Politicians, Occupiers and Santa: Cedar Falls Friday Roundup

Cedar Falls, Caucus Central:

It's a good day to be a political junkie in the Cedar Valley. Rick Santorum is here this morning, holding a town hall-style meeting at restaurant in the Pipac Center at 8 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. appearance in UNI's Presidential Candidate Education Forum, "Addressing the Challenges and Opportunities in Education," in the lobby.

Later in the day, political enthusiasts can head over to UNI Common's Slife Ballroom to see Ron Paul. Doors for the campus rally will open to the public at 6:30 p.m. To enter 30 minutes early and secure a spot near the front of the room, RSVP for the UNI event at http://ronpaulatuni.eventbrite.com/.

Check back with Patch for coverage of these events and more as we get closer to caucus.

Occupy the Bank:

If you're looking for another way to get active in your democracy, you could join Occupy Cedar Valley's protest at , 302 Main St., at 4 p.m. This will be the group's first protest after pulling down their Overman Park camp - it seems they're sticking true to their promise to stay active even without a central location.

Tiger Power:

Cedar Falls Patch is pleased to welcome a new blog from the student journalists at . This is the very place I got my start in journalism, and I know these students have some great stories and things to say to the wider community. I look forward to seeing what they produce and to sharing it with Patch readers. If you want to welcome them to the Patch universe, head over to their blog and leave a comment!

Not So Silent Night:

It feels like there have been dozens of holiday music options in the Cedar Valley already, and December has only just begun. But if you're tired of caroling and jingle bells, don't despair. Check out ROCK 108's Not So Silent Night concert at McElroy Auditorium in Waterloo. Featured bands are 5 Finger Death Punch, All That Remains, Sevendust, Hatebreed, & Rains. Tickets, $19.99, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.Ticketmaster.com and the National Cattle Congress office.

Snow Shuffle:

Feeling the need to work off some holiday cookies? Register online for Santa's Snow Shuffle 5K Fun Run/Walk, which starts 9 a.m. Saturday on State Street between Second and Third Streets. Then, after you've run off the cookies, refill on hot chocolate, coffee and donuts at the finish line. To make it as festive as possible, prizes will be awarded for best Santa, best group costumes, best costume and best dressed youth. Don't leave your Santa hat at home for this one.