the university’s Thanksgiving holiday.

Regular hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – A Stephen F. Austin State University art student will compete in an episode of “Forged in Fire” that will air between 9 and 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, on the History Channel.

Nacogdoches junior Kevin Burgess is an art metals student studying with Lauren Selden, professor of metalworking and jewelry in the School of Art.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — If given the choice, most people would not revisit their middle school years. But preservice teachers in Stephen F. Austin State University’s community responsiveness and engaged advocacy in teacher education program, or CREATE, attended Mike Moses Middle School as students — including eating lunch in the cafeteria, dressing out for physical education and taking math tests — all to enlighten their approaches to teaching.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Tickets are still available to the Vienna Boys Choir concert on Nov. 21 on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.