Winter Festival Takes Place Saturday; Ice Skating Returns!
Most things in Tallahassee have changed since 1987, but one tradition remains in amplified glory to ring in the holiday season. This Saturday, Dec. 6, from 3 to 10 p.m., Winter Festival – a Celebration of Lights, Music and Arts will celebrate 28 years of providing the Capital City with one of its most endearing events. This annual holiday extravaganza, presented by the City of Tallahassee, transforms downtown into a sparkling winter wonderland.
“Tallahassee is special all year ‘round, but it’s even more special during the holiday season,” said Mayor Andrew Gillum. “Winter Festival is our way of officially welcoming the holiday season and our opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to our citizens for being a part of this wonderful community. Winter Festival is truly a family-friendly event, so I’d like to invite citizens of all ages to join us downtown this Saturday night!”
The 28th anniversary Winter Festival includes the usual crowd-pleasing elements of the lighting ceremony (6 p.m.), Capital Health Plan Jingle Bell Run (6:15 p.m.), City of Tallahassee Your Own Utilities Nighttime Holiday Parade (7:15 p.m.) and lots more. The festival also features five stages of local live entertainment, a Candy Cane Lane exhibit with special live candy making demonstrations by Lofty Pursuits, an expanded children’s activity area on Kleman Plaza, food vendors, arts and crafts merchants and holiday illumination displays. This year’s theme is “Peppermints, Penguins and Poinsettias.”
As a reminder, you can still sign up for the Jingle Bell Run for a $15 registration fee at the following locations/times:
- Monday, Dec. 1 – Whole Foods Market, 1817 Thomasville Rd., 4 – 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 2 – Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, 1641 W. Pensacola Street, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 3 – Wal-Mart, 550 Thomasville Rd., 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 4 – Skate World, 2563 Capital Circle NE, 6 – 8 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 5 – Tallahassee Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Affairs Building, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
After Friday, registration will resume at the Capital City Bank parking lot located at Monroe and Tennessee streets on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 3 – 6 p.m. The fee will be $20 on race day.
Additionally, Candy Cane Lane at McCarty Park will remain open for viewing the day after Winter Festival from 12 – 10 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Tallahassee on Ice Returns to Kleman Plaza!
In tandem with the Winter Festival, outdoor ice skating returns to downtown’s Kleman Plaza. Tallahassee on Ice features public skating sessions starting this Saturday, Dec. 6, from 3 – 10 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 2 – 8 p.m. Ice skating sessions will continue, weather permitting, until Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015. For a complete list of dates and times, please visit Talgov.com/Parks. An hour-long skating session, including skate rental, costs only $6.
The ice surface is actually a synthetic compound, but the look and feel is extremely close to the real thing. The rink has a smoother surface without the constant maintenance of a real ice skating surface.
For more information, including times of operation and rental/party details, please call the special ice rink line during operating hours at 408-7700 or the main office at 891-3879 during regular office hours (weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
Other holiday events hosted by the City of Tallahassee include:
- Now through January 19, 2015 – PhotoFest Juried Fine Arts Photography Exhibit, ArtPort at Tallahassee Regional Airport
- Now through January 12, 2015 – Youth Fine Arts Competition Exhibit, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., City Hall art gallery
- Friday, Dec. 5 – Marvin Goldstein & Billy Dean Holiday Concert presented by Honor Flight Tallahassee at Cascades Park, 1001 S. Gadsden St, beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the Tallahassee Senior Center’s annual Deck the Halls event also at 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 13 – Holiday Stroll through Cascades Park, 6 – 8 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 18 – Elf Night event at Dorothy B. Oven Park, 3205 Thomasville Road, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., co-sponsored by Morgan Stanley
- Friday, Dec. 19 – Soul Santa at LeVerne Payne Community Center, 450 West Fourth Avenue, 2 – 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 20 – Soul Santa at Walker-Ford Community Center, 2301 Pasco Street, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Winter Festival – a Celebration of Lights, Music and Arts is coordinated by the City’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department (PRNA). For more information on the 2014 Winter Festival, please visit Talgov.com or call PRNA at 891-FUNN (3866).
