Santa Barbara Arts for the Holidays

The nights may be long during December, but fortunately there are plenty of Yule-themed events with which to fill the moonlit hours — especially in the realm of dance and theater. The following is a shout-out of a few goings-on to satisfy the culturally inclined and represent the holiday season. For all holiday events, see independent.com/tistheseason2016.

The Nutcracker. State Street Ballet takes over the Granada Theatre for its annual, resplendent production of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet. Accompanied by the Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra, the performances feature State Street Ballet’s professional dancers, international guest artists, and students of Gustafson Dance.

Sat., Dec. 17, 2 and 7:30pm, and Sun., Dec. 18, 2pm, at Granada Theatre, 1214 State St.;(805) 899-2222; granadasb.org.

Holiday on Ice. Grab your hat, scarf, gloves, and a hot cocoa, and settle in to watch Olympic bronze medalist Gracie Gold take the ice in this second annual holiday event. The evening also includes performances by Ice In Paradise instructors and skating school students.

Sat., Dec. 17, noon and 5pm, at Ice in Paradise, 6985 Santa Felicia Dr., Goleta; (805) 879-1550; iceinparadise.org.

Chanuka Comedy Night. Get your giggles on with the comedy stylings of Shawn Pelofsky, Dana Eagle, and Louise Palanker, with special teen performances. Includes latkes and drinks.

Thu., Dec. 15, 6-8pm. Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, 524 Chapala St.; 957-1115; jewishsantabarbara.org.

Elf: The Musical. In 2011, a musical adaptation of Will Ferrell’s Christmas comedy film Elf premiered on Broadway. Now the Ojai Art Center’s theater program is taking on the clever show, which offers laughs and whimsical tunes such as “Sparklejollytwinklejingley.”

Fri.-Sun., Dec. 16-18, 113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai.; 640-8797; ojaiact.org.