COLUMN: Plenty of fun ways to celebrate the holidays in Macon

The holidays are here with an abundance of seasonal arts and entertainment happenings to get on the calendar and a number to get to right away. Here’s a glance at some major events at hand and some to come.

The Museum of Arts and Sciences began its annual Festival of Trees with a fundraising gala always set the Thursday before the display’s weekend opening. The Festival of Trees itself opens today during regular museum hours through early January.

Seeing the 40-plus creatively festive trees decorated by local and regional designers, businesses, organizations and others is included with standard museum admission and free to members. The trees are delightful but bear in mind they represent generous investments from donors and volunteers toward the museum’s educational programming and allow quality activities to be presented for Middle Georgia families at affordable prices all year.

The Festival of Trees isn’t the only holiday fare at the museum, though. Keep tabs at masmacon.org and facebook.com/masmacon or call 478-477-3232 for things like an annual children’s event featuring a holiday movie, snacks and Santa’s Secret Shop where kids have the opportunity to purchase gifts for family members.

The museum is located at 4182 Forsyth Road.

Fire & Ice

Also underway today and continuing through next weekend is Macon Arts Alliance’s annual Fire & Ice show and sale. Despite Thursday’s weather, artists loaded Carolyn Crayton Park’s round building (formerly Central City Park) with ceramic and glass creations, some made for practical use around the house, other for purely decorative enjoyment and most falling somewhere in between from table and cookware to “let’s hang that on the wall.”

“We have some of our favorite ceramicists and creators returning to Fire & Ice this year as well as some who are brand new,” said Julie Wilkerson, executive director at Macon Arts. “We have 40 artists this year including glass artists from Atlanta and from right here in Macon. Along with his work, Brian Beck of StARTup Studios/Blazing Paddles on Riverside is giving glass blowing demonstrations both today and Saturday from 1 to 4. If you’ve never seen someone create glass work it’s pretty amazing and something great to bring the kids to.”

Though not strictly a holiday event, the season’s theme runs through the show and Wilkerson said it’s become a go-to occasion to kick-start Christmas gift buying and finding unique items to keep. Prices range to fit most budgets.

But Wilkerson gives a warning.

“We sell about a third of everything the first weekend,” she said. “Sometimes artists replenish items but if you’re a pottery lover and after something special from a favorite artists get here before it’s gone.”

Fire and Ice opens at the park today and every day at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. Admission is free to view the 5,000 to 6,000 items. Show information and shopping is also online at maconartsalliance.org.

Next week, on Thursday, Nov. 17, a Fire & Ice happy hour with free servings of wine will be from 4-6 p.m. Following that — or as a continuation — Wilkerson said Macon’s Creative Conversations group will gather at the show from 6-7 p.m. and hear from several of the show’s artists.

Creative Conversations is a regular gathering to build a diverse community of Middle Georgia creatives and interested people and encourage learning, collaboration and camaraderie through workshops and social meet-ups.

Macon Christmas Lights Extravaganza

Of course, high on the list of coming attractions to put on the calendar is the Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza beginning Nov. 25 and running through Jan. 1. It will again be presented by Northway Church with a multitude of businesses and groups sponsoring particular downtown blocks.

As part of the ongoing downtown lights tradition, Macon Pops will again present a Christmas concert Nov. 25 to open the celebration. The Pops provides the synchronized soundtrack for the light show and the Pops’ Steve Moretti said he’s hard at work preparing new songs to add this year.

Speaking of Macon Pops, if you can’t wait until the end of the month to hear them you’re in luck — on Nov. 18 Moretti and company will present “Gershwin’s Greatest” at the Grand Opera House. The show spotlights Gershwin songs and features special guest vocalist/pianist Elizabeth Pridgen, saxophonist Mike Burton and vocalist Michelle Amato.

Included will be Pops co-founder and arranger Matt Catingub’s Juno nominated arrangement of “Rhapsody in Blue.”

Tickets are $35 for floor level and $25 for balcony seats. Show information and ticketing is at maconpops.com under Tickets and at thegrandmacon.com.

Nutcracker of Middle Georgia

The longest standing holiday tradition in this overview has to be the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia’s annual presentations of the classic ballet. Mark calendars and hurry and get tickets because the Dec. 8-11 shows will be sold out soon.

“Last year we sold out at Thanksgiving and this year it looks like we’re ahead of last year’s sales even though we added another performance,” said Alice Sheridan, artistic director for the annual ballet performance begun as a non-profit organization in 1985 by the late Jean Evans Weaver. “We added the performance back in after scaling down a bit last year due to COVID. We had to miss the year before and last year we did all our rehearsals wearing masks. It was not having to wear them this year that made us realized how difficult that really was.

“Also, this is the first year we’ve been able to take full advantage of having auditions and practices and full operations out of our new home base at the Weaver Center for Dance before bringing the show to the Grand Opera House. Having everything at one location makes it so much easier. For instance, if there needs to be a costume change or fitting it’s just right down the hall instead of making an appointment to meet across town. What a relief.”

Sheridan said not only are ticket sales going well, rehearsals and production preparations are going smoothly. She said there’s a special sense of making 2022 a special season in memory of Weaver, who died only days ago on Nov. 2 at 95. Only retiring in 2016, Weaver’s long career of teaching dance and creating dance opportunities included creating the local non-profit Nutcracker organization.

“Most of the younger dancers new her in name only but some of the older ones knew her and of course we regulars who’ve been involved for years can’t help but have her in mind,” Sheridan said. “We want to do our very best this year. Of course, she was famous for always inspiring the best in those around her.”

Visitation for Weaver is today with services Saturday. Details are at snowsmacon.com and the family asks in lieu of flowers donations be made to favorite charities and non-profit organizations.

For more information on performances and ticketing, visit midganutcracker.com and thegrandmacon.com.

One final event to mention that’s become a true Macon tradition is the popular “Christmas with John Berry” show returning to the Grand Dec. 17 when the singer-songwriter’ brings his take on the season with his hits like “Your Love Amazes Me,” “Standing On The Edge Of Goodbye” and “I Think About It All The Time” and holiday hymn and carol favorites including his rendition of “O Holy Night.”

Tickets are $40 and available at the Grand box office or through its website.

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.