
Looking to get into the holiday spirit? One doesn’t have to look far. Theaters, churches, entertainment complexes, synagogues and arts centers have organized a wide range of holiday activities designed to delight, entertain, celebrate and/or reflect. Here are a few of the wonderful holiday offerings available right here in DeKalb County:
The Snow Angel snowfall celebration with fireworks is a festive end to each night at Stone Mountain Christmas in the Crossroads section of the park. Throughout the holiday season, Crossroads is adorned in Christmas lights and features live shows including the new Toyrific musical. Visitors also can enjoy the Holly Jolly Cabaret, The Polar Express 4D Experience, Simply Christmas Musical Revue and Mistletales. Also, there is a nightly Christmas parade featuring Santa Claus. The Snow Angel is available for photos at the Snow Angel Palace, which is accessed from Crossroads by the Wonderland Walkway. Crossroads features plenty of food and crafts for the whole family. Stone Mountain Christmas is ongoing through Jan. 1, 2012. Check http://stonemountainpark.com/tickets-pricing/ for ticket prices and operating hours. Visitors also can buy combo tickets that include a two-hour tubing session at Snow Mountain, or buy tickets separately for Snow Mountain and Stone Mountain Christmas.
According to the organizers, at Christmas at Callanwolde “you’ll be transported into a magical world in the twinkling of an eye as you enter the magnificent Gothic-Tudor mansion. Transformed by Atlanta’s top interior and floral designers, the historic Callanwolde estate captures the spirit and charm of the holidays.”
Period furniture, antiques, designer treasures and fully decorated Christmas trees will be on display. Holiday activities include special events for families, seasonal shopping, cabaret nights and music of the holidays played on the Aeolian pipe organ.
Christmas at Callanwolde runs through Dec. 18.
Visit www.christmasatcalanwolde.org for more details and to purchase tickets. Admission is $20 for adults, $12 for children and $15 for seniors. All proceeds benefit Callanwolde Fine Arts Center.
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center is located at 980 Briarcliff Road NE, Atlanta.
Head to Agnes Scott’s Presser Hall for the 19th annual Celtic Christmas Concert. The concert combines Irish, Scottish and Welsh music, dance and poetry. The event takes place at 8 p.m. on Dec. 17. The “Celtic Christmas family” consists of more than 30 regional performers. On the show’s website it is described as “a rare union of the secular with the spiritual and featuring many of the region’s most revered traditional instrumentalists, singers and dancers as well as highly acclaimed artists from around the world.”
Tickets in advance range from $18 to $35. At the door, tickets are $23 to $40. For more information, visit www.celticchristmas.org or call (404) 373-0448.
Celebrate the first night of Chanukah on Dec. 20 with the lighting of the menorah in the courtyard of the Marcus Jewish Community Center. Children from The Weinstein School will participate in the ceremony and all are invited to attend. The program will include Chanukah blessings and children’s songs.
Free sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) and hot chocolate will be served. Also Goodfriend’s Grill will feature a special Chanukah menu throughout the holiday for those who would like to eat at the JCC.
The Marcus Jewish Community Center is located at 5342 Tilly Mill Road in Dunwoody.
For more information about these and other Jewish holiday programs, contact Rabbi Brian Glusman, brian.glusman@atlantajcc.org or at (678) 812-4161.
ART Station’s Artistic Director David Thomas has brought his playwright talents to the stage once more with the original play The Christmas Report (See review on page 4) A team of correspondents are dispatched to cover the strange goings-on in Stone Mountain while stoic anchors try to stay on top of it all. Music by Patrick Hutchison. The play runs through Dec. 23. Tickets are $21 and $28. For more information call (770) 469-1105 or visit www.artstation.org. ART Station is located at 5384 Manor Drive in Stone Mountain.
Folks in the city of Decatur take their holiday decorating so seriously that they’ve created a contest for it. On Dec. 18 judges will ride through Decatur neighborhoods and pick their 10 favorite decorated homes, a business, a neighborhood and an overall winner.