HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES AROUND THE AREA THIS WEEKEND

  

The holiday season is here, and Christmas celebrations are happening all around the area this weekend.

Here are some of the events taking place:

• In Brenham, activities for the downtown Christmas Stroll get underway Friday with the Jingle Bell Market at the Ant Street Inn from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the Farmer and Artisan Market on Baylor Street from 3 to 6 p.m. There will also be a Christmas show with Gary Morris at The Barnhill Center at 7 p.m.  On Saturday, Must Be Heaven will host Breakfast with Santa at 8 and 9 a.m., and shopping at the Jingle Bell Market will continue from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Local Girl Scouts will gather at the courthouse at 5 p.m. to sing Christmas carols and light the courthouse trees.  The lighted Christmas parade will begin at 6 p.m.  Afterwards, children can visit with Santa on the courthouse gazebo and take rides on the 1950 Invader Fire Truck at the Brenham Fire Museum.  A Tuna Christmas will play at Unity Theatre at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday.

• Elsewhere in Brenham, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will feature nativity displays Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. Over 300 nativities from around the world will be on display inside the church, located at 1400 Niebuhr Street, with a live nativity outside.  Music from local artists will be performed at 7 p.m., and there will be children’s nativities and nativity crafts.

• Bellville’s 39^th Annual Small Town Christmas celebration begins Friday at 6 p.m. with the lighted Small Town Christmas parade and the lighting of the courthouse tree. Activities at the Mini-Park will follow, in addition to a showing of the movie “The Star” at 7:30 p.m. and a street dance with the Red Bulls at 8 p.m.  Saturday morning kicks off from 8 to 11 a.m. with Breakfast with Santa at Newman’s Bakery, followed by holiday shopping, music and entertainment on the courthouse square and under the Jim Bishop Pavilion.  The St. John Lutheran Church Retreat Center will host a drive-thru living nativity on Saturday and Sunday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• The annual Fantasy of Lights Festival in Sealy begins Friday and runs through Sunday at Abe and Irene Levine Park. Activities start with a Jingle Bell 5K and 1K Fun Run, an IBCA sanctioned cook-off and a kids’ fantasy play area.  On Saturday, there will be a gingerbread decorating contest, specialty booths, live performances in the park and the lighted Christmas parade at 6 p.m.

• Round Top’s holiday activities get started at 10 a.m. Saturday with holiday shopping, followed by a historical homes tour at 11 a.m. Stew will be served on the square at 4:30 p.m., and floats in the lighted Christmas parade will be judged at 5:45 p.m.  The parade will begin at 6:45 p.m. on FM 1457, just past the Round Top Volunteer Fire Department.

• The Carmine Chamber of Commerce’s 37^th Annual Christmas Fest is set for Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carmine Hall with the theme “The Polar Express”. Beef stew and homemade burgers will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and kids can ride the Polar Express and see Santa from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.  There will also be over 25 vendor booths to shop from.

KWHI and KTEX-106 will be out and about throughout the weekend.  KTEX-106’s Tracey Lawless will be in Bellville Friday night for the Small Town Christmas parade, while Trail Boss Troy will be in Sealy Saturday afternoon.  Marshall Garrett will be in downtown Brenham for the tree lighting, and Crystal Ray will be in the lighted Christmas parade.