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HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
Updated daily
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGSBAKER 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." December 9 The BCMS Band Program would like to invite you to enjoy an evening of holiday music on Tuesday, December 9th, at 7:00 p.m. in the BCMS auditorium. Admission is free, however, donations are accepted. 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 COUNTYUntil 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 December 6 The City of Atlantic Beach will have its Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Beaches Town Center, where Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach meet the ocean. There will be a bike parade, musical and dance performances, face painting and "make your own and take it home" craft tables for all ages. There will also be a hayride. The mayors of both cities will light the community tree, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive by sleigh at 6 p.m. Bring canned goods because Dawson Pickett’s annual food drive will be collecting donations of food, toys and money for the USO. Until 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 6 The ninth annual Winter Celebration in Mandarin will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Walter Jones Historical Park, 11964 Mandarin Road. The free event is sponsored by the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society. Activities include music, hayrides, rides on the putt-putt train, visits with Santa, games and nature crafts, nature exhibits, making Victorian ornaments, and other activities for the whole family. For information, call the museum at 904-268-0784 or visit www.mandarinmuseum.net.
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 COUNTYDecember 1 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 COUNTYDecember 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 COUNTYUntil 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 Until 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 December 6 The Friends of the GTM Reserve will host a Holiday Artist Showcase from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Dec. 7 at the GTM Research Reserve Environmental Education Center, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach. Get an early start on your holiday shopping while supporting the Research Reserve. Featured items include local artists’ paintings and photographs (framed and unframed), pottery, jewelry, ornaments, ceramics, note cards, mosaics and more. Craft activities will be available for kids. Proceeds will support programs at the Research Reserve. Call 904-823-4500 for more information. December 27 The St. Augustine Art Association, 22 Marine St., will host a holiday tour that features an inside/outside view of St. Augustine's most beautifully decorated churchs and historical buildings. Led by art historian Dr. Cecile-Marie Sastre, the walk will highlight the art, architecture and historical significance of structures and monuments dating from the Colonial era through the Gilded Age. Refreshments will be served, and reservations are required. Call 904-824-2310 for information and reservations. 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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