Good morning, Hickory.

Downtown Lenoir hosts its Night of Lights Christmas Parade at 6:00 p.m. today, while Saturday brings the Valdese parade at 10:00 a.m., Granite Falls at 12:00 p.m., and Taylorsville's 78th Annual Alexander County Christmas Parade at 3:00 p.m., featuring music + floats + a sensory-friendly zone.

Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball players earned All-Region honors as Kayli Cleaver and Averie Dale made AVCA First Team and D2CCA Second Team while Hadley Prince received honorable mention (the Bears continued their season in the NCAA Tournament against Lander on Thursday).

Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball began their NCAA Tournament run with a four-set win over Lander on Dec.

4; the Bears posted 31 kills + 40 assists and will face Anderson tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. at Wingate’s Cuddy Arena.

Lenoir-Rhyne men's basketball beat Catawba 75-71 at Shuford Arena on Wednesday night; Blessin Kimble led with 14 points and the Bears pulled away late.

The team improved to a 7-2 record + will host Emory and Henry on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Point of View Teen Writing Club

5-6 p.m. — Patrick Beaver Memorial Library — Free entry — Unleash creativity through writing challenges and storytelling games with fellow teen writers.

SAFe® 5.1 (LPM) Training Workshop

9 AM-1 AM — Hickory, NC — Early bird pricing starts at $1,346.06 — This two-day workshop equips attendees with essential Lean Portfolio Management tools and techniques.