East Texas events shine light on spirit of Christmas

ONE HAPPY MOMENT for many area children comes when they share a moment with Santa before his expected arrival on Christmas eve.

Around the East Texas area, the spirit of Christmas will be strongly evident through the month of December.

From month-long events to visits from jolly old St. Nick, there is plenty to do in the area to celebrate the holiday season.

In Newton County and Newton, the 17th annual Festival of Lights will be held Saturday, Nov. 25 with a gumbo supper from 4:30- 8:30 p.m. at the Howard Civic Center. The gumbo supper is hosted by the Newton Area Business Association.

Entertainment will be provided at 5 p.m. until the start of the parade at the Howard Civic Center. Anyone interested in providing entertainment, should contact Joni Miller at 379-8587 ext. 4334.

The Christmas lighting will be held at the Powell Hotel/Museum, located on the east side of the courthouse square and will begin at 6 p.m.

The highlight of the evening once again will be a lighted Christmas parade at 6:30 p.m. on the courthouse square. For parade entries, contact Angela Williams at 379-3650 or 397-4307.

Other activities include a live nativity scene and photos with Santa until 8:30 p.m. at the civic center.

Santa Workshop, located one block north of the courthouse square, features homemade crafts and gifts by locals. The workshop will be open 4-9 p.m. Nov. 25 and then 1-5 p.m. M o n d a y t h r o u g h Thursday, 1 -9 p.m. on Fridays and 5-9 p.m. on Saturdays.

Christmas train tours through the display of lights at Caney Creek Park will be held from 7-9 p.m. The train tours will run every Friday and Saturday night through Dec. 29-30, weather permitting, from 6-9 p.m.

Tickets for the train tours will be available at Santa's Workshop and cost $3 per person, children under four are free. Private train tours are also available.

In Tyler County and Woodville, the lighting of the square will be held Friday, Dec. 1, at 5:30 p.m. with Santa making his appearance on top of a fire truck with the lighting of the courthouse square.

On Saturday, Dec. 2, the annual Christmas in Tyler County parade will begin from the intermediate school, located on U.S. Highway 69 South. A time for the parade had not been determined as of press time.

One event that will return this year is the annual Tour of Homes in Tyler County, sponsored by the Women's Reading Club. Tickets can be purchased for $6 at Heritage Village and at the Tyler County Chamber of Commerce for the tour of three homes showcased this year.

The Heritage Village Christmas Twilight Tour will begin Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. The historic village will be decorated with Christmas decorations and n a t u r a l greenery

and will

include a

live nativity

scene.

Also, Santa will make an

appearance at the

village along with carolers from St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Church.

A Christmas

program will be

presented by Maurice Bigham at 7 p.m. in the old Cherokee Church. Indian flute music will be featured during the program. Matt Moody will also be performing "O Holy Night."

"This is our gift to the community for supporting us," said Ofeira Gazzaway. "We're slowly recovering from Hurricane Rita but we are slowly getting there."

Heritage Village is located on U.S. Highway 190 West and is hosting this event free of charge.

For those looking for a trip to a time of older Christmases, Millard's Crossing Historic Village in Nacogdoches might have the answer.

An old-fashioned hayride will lead the way back to the crossing's "Old-Fashion Christmas Candlelight Tour." The event will be held Friday, Dec. 1 from 5-9 p.m. Admission is $4 per person, children under five are free.

Visitors entering the complex will be greeted by live carolers and the smell of wood smoke from the fireplaces mixed with sausageon a-stick cooking from the grill and cinnamon from hot wassail.

New this year will be pony rides and a petting zoo put on by the East Texas Rescue and Horse Sanctuary group, as well as "Contra Dancing," a form of learnon the-spot square dancing which will take place in the Carriage House.

A performance of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" by Lamp-lite Players will be performed.

Millard's Crossing Historic Village is located on the north side of Nacogdoches on U.S. Business 59, 1/2 mile north of Loop 224.

For a complete listing of events, call 936-564-6631 or go to their website at www.millardscrossing.co m.

For those seeking a return to Christmas' of the old days, they check out Galveston's 33rd annual Dickens on The Strand, a holiday festival, where bobbies, beefeaters and the Queen herself will be on hand to recreate the Victorian London of Charles Dickens.

Characters from Dickens novels walk the street. Food and entertainment fill the area with sights and smells that take you back to another era.

Presented by Galveston Historical Foundation, Dickens on The Strand takes participants on an enchanted journey through history as a bustling 19th Century cityscape comes to life. For an entire weekend, hundreds of costumed vendors and performers will provide a look at the pomp and pageantry of the British Empire. Centered in a 10-block

area of Galveston's The Strand National Historic Landmark District. The family festival will include three parades and free, non-stop entertainment on the festival's six stages, plus strolling carolers and roving street musicians, bagpipers and entertainers.

Children's activities include a visit to the Royal Menagerie petting zoo, taking a ride on a pony and an elephant, playing in the "Snow on The Strand," joining in the Scrooge's Scavenger Hunt (sponsored by HomeTown Bank of Galveston), enjoying fun entertainment as well as crafts and other projects.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the gate. Tickets for children 7 to 12 are $4 in advance and $6 at the gate. Children six years and younger are admitted free. Guests dressed in full Victorian costume will receive halfpriced admission.