Austin Public Utilities workers hang the annual holiday decorations downtown at the intersection of Main Street and Second Ave. N Thursday afternoon. Christmas in the City kicks off next Friday, Nov. 25. -- Matt Peterson/matt.peterson@austindailyherald.com

Get ready to sit back and enjoy the shows this week. From now until Thanksgiving, Austin has a variety of talent and performances for all different crowds.

1. ‘Be Aggressive’: “Be Aggressive,” a performance geared toward teenagers and young adults, opened Wednesday evening at Riverland Community College’s Frank W. Bridges Theatre, but there are still three shows left. The Annie Weisman production of the ups and downs of teenage life in Southern California will show 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12, and students can see two free shows by showing their student ID cards.
2. ‘Sleeping Beauty’: For the younger kids, there’s Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” showing at 7 p.m. Friday at Ellis Middle School’s Auditorium, 1700 Fourth Ave. SE. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for students, and kids 5 and younger get in free.
3. YMCA open gym: Let the kids run free from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the YMCA’s open gym and flight night, 704 First Drive NW. There will be open gymnastics, games and a light meal for kids 6 and older. Parents can drop their kids off after preregistering at www.ymca-austin.org; kids need not be gymnasts to attend.
4. Comedy at the Paramount: For all those who have Thanksgiving Day off for work, head down to the Paramount Theatre on Wednesday, Nov. 23 for some adult comedy. The comedy show, hosted by Scott Oelkers and featuring Jeff Polis, Jeff Larson, Lindsay Hensel, Simon Zais and Karolis Dzeja, is a fundraiser for the Mower County Humane Society. The show kicks off at 7 p.m., and tickets are $10 at the Paramount box office, 125 Fourth Ave. NE.

Other events: Thanksgiving — Aside from all the laughs and tears this coming week, it’s time to get serious about the holidays. Nov. 24 is Thanksgiving, but Christmas isn’t far away either. There’s a one-stop Christmas shopping fundraiser at Sumner Elementary. Also, Christmas in the City officially starts on Nov. 25, with a downtown kickoff at 6 p.m., Festival of Lights at Yogi Bear Park and a performance by Jane Taylor’s Academy of Dance 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre.

Look to Reporter Matt Peterson’s column every Friday for more about upcoming events in Austin. For even more, check out the calendar on Page 4 and at AustinDailyHerald.com.