You can tell that Christmas is around the corner when American Troubadour, Bill Schustik, pulls together his Yuletide “song bag” of seasonal songs and stories. Even in Florida, we still might wish to bundle up with chestnuts roasting on an open fire. 

This event is a fundraiser for Rising Tide International, a spiritual center that celebrates all religions on its single altar. The concert will take place on December 12, 7 p.m. Suggested donation is at least $20 at the door. Children accompanied by an adult are free. 

 Schustik is an American Troubadour. In his time, he has traveled all over the United States to collect songs and stories, as well as sow legends. His magnificent baritone voice, keen sense of drama, colorful array of folk instruments, and deep abiding love for traditional lore are three of his classic trademarks. 

His vast repertoire includes singing the National Anthem at the seventh game of the 1979 World Series and performing for three U.S. presidents. He has appeared both on- and off-Broadway, and has authored two full-length ballets and a show about the American Civil War, “Shiloh Hill,” produced by Ford’s Theatre. He has also entered countless school classrooms across the U.S., dramatizing  and enlivening American history for students. 

Schustik continues to share his love of music and history with projects such as Tom Paine, a genuine Salt Sea Pirate Cabaret, Many Thousand Gone, and a continuing evolution of “Shiloh Hill.” Most recently, he is also back in the realm of tall ships by sailing, singing chanties and spinning the lore of bombastic privateering in the American Heroic age. 

Location: 5102 Swift Rd., Sarasota.