Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Christmas Eve

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Happy Christmas Eve! Looking for something fun to do to celebrate today? Check out the list of activities below for ideas:

  • Look at Christmas lights! Go for a drive or a walk in the neighborhood. Make it extra special and bring along hot chocolate and cookies.
  • Watch your favorite holiday movies or TV episodes! Make some popcorn, gather the family, and pick a feel-good film to enjoy. 
  • Play a game with the family. Include some spiked eggnog for the adults and hot chocolate for the kids. 
  • Build anticipation for tomorrow by allowing everyone to open ONE gift before bed! Some families pre-choose the gift to coordinate matching pjs for Christmas morning.
  • Bake and decorate cookies for Santa. Don’t forget to leave out some carrots for the reindeer. 
  • Track Santa with NORAD – while the North American Aerospace Defense Command spends most of the year scanning the skies for the defense of Northern America, on Christmas Eve they also keep an eye out for Santa and his sleigh. Help get the kiddos in bed on time, and check out the NORAD Santa Tracker website. 

Pensacola Winterfest

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The annual Pensacola Winterfest has experienced another successful year. This year there were four live-action tour options for the train rides: Polar Express, Cajun Christmas, Grinch, and Scrooge. The tour starts with a pre-tour performance on the courthouse steps before boarding the open-air trams for the journey through town. Each adventure includes special guests — Papa Noel, Jacob Marley, the Cat in the Hat — along with musical performances, live readings, and other entertainment. Additionally, Santa and his sleigh will be downtown each evening for family photos.

The Pensacola Winterfest is holding its last day of events tomorrow so be sure to visit the Winterfest website to buy tickets or find a detailed itinerary of the available events. 

Dazzling Nights

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Jacksonville’s Arboretum & Botanical Gardens is hosting Dazzling Nights until January 9th! Dazzling Nights is a special holiday lights event worth the travel time. It features almost a mile of Christmas-themed lighting through the beautiful botanical gardens. Some of the highlights include a 30ft Christmas tree, interactive ground lights, a winding path through a forest of multi-colored lights, snow, and a 65ft lighted tunnel. Additionally, there will be holiday music, food, and beverages. 

Please note that tickets MUST be purchased online; they are available for specific times and dates, and are not available at the door. Tickets are $22/person on weekdays and $25/person on weekends. Luckily, children 2 and under are free.

Visit the Dazzling Nights website for more information and to purchase tickets. 

Winter Solstice

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Today is the Winter Solstice! This is the shortest day and longest night of the year, and occurs annually between December 20th and 23rd depending on the year. Did you know that the Winter Solstice festival in Ancient Rome was called Saturnalia? Saturnalia began on December 17th and lasted seven days; it was held in honor of the Roman god of agriculture and harvest, Saturnus.

In fact, it is a combination of Saturnalia and Yuletide traditions that helped create modern Christmas as the world celebrates it today. Some of these traditions include (1) the reliance on evergreen plants which is represented by Christmas trees and evergreen decor, (2) a celebration lasting 12 days, (3) the use of mistletoe which was believed to have supernatural healing abilities, and (4) the figure of Old Man Winter or Santa Claus. 

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.