HONESDALE, PA — The third annual “Christmas with the Crackers” benefit concert, supporting Toys for Tots of Wayne and Pike Counties, will be held at The Cooperage from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, November 21. Admission is $10, or a new unwrapped toy.

This year’s concert will feature a special guest appearance by Professor Louie and Miss Marie from the award-winning blues band Professor Louie and the Crowmatix. Professor Louie, otherwise known as Aaron Hurwitz, is a keyboardist and singer who co-produced, engineered and performed on the last three CDs of legendary rock group The Band. Miss Marie Spinosa is a songwriter, vocalist and percussionist with the Crowmatix. (See www.professorlouie.com for more information.)

Also appearing will be The Crackers, Poison Love, and the Honesdale High School Guitar Ensemble. The Crackers (www.themcrackers.com), led by guitarist John Rocklin and featuring Laura Kortright on fiddle, Jan London on lead guitar, Shawn Caden on mandolin, and Ron Huber on bass, honor a wide range of American musical traditions from Appalachian fiddle tunes and coal miners’ laments to old-time blues and modern folk songs. A variety of American music from Zydeco to Irish is also celebrated by local group Poison Love (www.poisonloveband.com), which consists of Dan and Joanne Brinkerhoff and Dan’s brother Roger, along with Thomas Deerheart on percussion. The Honesdale High School Guitar Ensemble, under the direction of Rem Meszler, will be performing traditional Christmas tunes.

There will be raffle baskets supplied by local businesses, and cookies and coffee will be available for sale. To get more information about the event, help out with a donation, or sign up to be a sponsoring business, contact The Crackers via email at crackersthe@gmail.com or call 570/642-1410. For more information about Toys for Tots of Wayne and Pike Counties, call Shari Tirado at 570/253-0711.