The Holidays Sparkle in Alpena!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Santa Parade, Alpena Mall-November 28, 11:00 a.m. -Santa arrives at the Alpena Mall led by a high school marching band. Children can march along with Santa and the band and then go and make the annual visit with Santa to discuss Christmas wishes.  For more information, call the mall office at (989) 356-9016.

Santa Claus is Coming To Town-Kick off your holiday season with the Lafarge-Bolenz Jewelry Lighted Holiday Parade in Alpena November 28. This community parade has always been held on the day after Thanksgiving, but in 2005, instead of the usual morning parade, the parade was held in the evening and floats were decorated with lights. It was a huge hit and has continued that way ever since! The parade features floats, bands, costumed characters and Santa Claus himself. After the parade, Santa retreats to his special house at Culligan Plaza where he will be holding downtown office hours throughout the holiday season. The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. at Ninth and Chisholm Streets, turns north on Second Avenue and ends in the parking lot behind city hall on Water Street. The parade will be just the beginning of an exciting evening in downtown, where Light Up The Season Weekend activities will also take place. See below. The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call (989) 354-4181.

Light Up The Season Weekend in Downtown Alpena, November 28-30-Following the Lafarge-Bolenz Jewelry Lighted Holiday Parade, this event kicks off with the traditional lighting of the official Alpena Christmas tree at Culligan Plaza. This tree is particularly special because each light is lit in remembrance of someone special through the Hospice of Michigan Light up a Life program. Special guest Santa Claus will join the mayor of Alpena in lighting the tree. Following the tree lighting, you can join in the singing of Christmas carols, take a horse drawn wagon ride and enjoy roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate. Many of the businesses will be open for holiday shopping.  

The Light Up The Season Weekend continues with the downtown Christmas Open House on Saturday and Sunday, November 29 and 30. Many merchants will provide refreshments, special activities, coffee and hot chocolate as shoppers see what’s new for Christmas and get some shopping done. Horse drawn wagon rides will be offered on both Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. this special weekend. Many other special activities are planned for this official beginning of the holiday season in downtown Alpena. For more information about the Light Up The Season Weekend, call (989) 356-6422.

Holiday Performances

This holiday season, Alpena is decking the halls and stages with performances for everyone. Enjoy Thunder Bay Theatre's A Dickens' Christmas Carol: A Traveling Travesty in Two Tumul (comedy) and a number of holiday concerts that will put you in the spirit of the season!

Thunder Bay Theatre Presents: A Dickens' Christmas Carol: A Traveling Travesty in Two Tumul, November 20-December 14- From the author of Faith County and Faith County II comes the funniest Christmas Carol ever. The Styckes Upon Thump Repertory Company embarks on their fifteenth annual tour of the Dickens classic. When the company's diva feigns illness, certain the production will be canceled, this merry troupe of over the hill and upstart actors carry on without her. Roles are shuffled and the sweet understudy suddenly finds herself on stage knowing only one line of dialogue. She has written her part in and on almost everything, including the Christmas pudding! Midway through the doomed performance, the diva rushes in to reclaim her role. Total mayhem ensues as the company scrambles to keep the show going while everything goes hilariously wrong. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. (No show November 27) The theater is handicap accessible and group rates are available. For reservations, call the theatre at (989) 354-2267.

Alpena Symphonic Orchestra Holiday Concert, December 7-The A.S.O. is Northeast Michigan's only orchestra. It was founded in 2004 to give both players and listeners in the area a chance to appreciate, participate, and enjoy classical music. The priority of the Alpena Symphony Orchestra is to share the beauty of orchestral music with the residents of Alpena and the surrounding community. Guest artists for this special concert include flute soloist Mary Ann Hubbard and the Besser Male Chorus. The concert takes place at the Alpena High School Stanley Beck Auditorium at 3:00 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. For more information on the concert, call (989) 727-3273. For more information on the ASO, visit their web site at www.alpenasymphony.com.

Thunder Bay Arts Council Community Chorus Presents: "Holiday Concert" Sunday, December 14- Under the Direction of Jim Hart, the roughly 70-member Thunder Bay Arts Council Community Chorus presents a Christmas gift of music to the community. The chorus will perform selections from Handel’s Messiah related to the birth of Jesus including the famous "Hallelujah Chorus", as well as other seasonal selections. Admission is by donation. The concert takes place at the Alpena High School auditorium at 7:30 P.M. For more information, call (989) 356-6678.

Besser Male Chorus Annual Christmas Concert, December 17-Take a break from holiday preparations and enjoy a holiday concert guaranteed to put you in the proper spirit with many seasonal favorites. The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church. Admission is by donation. For more information call (989) 471-9182.

Alpena Community College presents the Spotlight Series: Amahl and the Night Visitors, December 18-20- Human forgiveness  and ultimate sacrafice come together in the engaging story of a poor, crippled boy, his widowed mother and a Christmas miracle. Gian Carlo Menotti composed this poignant one-hour, one-act opera which has entertained adults and children since its premier on television in 1951. The opera is sung entirely in English and features talented local performers including the New Day Singers. It is directed and produced by Carol Witherbee, MaryAnn Hubbard and Grace Morrison with musical accompaniment provided by Quintetto Sonare. This touching tale will provide an ideal holiday outing for the entire family. ACC is a barrier-free facility. If you require special accommodations, please let them know. The show takes place at ACC’s Robert and Jacquelyn Granum Theatre. Show times are December 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and December 20 at 1:00 p.m. Series tickets are available in advance or you may purchase individual performance tickets. For more information call (989) 358-7271.

Celebrations

Winterview Season at Art In The Loft, November 14- January 10-Art in the Loft at Gallery 109 is a fine arts gallery featuring the work of local, regional and nationally recognized artists. Reasonably priced artwork is available in a wide range of media. Artists staff the gallery and apply their techniques in demonstration and workshops.   Winterview hours are hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon until 6 p.m. A number of special events are featured during Winterview Season including Glamour and Gourmet in the Gallery (pre-season opener) on November 13, a Holiday Open House on November 18  and Music and Merriment in the Gallery on December 18. Art in the Loft at Gallery 109 is located in the Center Building, 109 North Second Ave. in Alpena. For more information, call (989) 356-4877 or visit their web site at www.artintheloft.com 

"Season of Lights" at the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan, November 24-January 1-Make sure that your holiday season activities include a visit to the Besser museum to experience this special "Season of Light". The entire museum grounds will be decorated for the season and special activities will be offered. Many of the decorations are designed to represent cultures and religions represented in Northeast Michigan and their connections to this joyous season. Christmas trees will fill the museum, decorated by various non-profit organizations, and the planetarium will offer a special show exploring the Star of Bethlehem and holiday traditions. A reception will be held on November 22. The Besser museum is located on Johnson Street in Alpena. The museum is open year-round, six days a week except for major holidays. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Planetarium shows are Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. For more information, call the museum at (989) 356-2202.

Special Seasonal Activities

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree- Amid the rows of sweet-smelling evergreen, the perfect tree is out there. After carefully scrutinizing tree after tree, your family locates the ideal one. The tree is cut and triumphantly carried home, where it will serve as the centerpiece for your holiday celebration. For many families, visiting a "Cut Your Own" Christmas Tree Farm is an important annual family activity. Why not start this wonderful holiday tradition with your family this year? Morning Star Evergreens in Ossineke is one such retail choose and cut farm that is visited by hundreds of families every year. Getting a tree is simple. Just find your tree and cut it down. You may bring your own saw or use one of the saws provided. Trees cost between twenty and thirty dollars and you may have your tree baled (wrapped in netting) for easier, tree-friendly transport at no cost. The farm is open the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. Hours on opening weekend are from 11:00 a.m. until dark daily. After opening weekend, the farm is open Saturdays 11:00 a.m. until dark, Sundays 1:00 p.m. until dark and weekdays noon until dark. Wagon rides are offered daily. The farm is located at 13021 Behning Road. To find the farm, go to the blinker light in Ossineke and follow the signs for two miles, 1 mile west of Nicholson Hill Road, then 1 mile south on Behning Road. For more information, call (989) 471-2095.

Sleigh Ride!- An old fashioned sleigh ride is an exciting, invigorating outdoor family activity that recalls simpler times and pleasures. Darrell and Lee Spragg (Spragg’s Belgians) offer this popular and traditional activity on winter weekends for any size group up to 100. The ride usually lasts 2 hours and involves climbing aboard a horse-drawn sleigh and then winding through scenic (and at night, moonlit) forest trails. Bring your own grub (hot dogs, s'more fixings, etc.) and enjoy a winter cook-out at the waiting campfire before the return trip. Each of the sleighs hold up to around 20 people and are pulled by the Spragg's massive Belgian horses that weigh in at a hefty one ton each. There is an outhouse and a warming fire. For more information, call (989) 379-4403. Thunder Bay Golf Resort in Hillman offers a different kind of sleigh ride that includes elk viewing and gourmet dinner. See below.

Sleigh Ride to Supper-Thunder Bay Golf Resort's popular Elk Viewing/Gournet Dinner Sleigh Rife is an exciting and memorable way to celebrate the winter season. The activity begins with a horse-drawn sleigh ride that carries your merry party through snow-covered forest trails, including a stop to see some of Thunder Bay's resident herd of majestic Rocky Mountain Elk and trophy Whitetail Deer. At the end of the trail, you’ll arrive at the Elk Antler Log Cabin, where a five-course dinner is served in the warm glow of the fireplace. Wine tasting, featuring locally produced wines is also included. Re-heated and full, folks climb back aboard the sleigh for the return to the resort, taking with them a delightful sense of satisfaction and memories to last a lifetime. Thunder Bay Golf Resort, located just outside of Alpena County in Hillman, also offers the ride/dinner experience in the summer and fall aboard a carriage. Packages with lodging are available as well as comedy and murder mystery weekends and other special events. For more information, call the resort at 800-729-9375 or (989) 742-4502 or visit their web site at www.thunderbaygolf.com.

Alpena Senior Citizens Center's Local Christmas Lights Bus Tour, December 11-Tour by bus all around town to view the holiday lighting displays, followed by a performance from the St. Anne’s Handbell Choir at 8:00 p.m. Hot cocoa and cookies will be provided.  The cost of the activity is $3.00 and the event takes place from 6 p.m. -9p.m.. Sign up at the activities office. For more information, call (989) 356-3585, ext. 19.

Make a Christmas Craft at the Alpena County Library, December 6-Kids preschool and up can choose from several different Christmas crafts to make. The activity is free and takes place from 10:00 a.m. until noon. Pre-registration is not required, but you can find out more about the activity by calling the library at (989) 356-6188.

Ring In The New Year!

Ring In 2009 with the Alpena Holiday Inn’s New Year’s Eve Party!.-This special evening begins at 8:00 p.m. with appetizers and cocktails. A New Year’s Eve Feast is served at 9:00 p.m. followed by music and dancing. A Breakfast Buffet is served at 2:00 a.m. Call the Holiday Inn at (989) 356-2151 for more information.

New Year's Eve Celebration at Thunder Bay Resort-This three-day, two-night package includes wine tasting and cocktails, Elk Viewing Sleigh/Carriage Ride, Mike Ridley in Concert, deluxe lodging, breakfasts and activity passes. Call the resort at 1-800-729-9375 for details.