This and That

Grandkid & Family friendly, Food & Drink, Games, Shopping, Animals, Holiday Events, Senior Citizens, Suitable for All Ages, and Free to attend! Whether you’re a young child or simply a child at heart – there will be activities for everyone at this great night out in historic downtown Opelika on Friday, December 9., 6-9 pm. Festivities include: Children's train, Pony rides, Large and small animal petting zoo, Wagon rides, Trolley rides, Photo booth, Hot chocolate, Face painting, Gingerbread house contest, Make your own Reindeer Food, Make a Life Bead Bracelet, Story book reading by the Opelika Theatre Company, Fire truck, Late night shopping and dining. Be transported back in time and take a wagon ride through the Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour. Leave straight from Christmas in a Railroad Town and be delivered back once you’re done. Enclosed trolley rides also available at the Museum of East Alabama.

The holidays are always a wild family affair at the Shealy house. But this year, Dotty and her three grown children gather with more than exchanging presents on their minds. As Dotty struggles to hold on to her memory, her children must fight to balance care for their mother and care for themselves. This twisted and hilarious new play grapples unflinchingly with aging parents, midlife crises, and the heart of a West Philly neighborhood. For tickets or information about upcoming auditions and classes, call (334) 262-1530 OR email info@cloverdaleplayhouse.org. Visit www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org

Checoboa has been with Home Care Assistance since 2021. She is reliable, dedicated, empathetic, and compassionate. Whenever we have a need for a caregiver, she is always there to answer the call. One of her best qualities is that of being detail oriented and determined to make a difference in her client’s life. “Like an angel, you’re the hands of kindness and care. You offer support and compassion in difficult times. You are steady and encouraging, and your comfort will never be forgotten.”-Teri Harrison We appreciate your hard work and dedication, thank you for a Job Well Done!!

For more information visit www.homecareassistancemontgomery.com

The holiday season is upon us, and for the thousands of people in the River Region who struggle to make ends meet every day, this is a time of fear and anxiety rather than CHEER. For more than 40 years, HandsOn River Region has partnered with individuals, agencies and businesses to assist disadvantaged families through the Christmas Clearinghouse. HandsOn encourages clubs, organizations, individuals, churches and businesses to "adopt" families who have registered for help. "Adoption" means providing gifts and much-needed items for members of the family. Another important way the community can help is by donating directly to Christmas Clearinghouse to provide gifts for families who have not been "adopted" so that they too can experience the JOY of the season. Click www.handsonriverregion. org/cch to learn more about the Clearinghouse and how you can provide HOPE to a hurting family this season.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Santa is home for the holidays! Santa returns to The Shoppes at EastChase this season through December 24! Santa’s Whimsical Wonderland is located near the fountain and appointments are encouraged, although walk up appointments are welcome! Appointments can be made online in advance by scanning the QR code below. All appointments require a $25 reservation fee that can be used towards your photo package. Families that require special assistance or accommodations can email Lisa Smith with Studio Panache at hello@ studiopanache.net. December 1 - December 20 Friday: 11 am – 7 pm, Saturdays: 11 am -7 pm, Sundays: 1 – 6 PM. *Open daily the week leading up to Christmas Eve. December 19 – December 24, 11 am – 7 pm daily, Christmas Eve 11 am to 4 pm. Book your appointment with QR code.

One Coupon per Customer. Offer Expires 12/31/2022

BOOM! Business Partner: Tucker Pecan Company

334.262.4470 350 North McDonough St. Montgomery, AL 36104 Downtown

'Tis the season to show you care! Please join us Friday, December 9th from 5am to 7pm at Renfroe's Market on Eastchase Parkway for WSFA-TV 12's Day of Giving. We'll be collecting food, money and toys to benefit Christmas Clearinghouse, Montgomery Area Food Bank and Montgomery Toys for Tots. Drive up to Renfroe's Market, and one of our volunteers will safely assist you. Help us share the spirit of the season December 9th for 12's Day of Giving!

Come join us as we head to the winter wonderland of Nashville! Parks and Recreation Department is planning a senior trip on December 14-16, 2022, to the Gaylord Opryland Resort, an Oak Ridge Boys Dinner Show, admission to "ICE" (a walkthrough ice sculpture display), admission to Cheekwood, a Nashville City Tour, flat bottom boat ride, transportation, and more! For more information, please call the Gillespie Senior Center at 334-5950840. Cost: $600 per person for the traditional view, $700 per person for an

Atrium view. (Price based on double occupancy.)

Join the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra for an evening of holiday music on Friday, December 16th, at the Montgomery Performing Arts Center at 7:30 pm. Bring the whole family out for this revered holiday tradition and kick off your holiday season in fun, festive, and family-friendly fashion! For tickets, please call the MPAC box office at 334-481-5100 or visit www.mpaconline.org. More Information on Website: www.montgomerysymphony.org

Capital City Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn, the 1st Wednesday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They will meet at Montgomery Cultural Arts Center (Armory Learning Arts Building), 1018 Madison Ave., Montgomery 36104. Mark your calendars, December 7, “Holiday Decorating in the South” Anne Carr and Linda Cater, Master Gardeners, will present a program on “Holiday Decorating in the South”. Watch as these ladies take ordinary items from the back yard and create lovely seasonal decorations for inside and outside your home. Come early for a good seat. January 4, “Introduction to the Montgomery Botanical Gardens ” Cathy Maddox, Capital City Master Gardener, come early for a good seat. BRING A SACK LUNCH, FREE PROGRAM, WATER PROVIDED, For information, please contact the Montgomery County Extension Office 334.270.4133. Also visit www.capcitymga.org.

BOOM! Business Partner: Health Wise Foods

Offer Expires 12/31/2022

Receive an additional 10% off if you are a Senior Citizen, Military or 1st Responder. 334.277.9925 O 5147 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery

Visitors gather in the Colonial Chapel, where they see a light-hearted performance that tells the tale of what was happening in the lives of George and Martha Washington leading up to the time that they met one another.

It is May 1758, and Martha has very recently become engaged to Colonel George Washington. Eager to get wedding preparations underway, she and her sister, Anna Maria visit a milliner in Williamsburg named Jane Hunter. Martha decides what her wedding dress will look like, and has her measurements taken, while the ladies discuss how George and Martha met, and express their happiness for the future. It is July 1758, and George Washington is back in command of his Virginia Regiment at Ft. Cumberland. He has a military campaign to undertake before his wedding to Martha can take place. He expresses his frustrations with the military to his good friend and fellow officer, Robert Stewart, and is soon joined by James Craik who bears good news. The three men discuss George’s engagement, how he and Martha met, as well as his hopes and ideas for the future.

It is the end of December 1758, and wedding preparations are underway. Martha’s dear friend, Elizabeth Chamberlayne, has been charged with several wedding tasks, and she is soon joined by George’s sister, Betty Lewis, who has come to “help.” This humorous scene depicts a bit of a power struggle between the two ladies, but also enlightens visitors as to the nature of the 12 Days of Christmas. Visitors will have the opportunity to eat, drink, and be merry at lunch time as they are greeted by the newly married George and Martha Washington, who will be accompanied by family and friends. The celebrations will begin as the characters dance for the audience, richly dressed in formal attire. American Village staff have studied historical accounts of the wedding clothes worn by George and Martha, and have re-created custom interpretations of these garments specifically for this event.

Inspire your grandchildren...or maybe yourself! Curtain up! Ignite your imagination and explore the fundamentals of acting through theatre games, creative movement, improvisation and performing. ASF Acting Academy classes help strengthen your skills in voice, movement, group collaboration and communication. Meet new friends and gain self-confidence. Classes are open to all levels of experience. Don’t just watch theatre – experience it! These six-week classes begin Feb. 13. Tuition is $200. Register before January 6, to save $25. Acting Academy makes a wonderful gift! Make someone’s holiday with an ASF Gift Certificate. Visit www.asf.net

Christmas Lights Festival, Dec 2-25, 5:30pm-9pm nightly. See the Montgomery Zoo transformed into a Winter Wonderland displaying thousands of sparkling and twinkling lights and festive decorations at Christmas Lights Festival. Take a leisurely stroll or enjoy a brisk train ride. Visit Santa and the Christmas Tree Village at the Mann Museum, enjoy the live entertainment at the Overlook Cafe, and no winter's night would be complete without some warming hot chocolate and fresh baked cookies from the Overlook Cafe. Make plans to swing by the Zoo and Museum Gift Shops for last minute gift purchases, souvenirs, and to participate in the Zoo Animal Angel Tree, helping conservation efforts at the Zoo and around the world. Happy Holidays everyone!

Event details: December 2 - 25, 5:30pm - 9pm nightly, day/night combo admission available. Lights Festival opens at 6pm. Admission: $10 for everyone 3 years old and older. Montgomery Zoo members: FREE.

This is the perfect play to get you and your family into the Christmas spirit! In this whimsical take on A Christmas Carol, you will find elements that you would find in a Dr. Seuss story such as the rhyming of words and play on words, all delivered by the wonderful Dr. Seuss-style characters in traditional Christmas songs and dances! The run time for this production will be 90 minutes total, in 45-minute intervals before and after the intermission. Be sure to purchase your tickets soon, as the shows are filling up fast!

You can buy tickets at www. cc.prattvilleal.gov, or call the Cultural Arts office at 334.595.0850.

The City of Prattville joins the Prattville Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Merchants for the annual "A Main Street Christmas!" Join us Tuesday, December 13th, in Historic Downtown to shop local small businesses for Christmas gifts, visit with Santa, go on a carriage ride, and more. Tuesday, December 13, 5 - 7:30 pm

This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers the impact of his life one fateful Christmas Eve. Jubilee: Jan. 5 – 29, 2023 “A known showman” with a “gift for stirring theatricality,” playwright and director Tazewell Thompson brings an innovative and heart-stirring score to life with this inspirational a cappella tribute inspired by real life. The world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers shattered racial barriers in the U.S. and abroad, entertaining kings and queens. The Tempest: Feb. 23 – March 19, 2023 Shakespeare’s final play is a story of adventure, magic, music, and forgiveness. Prospero has been exiled on an island with his daughter for more than a decade when he conjures a storm that crashes his enemies on the island in a violent shipwreck. Greta Lambert stars as Prospero. Million Dollar Quartet: April 13 – May 7, 2023 On December 4, 1956, a twist of fate brought together Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley at Sun Records in Memphis, TN. Million Dollar Quartet is a celebration of the contagious spirit, freewheeling excitement, and thrilling sounds of the once-in-a-lifetime event where four of music’s best talents came together. This is a rocking night of classic music! Clyde’s: May 11 – May 21, 2023 Creating the perfect sandwich is the shared quest of the formerly incarcerated kitchen staff of Clyde’s, a truck stop cafe. Even as the shop’s mischievous owner tries to keep them under her thumb, the staffers are given purpose and permission to dream — finding that “sometimes a hero is more than a sandwich.” Cabaret: July 6 – Aug. 6, 2023 One of the most famous American musicals of all time — from the creators of Chicago — Cabaret takes us to 1929 Berlin during the twilight of the Jazz Age as the Nazis are ascending to power. This groundbreaking musical focuses on the nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub and revolves around American writer Clifford Bradshaw and the English cabaret performer Sally Bowles.

HAMILTON is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, HAMILTON has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. It has won Tony®, Grammy®, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. For tickets visit www.bjcc.org