START A NEW FAMILY TRADITION
Busch Gardens Tampa is getting ready to launch the biggest Christmas celebration ever! Christmas Town will transform the park into a nighttime holiday wonderland of wintery surprises and all things Christmas, filling guests’ senses with seasonal sights, sounds and flavors, and creating a beautiful new tradition for Tampa’s families.
For the first time in the park’s 53-year history, visitors to Christmas Town will experience all-new evening attractions, shows and shopping every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, Nov. 30 through Dec. 23. Guests can look forward to special entertainment, live music, festive treats, holiday shopping and thousands and thousands of twinkling Christmas lights around every turn.
“When Christmas Town opens in November, it will be the beginning of a unique holiday tradition for Tampa Bay area,” says Jim Dean, Busch Gardens Tampa’s park president. “We are creating a season-long celebration for family and friends unlike any other event our guests have ever seen – the kind of Christmas fun only Busch Gardens can provide.”
Similar to the park’s popular Halloween event, Christmas Town will be a separate-ticketed night event, and regular daytime Busch Gardens admission is not required or included. Discounts will be available for annual pass members, and families with children ages 3 to 9 will enjoy special ticket prices for their youngest members
The new event will also offer some magnificent new opportunities for groups looking to book a unique holiday party. For additional information please call Busch Gardens’ Group Sales team at 813-987-5523.
Win a Prize Every Day During SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment’s “25 Days of Giveaways”
This December 1 – 25, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (SEA) is celebrating the spirit of giving with an online consumer promotion that will feature 25 different prizes.
During the “25 Days of Giveaways,” a different prize will be awarded every day, culminating with a $25,000 giveaway on Christmas Day. Entrants can win behind-the scenes animal adventures at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens including a Serengeti Safari ride with animal expert Jack Hanna; a day of relaxation for four at Discovery Cove in Orlando; a set of Panama Jack beach bicycles; a home and garden makeover from Costa Farms; VIP tickets to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers home game; VIP tickets to a high-profile concert in San Diego (artist TBD); and seats to the “Live On Letterman” concert series held in New York City.
The ten parks are partnering with valued SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Corporate Sponsors such as Pepsi, CBS, Jack Hanna, Southwest Airlines, Panama Jack, Fathead and Costa Farms for prizes.
To enter, participants must fill out the online entry form at www.seaworldpromotions.com, www.seaworld.com or www.buschgardens.com. There is a limit of one online entry per valid e-mail address. The consumer promotion officially begins December 1 at 9 a.m. EST and concludes December 25 at 5 p.m. EST.
GRINCHMAS, MACY’S HOLIDAY PARADE, MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER AND MORE
Universal Orlando Resort’s Holidays event kicks off this weekend with holiday entertainment the whole family will enjoy. At Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure, the popular Dr. Seuss book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is brought to life in the heartwarming live stage show, “Grinchmas Wholiday Spectacular,” starring The Grinch and the Whos from Whoville.
At Universal Studios Florida, the Macy’s Holiday Parade will fill the streets every evening with some of the same iconic elements seen winding through New York City each year at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The beloved parade features colorful holiday characters, fantasy-filled floats and dozens of larger-than-life balloons. Mannheim Steamroller, the masters of Christmas music with more than 40 million albums sold worldwide, returns to the Music Plaza stage in Universal Studios six times this year to play their memorable holiday hits for guests, performing on December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18.
Also at Universal Studios, guests can enjoy special holiday-themed versions of their favorite shows, including The Blues Brothers Show and A Day in the Park with Barney, as well as nightly a capella holiday music in the nearby Holiday Village, which is filled with hand-blown glass ornaments, hot chocolate, a cookie decorating location and more.
This special holiday entertainment – including the Mannheim Steamroller concerts – is included as part of regular admission to Universal Orlando’s theme parks. To maximize the fun, guests can experience all holiday-themed activities at both theme parks with any annual pass, two-park… Continue reading
Holiday Concert by The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra
On Saturday, December 10, The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra will perform the 2nd annual Holiday Concert. The free concert takes place at 2pm at the Lake Eola Band Shell in Downtown Orlando. The concert is presented in partnership with WKMG Local 6, The City of Orlando and Chick-fil-A, in support of The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Network.
In keeping with the spirit of the season and in support of The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, they kindly ask that you bring a donation. Anything ranging from a new toy or new clothing items to a cash donation will help make the holidays a little more special for those who are less fortunate.
The Salvation Army will have refreshments available at the park. For more information, visit www.fsyo.org or call 407.999.7800.
Sea World Christmas
With special holiday-themed animal shows, an ice skating rink, festive décor and more, SeaWorld is the place to be this Christmas season. SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration takes place Nov. 26–28; weekends Dec. 4–12; daily Dec. 18–31.
Only SeaWorld can offer this kind of unique experience: Shamu and friends celebrate Christmas with “Shamu’s Christmas”; SeaWorld’s prankster-loving pinnipeds (California sea lions) have a hilarious holiday time in “Clyde and Seamore’s Night Before Christmas”; the cats, dogs and birds at Pets’ Playhouse take over and throw a Christmas party full of high-jinks in “Christmas Tails”; an ice skating rink provides festive fun for the whole family; a holiday movie at the park’s 4-D theater is sure to inspire children and adults alike to believe in Santa; and the nightly lighting of Southern California’s largest tree, SeaWorld’s 320-foot Christmas Tree of Lights, is sure to put SeaWorld guests in the spirit of the season. For park hours and more details about SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration, visit www.seaworldsandiego.com or call (800) 25-SHAMU. Continue reading
Classic Traditions Make the Season Bright
Busch Gardens celebrates the spirit of the season with the return of several holiday classics. From November 22 – January 2, 2011, the park will be transformed into a holiday wonderland featuring Christmas on Ice, Christmas from the Heart and a Christmas Celebration. Holidays at Busch Gardens is sure to be fun for the whole family.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast at Busch Gardens at Breakfast with Santa and Friends. Breakfast includes photo opportunities with Santa and his holiday elves followed by a performance of family favorite, “Christmas Celebration”
Lobster ports create Christmas trees _ from traps
By CLARKE CANFIELD
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Lobster fishermen are known for bragging about who has the fastest boat or the biggest pickup truck.
Now, some of the top lobster-fishing ports in New England are claiming bragging rights about who has the biggest and best Christmas tree created from lobster traps. As the holiday season gets into full swing, a new lobster trap tree in eastern Maine is stirring the pot.
Gloucester, Mass., started the trap-to-tree tradition 12 years ago, and Rockland, Maine, followed five years later. Both are threatening to be upstaged this year by the small lobstering town of Beals, Maine, which is getting into the act with a monster tree that stands 50 feet tall.
Albert Carver, a seafood distributor who helped spearhead Beals’ upstart effort, couldn’t resist taking a poke at Rockland and Gloucester.
“They’re nice beginner trees,” Carver said when asked about the trees in Rockland and Gloucester. “I mean, they are a little small.”[..]AP Top U.S. News At 11:11 a.m. EST
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