Have A Holly, Jolly Christmas

Lights, parades and concerts kick off season of celebration

Lauren Lowe walks with her daughter Riley as she rides the Partytime Ponies on the Fayetteville square.
Lauren Lowe walks with her daughter Riley as she rides the Partytime Ponies on the Fayetteville square.

"He puzzled and puzzled 'til his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps ... means a little bit more!"

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FILE PHOTO

Santa Claus waves during last year’s Christmas Parade of the Ozarks in Springdale.

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File photo

Bentonville High School marching band saxophone players march in last year’s Christmas parade.

-- "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

Thanksgiving might still be almost a week away, but the Christmas season arrives this weekend in Northwest Arkansas. Festivities in the four biggest communities in Northwest Arkansas continue through New Year's Eve, with parades, holiday movies and performances, lights, songs and, of course, Santa.

Fayetteville

Mayor Lioneld Jordan will flip the switch at 6 p.m. today, turning on the almost half a million lights that decorate the Fayetteville square during Lights of the Ozarks.

The illumination of the downtown takes six weeks to put in place with the help of the city Parks and Recreation Department, says Hazel Hernandez, director of marketing and communications for the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau.

Flipping the switch also signals the annual Christmas parade to begin at the Fayetteville Public Library. The parade will travel up Mountain Street to East Avenue, down East Avenue to Center Street, then up Block Avenue to Dickson Street and back down West Avenue to the library. Santa will arrive at the end of the parade.

"This is the 23rd year of the event, so we'll have everything traditional -- pony rides and camel rides, carriage rides, hot cocoa vendors and kettle corn vendors and cotton candy, throughout the weeks until Christmas," Hernandez says.

Lights will remain aglow until Dec. 31.

FAQ

Lights of the Ozarks

WHEN -- Through Dec. 31, with the lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. today

WHERE -- Downtown Fayetteville square

COST -- Free

INFO -- thelightsoftheozarks.com

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Springdale

Picture the giant Christmas tree at Silver Dollar City, its lights glowing five stories high.

Now picture a tree of that magnitude -- standing four stories tall -- just outside of Shiloh Square in Springdale.

It's no wonder Amber Perrodin of the Downtown Springdale Alliance is excited.

The "live" tree, arriving from Wisconsin, will the largest one in Arkansas, Perrodin says. "And I've called around to check. The tree at the state Capitol is not a live one, and it's 36 feet. I can't even imagine it yet! It's going to be a whopper."

The Alliance is accepting ornaments for the tree through Saturday at 110 W. Emma Ave., and Perrodin has ordered the 3-foot-wide star topper. The tree lighting on Nov. 26 is just one part of the new Christmas on the Creek event, which incorporates the Rodeo of the Ozarks Christmas parade with an afternoon of caroling, arts and crafts shopping, food trucks, reading with Mrs. Claus at the Shiloh Museum cabin and "a very jolly Santa" posing for photos at Shiloh Square.

"One last thing is the Fantasy Tree Farm at the Watson's building at 111 S. Main St.," Perrodin adds. "Community organizations and businesses will be decorating a tree or wreath, and they'll be auctioned off in a silent auction starting Nov. 26 and ending Dec. 3. The money goes back to to the Downtown Springdale Alliance and Springdale Public Schools clubs and programs. It's going to be a pretty little winter wonderland all on its own."

FAQ

Christmas on the Creek

WHEN -- 2-6 p.m. Nov. 26

WHERE -- Shiloh Square in downtown Springdale

COST -- Free; food and crafts will be for sale

INFO -- downtownspringdale.org

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Rogers

Holiday traditions continue this year in Rogers, with the tree lighting at Frisco Park followed by the Christmas parade -- this time with a woodland theme -- at 7 p.m. Dec. 2.

New this year, says Sheree Barnes, acting director for Main Street Rogers, will be three holiday movies, one for adults and two for children.

On Dec. 16, Main Street Rogers will partner with Iron Horse Coffee Co. for a screening of the classic "It's a Wonderful Life" at 7:30 p.m. at Arkansas Public Theatre. "It will be a little dressy," she says, and cocktails will be offered at a cash bar. Admission is $8.

On Dec. 17, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" will be shown at 10 a.m. at APT, followed by "Elf" at 1 p.m. There will be snacks, hot chocolate and a visit from Santa, all for a ticket price of $5.

The Rogers Historical Museum will also get in on the act, with a holiday open house -- themed "O Christmas Tree" -- from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Nov. 27.

"This free event features guided tours of the 1895 Hawkins House featuring the history of the Christmas tree from the tradition of bringing in evergreen boughs in northern Europe to our highly decorated trees of today featuring tinsel, lights and ornaments," says Terrilyn Wendling, assistant director. "There will be activities such as making bird houses, candle dipping and making a flower pot ornament plus refreshments. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be stopping by from 2 to 4 p.m. and will read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.'"

Tours of the Hawkins House continue through Jan. 1.

FAQ

'A Woodland Christmas'

WHEN -- Tree lighting & parade at 7 p.m. Dec. 2

WHERE -- Downtown Rogers

COST -- Free

INFO -- mainstreetrogers.com

AND

'O Christmas Tree'

WHEN -- 12:30-4 p.m. Nov. 27; exhibit open through Jan. 1

WHERE -- Rogers Historical Museum

COST -- Free

INFO -- 621-1154

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Bentonville

Downtown Bentonville turns into a "Winter Wonderland" with the lighting of the downtown tree at 6 p.m. Saturday, followed by a free community concert at 6:30 p.m. at Meteor Guitar Gallery. Events continue with Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26, two Winter Markets at Meteor Guitar Gallery -- one from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3 and the second during the same hours Dec. 10 -- the annual Christmas parade at 11 a.m. Dec. 10, and the ice rink at Lawrence Plaza, which opens Saturday and remains open through Jan. 15.

Monica Kumar, executive director of Downtown Bentonville, is "super-excited" about all of that, she says, but she's especially happy about two other music programs: Notes at Night, set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Fred's Hickory Inn and 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at 21c Museum Hotel. Both are free, but food purchases will be available at Fred's.

"Last year, we tested out a Winter Market at the Meteor, and this year we're doing two, it was so well-received," she adds. "You can find a lot of your favorite farmers market crafters, artists and bakers there.

"And the Christmas parade, themed 'Storybook Christmas,' is the big holiday event. But we also have the second Winter Market that day because we realized last year, people are so much in the holiday spirit, they don't want to go home!"

FAQ

'Winter Wonderland'

WHEN -- Begins with lighting at 6 p.m. Saturday; parade is at 11 a.m. Dec. 10

WHERE -- Downtown Bentonville

COST -- Free

INFO -- downtownbentonville.org

"He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

"And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

"And laying his finger aside of his nose,

"And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose..."

-- "A Visit From St. Nicholas"

NAN What's Up on 11/18/2016

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