Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Sunshine Riding Trails

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Debbie Roney Smith & friend at Sunshine Riding Trails, 2020

Looking for a fun experience to gift to a family member or friend this holiday season? Consider gifting a 1-4 hour horse ride with Sunshine Riding Trails! A local, family-owned business located outside of Panama City Beach, Sunshine Riding Trails boasts over 10,000 acres of Florida terrain to explore: everything from sandhills to preserved forest. Trail rides are available for individuals or groups, are based on experience, and offer a wonderful experience to explore Florida in a new way on beautiful Tennessee Walking Horses. For more information or to book your gift-experience now, visit the Sunshine Riding Trails official website HERE!

 

 

Saddle Up Santa

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Dothan Boots & Saddle Club’s Saddle Up Santa will still occur in 2020! This year, the event will be a drive-through in order to keep things safer for everyone. Saddle Up Santa is a drive-through Christmas Festival with tons of goodies, food, and gifts from Santa! Please be sure to bring a can of food for the Salvation Army Food Bank donation. The event will be held today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Houston County Farm Center; cars will enter from Cottonwood Road.

Dog’s in Ugly Christmas Sweaters

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At 12 p.m. on Saturday, December 12th, there will be an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest to Benefit Lucky Puppy Rescue! The event will be held at The Market at St. Andrews, and will include multiple contests provided by the vendors in The Market. The entry fee is $5 OR a bag of dog food. There will be prizes awarded for Best Ugly Sweater, Best Dog Ugly Sweater, and Best Human-Dog Combo. 

Visit their Facebook event page HERE for more information on the offered prizes and to keep up-to-date on event announcements.

Sneads Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting

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This Saturday, December 12th is the annual Town of Sneads Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. Starting at 4 p.m., the parade can be viewed on Hwy 90 and will drive from Sneads Auto Parts to McDaniels Grocery.

After the parade, City Hall will be hosting the Town tree lighting. There will be an inflatable set-up appropriate for small kids, free hot dogs, chips, drinks, and hot chocolate! Please wear masks to keep everyone safe, and be sure to bring warm coats.

Lafayette Landing Grand Opening Celebration

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Tomorrow is the opening of Lafayette Landing! Enjoy the unveiling of this new community space in downtown Marianna from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. this Thursday, December 10th. There will be a ribbon-cutting to start the event as well as live music, refreshments, and food trucks. Please wear masks for community safety! 

Jackson County Public Library Hosts Online Storytime

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Jackson County Public Library is adapting to these trying times with online storytime. On Wednesdays at 10 a.m. on Facebook, Miss. Peggy will be hosting Storytime. The first December date is tomorrow, December 9th! Visit the Jackson Public Library’s Facebook upcoming events page HERE to participate, find more details, or decide on specific dates.  

The Allison Christmas Spectacular 2020

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For the 13th year, the Allison Christmas Spectacular is being held in Havana, FL! This year, there will be 3 mega trees, 12 mini trees, 14 leaping arches, hundreds of strobes, and an array of dancing light sequences that will play to a mix of 8 different songs.

There is no charge to come see the lights, and the display is a drive-by, so it is safe for all and kind to the wallet! It will be occurring nightly until New Year’s from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

Gardens Aglow in Dothan

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Dothan Area Botanical Gardens is holding a special event for the holidays: Gardens Aglow! A weekend event during the month of December, Gardens Aglow bathes the familiar beauty of Dothan’s Botanical Gardens in the gentle glow of holiday lights. For only $8 per person (age 9 and above), this is a steal to wear out the kids, the pets, and even the unruly significant other! Held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Gardens Aglow by Dothan Botanical Gardens will be held on December 5th, 11th, 18th, and 19th. For more specific information, visit their Facebook event page specific to each date: HERE!

Marianna Annual Christmas Parade

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The City of Marianna is having their annual Christmas Parade tomorrow, December 4th. The 2020 theme is “Christmas Everything,” and will be starting at 5:30 p.m. in downtown Marianna. All entries and viewers must follow the CDC Guidelines for social distancing; masks are encouraged for all. Proceeds from the parade are going towards Main Street projects and community events. The parade will start at Daniels Street, travel east on Lafayette Street, and end on North Madison Street. Hope to see you there!

Write to a Friend Month

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December is National Write to a Friend Month! When was the last time you wrote a letter by hand? In the modern world of today, there are quicker ways to get in touch: email, text, IMing (instant messaging), and more. Yet nothing feels more special than opening the mailbox and pulling out something that isn’t junk mail or a bill. Additionally, hand-writing a letter to a friend, posting it in the mailbox, and waiting to get a letter in reply can be a joyous, addictive cycle of truly serendipitous surprise and positive feelings of companionship. 

Looking for some ideas on how to have a memorable, fun letter-writing experience? Consider the following list of suggestions:

  • Do letters feel intimidating in length? Try sending a postcard, a photo with a short note on the back, or a Christmas/holiday card. 
  • Want to personalize your envelope? Look into learning how to use wax seals, use the collection of stickers gathering in your drawer to close the seal, doodle on the back, or learn to fold envelopes from anything to make your own unique letter-wrappers. 
  • Don’t know who to send a letter to? There are many online services offering to connect letter-writing penpals: Compatipal, World Wide Snail Mail, PenPal World, and more.