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Palms West Monthly • December 2018 • Page 1
Happy Holidays!
Palms West
Monthly
SWEET TREATS
WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • WEST PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE GROVES • THE ACREAGE Volume 8, Number 12
PalmsWestMonthly.com
The Best
of Hometown Ballet Palm Beach kicks off upcoming season in PBG
The nonprofit professional dance company Ballet Palm Beach recently announced at a celebration of the upcoming season that it had raised nearly $15,000.
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Diana Ross to headline LIFE’s Lady in Red Gala
LIFE’s 25th Silver Jubilee Lady in Red Gala takes place Friday, Jan. 4 and promises to be supreme, thanks to the event’s headline entertainment – the iconic Diana Ross.
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World premiere to open at Palm Beach Dramaworks Leading playwright Lyle Kessler’s “House on Fire” opens at Palm Beach Dramaworks in downtown West Palm Beach Dec. 7 and runs through Dec. 30.
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Pop-up cocktail lounge, home tours highlight holidays Let columnist Aaron Wormus be your guide as he takes you on a tour of West Palm Beach holiday events – including his very own gift exchange!
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From rockin’ with Vanilla Ice to a 700-ton holiday tree of sand, area celebrations are truly unique.
Holiday Celebrations By MARY THURWACHTER Palms West Monthly
Think you need to travel up north to some magical, snow-covered locale to experience a merry holiday season? Well, think again. Holiday traditions are alive and well in our own backyard. From a 700-ton holiday tree made entirely of sand named Sandi (naturally) to an always rockin’ holiday performance by our very own Vanilla Ice, we have holiday traditions that we can truly call our own. And what would the holidays be without the obligatory parades, concerts, tree trimmings and photo-ops with Santa? Yes, the magic is right here, and Jorge Pesquera couldn’t be happier. He’s the president and CEO of Discover The Palm Beaches, the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County. “Our community loves to celebrate the holidays, and we hope everyone takes time to get out and enjoy all there is to do during this special time of the year,” he says. Here’s a few of our favorites to get you in the holiday mood.
WELLINGTON’S HOLIDAY PARADE
The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Wellington know how to put on a parade. After all, this is the 35th year they’ve been at it. The parade, titled “Holiday in Paradise,” takes place Sunday, Dec. 9 starting at 1:30 p.m. High school bands and floats from area businesses and organizations will travel the parade route starting at the corner of Wellington Trace and Forest Hill Boulevard and ending on Ken Adams Way behind the Wellington Amphitheater. The day’s fun begins at 10 a.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater, where elementary and middle school choruses and string ensembles will perform throughout the day. The grand marshal for this year’s parade is Dennis Witkowski, a Palms West Chamber of Commerce founding board member who started the parade 35 years ago. According to Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce CEO Mary Lou Bedford, Witkowski
was inspired by the parades of his boyhood in Woodbridge, N.J. “This doesn’t mean he’s retiring,” Bedford says. “We won’t let him do that, but what a very nice way to honor him.”
DOWNTOWN WEST PALM BEACH’S HOLIDAY IN PARADISE
West Palm’s seasonal celebration features the return of Sandi, the world’s only 35-foot, 700-ton sand tree. (Yes, it seems Sandi has put on 100 tons since last year, but let’s not go there.) Not only does Sandi light up the waterfront all month long, she also lights up Twitter with her unique brand of sassiness. Recent tweets include, “I have brought heaven to earth!” and “What a glorious sight I am to behold!” Those who follow Sandi’s “off-season travels” know she’s full of HOLIDAYS / PAGE 20
Your children can make gingerbread treats at this “sweeeet” holiday event in The Acreage! PAGE 4
FREE • December 2018