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HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
BAKER COUNTYDecember 6 The Macclenny Lighted Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 6, 2008. Booths will open at 9:30 a.m. downtown and at 6:30 p.m fireworks will signal the start of the Lighted Christmas Parade. This year’s theme is "The True Spirit of Christmas." BRADFORD COUNTYDecember 13 The 2008 Starke Christmas Parade has been set for Saturday, Dec. 13. Lineup will begin at 2 p.m. and the parade will begin at 3 p.m. Applications for entry are available at the chamber of commerce office at 100 E. Call St. in Starke. For more information, call Steve Futch, parade chairman, at (904) 964-2863. The theme of this year's parade will be "Christmas Stories." DUVAL COUNTYNovember 24-January 7 The Junior League of Jacksonville, in partnership with the Jacksonville Public Library, is proud to announce the 2008 Festival of Trees. This year's event is guaranteed fun for the young and young at heart as the library is transformed in to a magical holiday playground. Main Library downtown Jacksonville November 28 All of Jacksonville is invited to see the annual lighting of the Landing's 50 foot tree. The event is always a wonderful sight to behold and this year's tree promises to be better than ever before. Jacksonville Landing, November 28-30 Creativity abounds as hundreds of artists and craftsmen gather to demonstrate and sell their work. Get a head start on your gift list and enjoy the Christmas shopping experience of the season. Prime Osborne Convention Center. Saturday, November 29 Thanksgiving weekend wouldn't be complete without the Jacksonville Light Parade. Boats of every shape and size are imaginatively adorned with decorations that captivate senses and stimulate imaginations. Seafarers and landlubbers of all ages are sure to be dazzled by the area's largest lighted boat parade. 7:00 p.m. Downtown Riverfront Following the boat parade, fireworks will be shot from river barges in front of The Jacksonville Landing, Hyatt Regency Hotel and west of the Acosta Bridge. November 29-December 23 Take a moment and enjoy the smell of gingerbread and the sites of St. Nick at the Rotary Club's annual holiday charity event. Gigantic creative gingerbread houses built by architects, engineers and home builders along with other local professionals will be on display for your family's viewing pleasure. Jacksonville Historical Society CLAY COUNTYDecember 5-6 Orange Park United Methodist Church will present a realistic recreation of Bethlehem, complete with shops, homes, the inn, the stable, and more than 100 costumed characters, musical presentations, and refreshments. 6:30-8:30 p.m. presentations, and refreshments. December 5 Lighting city tree; arts and crafts, food court, carriage rides, school choruses. Sesquicentennial Parade of Trees lighting. 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Spring Park, Green Cove Springs. December 6 An outdoor Christmas Concert sponsored by Christian Artists Music Association will be held at the Capital City Bank’s parking lot, SR 100 Keystone Heights from 3-6 p.m. Food and drinks will be served; caroling is planned at 5 p.m. Call (386) 659-2708 or go online to www.camainc.net for details. December 13 Floats, Shriner’s cars, Santa Claus will all be here beginning at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, December 13. Sponsored by Lake Asbury Community Association. Contact Jeannie at LakeasburyCP@aol.com COLUMBIA COUNTYNovember 28-29 Lake City's Main Street comes alive with Christmas spirit! Starting Friday morning and continuing all day Saturday, crafts people and artists from throughout the area add to the festive atmosphere of the Season. On Saturday Olustee Park hosts Christmas entertainment by local groups. At dusk on Saturday Santa arrives and the park is transformed into a fairyland as thousands of lights illuminate the park and downtown businesses. Santa will welcome visitors in his gingerbread house Monday - Saturday. The Festival of lights continues each evening until January 1st. The theme for this years Festival of Lights is "A Magical Christmas" December 01 Lake City's BIGGEST annual parade celebrates the traditions and spirit of Christmas, including the arrival of SANTA CLAUS! Beginning 7:00 pm at Memorial Stadium with more than 100 colorful entries parade through town and end up at Florida Department of Transportation. This year's theme is "A Magical Christmas" Fun for the whole family! December 6 This classic Christmas favorite includes professional ballet dancers from Dance Alive National Ballet plus about fifty children and youth dancers and tumblers from the local area. TWO delightful performances. Limited seating. Single tickets available from Lake City Chamber of Commerce and Lake City Dance Arts. Community Concerts of Lake City 3:00 pm & 7:30 pm
NASSAU COUNTYNovember 29 The city of Fernandina Beach and Historic Fernandina Business Association will host the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. in front of the old train depot at the foot of Centre Street. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at 3 p.m. to meet and have pictures taken with the children. Music by area choirs and bands will take place from 3-6 p.m. Santa will be available each Saturday in December for pictures. December 5 The Annual Christmas Glow sponsored by the Woman's Club of Fernandina Beach will be held on Dec. 5 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Woman's Club Clubhouse at 201 Jean Lafitte Blvd. Just follow the luminaries to the clubhouse. There will be face painting, entertainment and visits with Santa. Chili, hot dogs, chips and colas will be served for a fee. Cookies and punch will be free. All ages are invited. Call 261-4885. December 5-6 The Centre Street Luminary Tour at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6 will offer fascinating stories that shaped Fernandina's history and propelled the town into a National Historic District. The hour-long tour starts at the railroad depot, 102 Centre St. Tickets are S10/adults and $5/students. Call Thea Seagraves at 261-7378, ext. 105. December 6 Callahan Auto Sales is proud to announce the third annual Country Christmas Concert to be held in Callahan, Florida on Saturday, December 6th, from 6:00pm – 10:00pm, at the West Nassau High School Auditorium. The concert will be a "free event" for the community and will feature live entertainment provided by host Ray Williams, Liz Mobley, Robin Kinsey, John Crisp, Steve Branch, Stephanie Branch, Randall Smith, and Ashli Holton. Everyone is invited to attend. Info: contact Ray Williams (904) 879-4585 or Liz Mobley (904) 813-9580 December 6 The Greater Nassau County Chamber of Commerce announces the Callahan Christmas Parade will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 6. In conjunction with the parade, the chamber is sponsoring an Arts and Crafts Show in the Southeastern Bank parking lot. This year's theme is "A Tropical Christmas." December 12-14 The community is invited to "A Christmas Carol in Bethlehem" Dec. 12 and 14 at 7 p.m. at Amelia Baptist Church. This musical drama is based on a familiar story by Charles Dickens: Innkeeper "Scrooge" has no room in his heart for humanity as the story begins, and no room for Mary and Joseph either. The blend of familiar carols interwoven with classical masterpieces includes a 15-member drama cast and 55 singers from area churches, and a chamber orchestra. Admission is free. Child care for children from birth to age 4 is available with reservations. Call the church office 261-9527. Amelia Baptist Church is located at 961167 Buccaneer Trail. December 13 Yulee Holiday Festival Preparations are under way for the fourth annual Yulee Holiday Festival at the Yulee Sports Complex on Dec. 13. The festival will offer food and arts and craft vendors, live music and entertainment by local celebrities, churches and schools. The Yulee Christmas Parade organized by Girl Scout Troop 880 will be held Dec. 13 at 9 a.m., with lineup at 8:30 a.m. The theme this year is Country Christmas. ST. JOHNS COUNTYNovember 21-January 4 Lace up your skates and head over to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre to enjoy a Winter Wonderland! The seasonal extravaganza includes a 100 foot Ice Slide, winter games, an Elf village, onstage performances of the Quiltmaker's Gift, lighted nature trails, Santa, s'mores on an open fire and much more. St. Augustine Amphitheatre November 22-January 31 Millions of white lights create a magical holiday atmosphere in the Nation's oldest city during the 15th Annual Nights of Lights Celebration. A dazzling array of special events and activities await visitors including nighttime tours led by costumed storytellers, train and trolley tours, special shopping events, a dazzling regatta, ice skating, luminaries in the town plaza, holiday concerts, a Christmas parade and more. Historic St. Augustine AROUND THE STATEICE! With winter just around the corner, Orlando's Gaylord Palms Resort is again bringing a welcome whiff of cold stuff to Florida. Opening November 17 is the resort's popular annual ICE! attraction, hand-carved from almost two million pounds of ice. Visitors can roam through several chilly rooms filled with ice monuments and sculptures, ice slides and holiday scenes. The theme this year is ''Santa's Arctic Blast'' featuring an oversized Santa's lap and an ice castle celebrating Santa's Christmas Eve flight with flying reindeer. The display runs Nov. 14 to Jan. 4. Admission ranges from $9.99 to $24.99; discounts are available for tickets purchased in advance online. Information: 407-586-4-ICE, www.gaylordpalms.com/ice. Disney World Cinderella and friends, in holiday dress, go on stage daily from November 10 at the Magic Kingdom in ''Castle Dreamlights.'' Youngsters get holidays treats at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, a separate ticket event on 18 nights (Nov. 10, 11, 14, 16, 20, 21, 30, Dec. 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19.) International holiday traditions go on stage at Epcot Nov. 18-Dec. 30, millions of lights light up New York Street at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Candlelight Processionals at Epcot with celebrity narrators feature a mass choir and 50-piece live orchestra from Nov. 28-Dec. 30. 407-934- 7639, www.disneyworld.com/holidays. Busch Gardens Starting Nov. 22, an ice show with professional skaters takes the stage at the Stanleyville Theater, while the Marrakesh Theater showcases holiday gospel and spiritual songs. 888-800-5447, www.buschgardens.com. Sea World From Nov. 14 through Jan. 4, guests can ''board'' the Polar Express Experience, in which they encounter polar bears, giant walruses and Santa himself in a motion simulator ride reminiscent of the movie. More information at 800-327-2424 or www.seaworld.com.
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