Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/221385
A Round Up of Local Holiday Activities A STAFF REPORT Every year Fayetteville comes alive both with lights and with Christmas spirit. All across the town there will be places to view beautiful lights and multiple festivities to enjoy the spirit of the season. Though the plants may not be in bloom and the ground may be chilled, the town will be as alive as ever this winter. The Poe House combines the beauty and joy of Christmas with the magic of history with its annual Christmas Jubilee. The Poe House was erected in 1897, and since then has become a museum that allows the public to peek into the Victorian Era. Every year the Poe House also provides a unique look into Christmas traditions of the past. A large, beautiful tree will reign in the parlor; decorated with the same beautiful decorations that families would place on their tree in the Victorian Era. The halls and windows are decorated in the style of the era, which includes holly sprigs and pine boughs. Tours explaining the 1900s traditions are scheduled on Tuesdays through Fridays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. On Sunday, tours are held from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. beginning on the hour. The tours are free. The decorations go up on Nov. 26 and will remain up until Jan. 5 The actual Jubilee will be held on Dec. 8 from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is free and there is something for the entire family. This Victorian Christmas celebration will include many era festivities that combine fun and history such as weaving a Christmas bracelet or bookmark. Two concerts are scheduled at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., featuring the Coventry Carolers and their traditional carols performed on the beautiful Poe House front porch. Christmas stories and a Santa Claus that are true to the Victorian Era are also part of the day. The Poe house is located at 206 Bradford Ave. For more information, visit www.ncdcr.gov/ ncmcf/Events.aspx. Cold dark nights illuminated by beautiful twinkling lights are one of the hallmarks of the Christmas season. One of the biggest annual light displays in the area is the Lu Mil Vineyard Festival of Lights. During the day, the vineyard is a gorgeous landscape and this season at night it twinkles with the beauty of the incredible Christmas displays. Every year the grounds of the vineyard are covered with thousands of lights and visitors are invited to enjoy the beautiful spectacle. Cost of admission is $5 per person with a maximum of $50 per vehicle. For larger groups, double decker buses can be rented for the same admission of $5 per person with a minimum of 20 people in order to reserve it 48 hours in advance. Lu Mil Vineyard is located at 438 Suggs-Taylor Rd, Elizabethtown. For more information, visit lumilvineyard.com. Arnette Park is a full 100 acres of beautiful wilderness and numerous facilities such as picnic areas and sports fields. For the holiday season, the park transforms into a twinkling wonderland. Participants are invited to walk through the half-mile long trail through the decorated park. The walking trail provides a beautiful and relaxing way to soak in the Christmas season. Admission is $2 per person. For children, photos with Santa are available for $5., a crafts project for $1 per craft, and a train ride for $1 for person. To warm up the chilly night a marshmallow roasting at a cost of $1 per person and $1 per four marshmallows. No personal supplies allowed. Cash only. The park is located at 2165 Wilmington HWY. For more information visit http://www.fcpr.us/special_events.aspx. The Cape Fear Botanical Gardens is beautiful not only in the spring when the flowers are in bloom, but also for Christmas. All through December festivities and thousands of lights that will fill the gardens with Christmas spirit. The lights will highlight the beautiful structure of the trees while the activities will highlight the incredible talent of Fayetteville. Events will begin at 5:45 p.m. unless otherwise advertised. On Dec. 8, Anna Lee Crumpton, a harpist will perform at 6 p.m. On the 9th the Fayetteville Academy Chorus will perform followed by the Village Baptist Church Choir on the 10th. The 15th of December will bring the Terry Sanford High School Choir to perform at the garden and Village Christian Academy Choir on the 16th. On the 17th the gardens will welcome the choir of E.E. Smith and harpist Andrea Blanchfield on the 22nd. The WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Sundays of December 11 and 18 will bring a visit from Santa and his Elf from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. At each event there will be seasonal treats, hot drinks, and refreshments from the Café Cart to spread the holiday cheer through yet another means. Gifts and souvenirs are also available at the Garden Gift shop. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for members. Admission for children from ages 6-12 is $2.50. Children under 5 are free. Additionally garden hours will be extended Thursdays through Sundays from 5-8 p.m. beginning December 1st through December 30th. The garden is located at 536 Eastern Blvd. For more information visit http://www.capefearbg.org/ holiday-lights.php. One of the tastiest of holiday traditions is the Gingerbread House. For the eighth year now, the Cumberland County Libraries will host the annual Library Gingerbread House Contest. There are six categories of prizes. Five of the prizes are based on age and there will also be a viewer's choice award. This year the competition will be held at the West Regional Branch Library at 7469 Century Circle. This is the newest of the Cumberland County libraries, as it opened in 2010. The entry forms must be submitted to any Cumberland County library by 9 p.m. on December 5th. Houses should be delivered on Friday between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The houses will be on display for anyone to come and enjoy these beautiful expressions of seasonal joy on Saturday December 7th from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The houses will be judged by local professional cake decorators, and the viewers choice award will be voted on by all who visit the competition. For an entry form, go to any Cumberland County library or go online to http://lgdata.s3-websiteus-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/3057/896746/2013_Entry_Form_for_8t hAnnualGingerbreadHouseContest.pdf. For more information visit http:// cumberland.lib.nc.libguides.com/gingerbread. Art is another way to express the joys and beauty of the holidays and of winter. From now through Dec. 13, The Arts Council will present the exhibit Winter: An Invitational. Only photographers who are invited will be shown in this exhibit, and each work will show their personal interpretation of Winter and the beauty they see in the chilly landscapes. Though the plants and flowers may not be blooming, nature never fails to amaze in any season. The Gallery is located at 301 Hay St. For more information, visit http://www.theartscouncil.com/exhibitsmain.php. The Rotary Club will also host its annual Christmas Parade on Dec. 14. This tradition first began in 1999 when there was no other parade planned. Rather than have the holiday season go parade-less the club came together and created a wonderful display of Christmas spirit as a service project. The tradition continues and every year the three Rotary clubs of Fayetteville come together to demonstrate their love for the community and holiday spirit. This year Family Foods Incorporated, Taco Bell and Long John Silvers have joined in the celebration by sponsoring this parade. The route of the parade will be through downtown Fayetteville beginning at 11 a.m. for an estimated 2 to 2.5 hours. For more information visit www.rotarychristmasparade.com/index.php. During this holiday season there will also be multiple ways to give back to the community. Ryan's Reindeer Run 5K is a run dedicated to raising money for Hodgkins Lymphoma, and to celebrate the memory of Ryan Kishbaugh who was claimed by the disease at the age of 18. All proceeds go to the Ryan P. Kishbaugh Memorial Foundation, which has raised more than $95,000 so far. On Dec. 21 at 8:30 a.m., all are welcome to support this cause and to participate in the 5K run and experience the joy of giving hope to those with Hodgkins Lymphoma. The run will begin at the Medical Arts Center 101 Robeson St. Registration forms can be found online at http://www.ryansreindeerrun.com/Registration-Form-.html. Entry fee is $25 until after Dec. 7, when it becomes $30. Runners under 13 pay $15 until Dec. 7, when it becomes $20. There are also group rates. For more information about the cause or the race, visit www.ryansreindeerrun. com By registering early, runners can guarantee a T-shirt. Day of race registrations cannot guarantee a T-shirt. DECEMBER 4-10, 2013 UCW 15