Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Ice and Lights

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Dothan Leisure Services is once again bringing Dothan and surrounding areas Ice & Lights (located at 171 N. Foster St.) this year! Ice skating is available for $10/person (includes the skate rental) all week long as listed: Tuesday – Thursday, 10 AM – 9 PM; Friday, 10 AM – 10 PM; Saturday, 9 AM – 10 PM; Sunday, 1 PM – 8 PM.

Additionally, there will be a themed special event tomorrow, December 21st. The hours are still 10 AM – 9 PM but there will be special events occurring in the evening. At 5 PM, Frozen characters will be onsite for photos and fun. Then, at 6 PM, Frozen the movie will play in Porter Park. 

Visit the Ice Skate in Dothan website for more information and to get discount tickets. 

Cookies with Santa

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The Sneads Assembly of God (located at 2062 River Road) is hosting a free, kid-friendly holiday event this afternoon. From 4-6 PM CST, there will be cookies and cocoa for the kids. There will be an opportunity to take pictures with Santa, and he will also be reading the true Christmas story will be read by Santa. Pajamas are encouraged!

Holiday Toy Drive

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TCAC Coalition and Power Up People have teamed up to host a Holiday Toy Drive for the benefit of Frenchtown and Holton Street. Donations are being accepted from December 11-20th at the following Tallahassee locations:

  • Square Mug Cafe – 663 Railroad Square
  • The Bark – 507 All Saints Street
  • The Plant – 517 Gaines Street
  • Ms. Dee’s – 717 Old Bainbridge Road
  • Sweet Pea Cafe – 832 W Tharpe Street
  • GlassHouse Automotive – 6401 W Tennessee Street
  • FLPAC – 603 N MLK Jr. Ave
  • Quaker Meeting House – 2001 S Magnolia Drive

If you would like to donate larger items or money and/or volunteer for the in-person toy giveaways days, call Trish Brown at (850) 688-7153 or email Outreach@tallycac.com. 

Christmas at Mayhaw

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Tomorrow, December 18th, Christmas at Mayhaw will take place at Clay Mary Park in Blountstown. Starting at 1 PM, the event will feature fun family activities such as pictures with Santa, face painting, ornament decorating, and a viewing of The Polar Bear Express. There will also be baked goods, candy bags, chili and hot dogs, popcorn, and hot chocolate. For more information, call (912) 409-6306. 

Polar Bear Express

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It is time for the annual Polar Bear Express held in Bristol. Hosted by the Veterans Memorial Railroad, tickets are only $10. Rides are available from 7-10 PM EST from December 16-20th. This event is perfect for kids of all ages. To learn more information or buy tickets in advance online, visit the Veterans Memorial Railroad website.

Lynn Haven House Light Show

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David Price’s annual house light show is up and running! Located at 1306 Vermont Avenue in Lynn Haven, the light show is synced to the 104.9 FM radio station. The show will run nightly from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. until early January.

This year’s theme is Disney, with Price reporting that he has added about 18,000 more lights, 12 new control panels, five spotlights, and increased one of the mega-trees by ten feet! The show is about 20mins long with a message that “Everybody can have a better life, you just have to put your heart into it. It’s okay to have friends help you along the way. It’s looking forward to a better future within yourself. set goals and achieve these goals,” as Price said.

For the second year in a row, Price is partnering with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office to collect unwrapped toys for Project 25. They’re also collecting non-perishable food items to benefit Angels Pantry. 100% of everything collected goes back into Bay County and it can be brought when you come to visit the show. 

National Free Shipping Day

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Today is National Free Shipping Day! This is a national shopping holiday that was conceived in 2008 by internet entrepreneur Luke Knowles. More and more retailers partner with Free Shipping Day to capture sales from shoppers eager to finish their holiday lists in mid to late December. Free Shipping Day is designed to make sure you get your online gifts in time for the holidays without having to pay exorbitant shipping fees. 

Green Monday

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Today is Green Monday, an annual event that was coined by eBay in 2007. Green Monday is one of the biggest online sales days in December due to the upcoming holiday deadlines – it is the last Monday with at least 10 days left before Christmas. Considering standard shipping takes 8-10 business days, this is a crucial date for online shopping. Many big stores such as Walmart and Target utilize this event by offering special deals.

National Poinsettia Day

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Today is National Poinsettia Day! Congress created this annual celebration in 2002 as a way to acknowledge the connection between the U.S.A. and Mexico. It is also meant to acknowledge the contributions of Paul Ecke, the founder of America’s poinsettia industry, and Joel Roberts Poinsett, the man who introduced the poinsettia plant to the U.S.A. Poinsett was a botanist, physician, and the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. In fact, even the date is a nod to Poinsett; he died on December 12th in 1851.
Poinsettias are a perennial shrub botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima and when in their native habitat of Mexico, they can grow 10-15 feet tall! Although most people associate poinsettias with the deep burgundy popular in the U.S.A, there are actually over 100 varieties of poinsettias. The shrub comes in colors like the traditional red, white, pink, burgundy, marbled and speckled. While the plants are not poisonous, they do ooze a milky sap that can cause mild irritation and nausea in animals and individuals who are allergic to latex. 

AAA’s Holiday Season: “Tow To Go”

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If you find yourself consuming too many adult beverages during the upcoming holidays, AAA wants to give you a free tow. The company is working to keep impaired drivers off the road with its ‘Tow To Go’ program. AAA will send a tow truck to an impaired driver and transport them and their vehicle to a safe place within a 10-mile radius for free. The service is available to anyone in Florida, not just members.

However, AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said it should be used as a last resort. “Please before you party, make sure that you have your plan in place, identify a designated driver or ride-sharing service. Have all of that planned out before your first drink,” Jenkins said.

The service will be available on Christmas Day (December 25th) and New Year (January 1st). ‘Tow To Go’ starts at 6 p.m. and runs through 6 a.m. the next morning.

To use the service, call (855) 286-9246.