HOLIDAY EVENTS ABOUND THIS WEEKEND

  

The Christmas season is here, with holiday activities aplenty in the area this weekend.

Here are some of the events happening:

• The Brenham Christmas Stroll begins Friday with the Jingle Bell Market at the Ant Street Inn from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the First Friday Farmer and Artisan Market on Baylor and Park Streets from 3 to 6 p.m. The Texas Tenors will perform “Deep in the Heart of Christmas” at 7 p.m., and Unity Theatre will present Coney Island Christmas on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.  On Saturday, the Historic Simon Theatre will host a free showing of the short film, “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” at 8:30 a.m., with Breakfast with Santa following at 9 a.m. in the Bullock Ballroom.  The Jingle Bell Market will continue at the Ant Street Inn 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.

• Also in Brenham, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will have nativity displays on Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. Music from a local artist will be performed on Friday at 7 p.m.  Meanwhile, the Brenham VFW Auxiliary 7104 will have Breakfast with Santa on Saturday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. for kids ages 2-10.

• Bellville’s 40^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 “Elf” at 7:30 p.m. and a street dance with the Red Bulls at 8 p.m.  Saturday morning will have Breakfast with Santa at Newman’s Bakery from 8 to 11 a.m., 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 will include a Jingle Bell 5K and 1K Fun Run, a gingerbread house decorating contest, a softball tournament, kids’ activities, specialty booths, live performances in the park and the lighted Christmas parade on Saturday 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. Holiday festivities on the town square start at 3 p.m., and floats in the lighted Christmas parade will be judged at 6 p.m. prior to the start of the parade at 6:45 p.m.  At 8 p.m., the movie “A Christmas Story” will be shown on the town square.

• The Carmine Chamber of Commerce’s 38^th Annual Christmas Fest is set for Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carmine Hall. Guests can have beef stew or hamburgers from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and shop at vendor booths.  Kids can ride the Polar Express and see Santa from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

KWHI and KTEX-106 will have live coverage from Bellville on Friday for the Small Town Christmas festivities and from Brenham on Saturday for the Christmas Stroll.