My family has never been big on tradition, but today will constitute one of a small handful of days on which we attempt to gather en masse throughout the year.

As I’m sure most of you are aware, today is Thanksgiving. To many, it is a day of reunions and reflections. To others, it is a stressful time of traveling in sometimes not-so-nice weather. Still others have come to view it as simply a pre-Black Friday feast.

Personally, Thanksgiving often feels like just another day, albeit one which is full of many familiar faces and an overabundance of food. Recently, however, I have come to find Thanksgiving to be one of the more enjoyable holidays. It’s not overly commercialized like Christmas or even Halloween and, at a very basic level, it encourages our very consumer-driven society to take an introspective look at ourselves and be thankful for the things we already have in our lives as opposed to what we think we can or should have.

For as long as I’ve been alive, I can recall being at my maternal grandparents’ house for at least some duration of Thanksgiving day. Through the natural progression of things, it came to pass that the number of chairs situated around the dining room table at the Lafferty house has diminished over the years. So it goes. We continue the tradition with what we have, and we’re glad for it.

However, for the nearly seven years I’ve been with Julie, I’ve been welcomed into several more families. And thus, the holiday has become infused with an amalgam of new faces and new locations under the same premise – family and food. And though the logistics of straddling two family dinners in the same day has undeniably caused some headaches for us, it’s the spirit of the day that counts more than anything to me.

I am thankful for who and what my life is, and I’m thankful that I can spend another Thanksgiving with my family and wife regardless of where we come together.

This evening, heading into tomorrow morning, the mobs will descend upon shopping malls and super centers across the nation. The economy will see a sharp spike in consumer sales. I will no longer be able to avoid the onslaught of Christmas music and – yes – more snow. But, for today, I’ll remember that life has been good to me so far as I look forward to what another year will bring my way.

Regardless of how you spend your holiday today, I wish only the best for you. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

And now, here’s what you can expect to find in the area this week.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fenton To Open Annual Holiday Exhibit Friday: The Fenton History Center will open its 35th annual “‘Tis the Season” holiday exhibit Friday at 10 a.m. Having established itself in the community as a favorite holiday tradition, the exhibit will take visitors on a journey through the progression of American holiday traditions inside the 1863 former residence of New York state Gov. Ruben E. Fenton. The exhibit is adorned with fresh greenery, holiday decorations and an upside down Christmas tree. A candlelight tour of the mansion and exhibit will also be held Saturday evenings in December. The exhibit will be on display through Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday of each week. The Fenton History Center is closed on Sundays.

The Fenton History Center is located at 67 Washington St. in Jamestown. For more information, call 664-6256 or visit www.fentonhistorycenter.org.

Lydell To Present Live Jazz At Spire Theater Friday: The Spire Theater is continuing its Friday night jazz concert series this week with “An Evening of Jazz with Karl Lydell.” Beginning at 7 p.m., the program will feature vocalist and guitarist Karl Lydell performing a variety of blues and standard jazz repertoire with area saxophonist John Cross. Lydell, a Jamestown native, was an active jazz and blues musician in the Chicago area for more than 15 years performing at South Chicago venues such as Lee’s Unleaded Blues and City Lights. Since relocating to Jamestown, Lydell has performed alongside a number of local musicians and bands, including Mark Alpaugh, No Limit, the Red Letter Blues Band, Bluze Inn and Smokehouse. He was recently a featured guitarist with The Trinity Church of Chicago’s Gospel Choir at the Chautauqua Amphitheater.

The Spire Theater is located at 317 E. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information, visit www.spiretheater.org.

Lynyrd Skynyrd To Play Seneca Allegany Events Center Saturday: One of classic and southern rock’s most recognizable names, Lynyrd Skynyrd, will take the stage at Seneca Allegany Events Center at 7 p.m. Saturday. The long-lived rock band has spawned more than 60 albums and sold more than 30 million albums over the course of its nearly five-decade career. Saturday’s performance will feature several of the group’s classic tracks, such as “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird,” along with more recent material from its 2012 album, “Last of a Dyin’ Breed.” Tickets start at $40.

The Seneca Allegany Events Center is located at 777 Seneca Allegany Blvd. in Salamanca. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.senecaalleganycasino.com/events-center.

Active Artists Alliance To Hold 10th Anniversary Celebration Saturday: The Active Artists Alliance is celebrating 10 years of existence with an anniversary party and music showcase on Saturday at the Lillian V. Ney Renaissance Center from 5-10 p.m. The celebration will include live music and a number of visual artists. The music lineup includes: Pine Fever; the Grace Stumberg Duo; Will and Sara; The Bogarts; G.C. Slagle; and Signal Eater. The visual artists lineup consists of: Bill Thomas; Angela Caley; David Grice; Nathan A. Long; Ashley Ordines; Christopher Balaskas; Joe Kewin; Bronson Abbott; Nikki Willsey; Allecia Verga; Mark Reginald “WonderGhost”; Ashley Baron; and Keith Sandy.

The Renaissance Center is located at 119 W. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information, find “AAAlliance 10 year Anniversary Party & Group Showcase” on Facebook.

Artists’ Exhibit To Open For Viewing Monday At 3rd On 3rd Gallery: The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts and 3rd On 3rd Gallery will present an exhibit featuring 100 works of art from local, regional and international artists all priced at under $100 – which will open for viewing Monday at 6 p.m. The show will be open through the holidays – except for Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Eve – and, when one piece is sold, another will take its place. It will officially open Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., concurrent with Symphoria’s appearance on the Reg Lenna stage. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday when exhibits are offered. Private viewings may be scheduled by calling 665-2465, ext. 227. Shows at 3rd On 3rd Gallery are made possible by grant support from New York State Council On The Arts.

3rd On 3rd Gallery is located at 116 E. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information, and to keep updated on extended gallery hours, find “100 Under 100” on Facebook.

“Back Room Radio Hour” To Feature Bell, Mincarelli Thursday: Trinity Guitars will host the December edition of its monthly live music radio program “Back Room Radio Hour” Thursday, Dec. 4. Hosted by Chautauqua County musician Bill Ward, and presented on select Thursdays at 7 p.m. from October to May, the show aims to feature live performances of two independent artists from the Northeastern US. Each show will also highlight a community, regional or world service organization. Thursday’s event is the third installation of the new program, and will feature cello innovator and composer Chris Bell, originally of Frewsburg, and alternative-bluegrass artist Mark Mincarelli, of Lakewood. The highlighted organization will be Community Helping Hands. The show will begin taping at 7 p.m., and will air on WRFA-LP 107.9 at 7 p.m. on Monday. There is no cost to attend a taping session of the show, but it is preferred that those interested in attending reserve their seats by contacting Trinity Guitars at 665-4490 or info@trinityguitars.com.

Trinity Guitars is located at 800 W. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information, find “Back Room Radio Live with Chris Bell and Mark Mincarelli” on Facebook.

HAPPENINGS

To include an upcoming show or event in this column, email gpaterniti@post-journal.com or call 487-1111, ext. 243 by Monday.

Tonight

Bluegrass Jam: 7 p.m., Lakewood Legion, 174 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

DJ Eclips: 9 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Friday

Take Two: 6 p.m., The Pad, 1064 Route 394 in Kennedy

Brian Hanna: 6 p.m., The Wine Cellar, 309 N. Main St. in Jamestown

Driftwood with Alex Kates and Charity Nuse: 7 p.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Jamestown

Jules-R-Us Karaoke: 8 p.m., Lakewood Legion, 174 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

Pressure Sensitive: 9 p.m., Murdocks, 104 E. Main St. in Sherman

Slip Madigan: 10 p.m., Shawbucks, 212 W. Second St. in Jamestown

Black Widow: 10 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

Alex Kates: 10 p.m., Yesterdays, 103 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

Clark Rabbit Band: 10 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Saturday

Scroggins: 6 p.m., The Pad, 1064 Route 394 in Kennedy

DJ Special K Karaoke: 9 p.m., Murdocks, 104 E. Main St. in Sherman

Steve Strickland and Jim Aikens: 9 p.m., Yesterdays, 103 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

Ruckus: 9 p.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Jamestown

Smackdab: 10 p.m., Shawbucks, 212 W. Second St. in Jamestown

DJ Goodrich: 10 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

Bryan Andrew with Uncle Claud’s Band: 10 p.m., Mojo’s, 104 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Amp’d Up Karaoke: 10 p.m., Good Time Saloon, 590 Fairmount Ave. in Jamestown

Total Chaos: 10 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Sunday

Open Mic Night: 8 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Wednesday

Open Mic Night: 9:30 p.m., Shawbucks, 212 W. Second St. in Jamestown