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
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
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
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
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.
Marianna’s Merry Market
It’s officially December which means holidays are upon us! Consider visiting the 1st Annual Merry Market at Citizens Lodge Park in Marianna this weekend to start looking for gifts, get pictures, or just to entertain the kids for a few hours. The event is this coming Saturday, December 5, and will run for ONE DAY ONLY from 9 a.m. CST to 4 p.m. CST.
There will be a variety of things to do at the Merry Market including but not limited to:
- Over 40+ vendors selling bags, Mary Kay, wood crafts, home goods, homemade crafts, food, produce, and more.
- Performances from Sarah Williams, Sandra Harrell, Amy Allen, the Tobacco Road Band, and possibly more.
- Santa Pictures; professional photographer and picture packages available.
- Petting zoo with goats, ducks, bunnies, and reindeer alpacas. Hercules the bull may make an appearance.
Visit the Merry Market Facebook event page HERE to keep up with vendor announcements and more!
GivingTuesday2020
Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday! GivingTuesday was brought to life in 2012 with the idea of encouraging people to do good. In the past eight years, it has “grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.” source Now, GivingTuesday is an annual event held each year on the Tuesday after the U.S.A. Thanksgiving celebration. This year, it falls on December 1st! It’s held the same day for participating countries. Want to celebrate GivingTuesday? All it takes is kindness; you can give your voice, time, money, goods, and/or advocacy to support the communities, causes, and people in your life.
Visit the official Giving Tuesday website for more information HERE.
Local Boutique’s Annual Holly Jolly Sale
Marianna’s A Wild Hair Boutique is a local clothing store known for its friendly service and styling expertise. They just completed a very successful Black Friday sale thanks to the support of the community, and have an annual holiday sale coming up. On December 4th from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., the boutique will host its annual Holly Jolly. It’s the best sale of the year, offering exclusive sales and deals.
Want to see some of the offered accessories, trendy clothes, or browse the holiday-specific wares? Click HERE to visit A Wild Hair Boutique’s official website.
Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving!
The United States of America, or at least the area that would become the U.S.A., first called for a national day of thanksgiving to celebrate victory over the British in the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. However, it didn’t officially become a sanctioned holiday until 1863, thanks to the efforts of author Sarah Josepha Hale (you might know her from the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb”).
Here’s a fascinating story you can share this year to wow people with the breadth of your knowledge!

In 1953, C.A. Swanson & Sons overestimated demand for Thanksgiving turkey and had over 260 TONS of extra frozen birds. In the end, an employee came up with the idea to order 5,000 aluminum trays, devise a new turkey meal, and use an assembly line of workers to put together the meal on the trays. And thus the first frozen TV tray dinner was created! It was such a hit that the next year, 1954, the company put the TV trays into production and sold 10 million turkey tray dinners. Nowadays, the global frozen food market size is valued at approximately $291.3 billion (as of 2019).
National Day of Mourning is For Honoring
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving as well as the National Day Of Mourning! The Day of Mourning has been observed annually since 1970 on the fourth Thursday in November. This year, 2020, this annual support rally is going to be held the same day as Thanksgiving. The National Day of Mourning rally is organized by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE). The UAINE is an autonomous, Native-based organization focused on confronting racism and fighting for the freedom of people who were imprisoned for political reasons. Their Day of Mourning rallies not only bring new perspectives and fondness for Native American culture but also bring about positive social changes such as revisions on how American history is portrayed.

To celebrate and observe the National Day of Mourning, consider learning about the various complex, rich cultures of indigenous nations in what is now the United States. Looking for somewhere to start? Visit the First Nations Development Institute website HERE. Or consider using the Native Land Digital interactive map (click here!) to learn more about territory awareness. Or visit the UAINE official website HERE.