Holiday Fun Small Town Style

The day after Christmas, hubby Bob and I went small town and enjoyed, "Shining Light Through The Darkness" at Kish Park in Burnham, PA. This is a truly home grown event in my hometown.  It began as a project by a student and has grown every year to become a welcome holiday event in our area.

Kish Park is a local park complete with picnic tables, a campground, duck pond, a stream, a community theater and a walking path.  From early December to early January, this park becomes a lighted holiday wonderland.The event is hosted by Freedom Avenue United Methodist Church. Different businesses and non-profit organizations sponsor and set up lighted holiday displays throughout the park. Visitors use the walking trail to enjoy all the displays. If you are not able to walk, a golf cart ride is offered.  If you go on certain nights, you can get a horse drawn carriage ride around the park.

Santa welcomes you to the park!

Just a few years ago, this was the extent of this event.  This year, there was some sort of activity or entertainment planned for every evening except Christmas eve, Christmas night, New Year's eve and New Year's night. There have been a dog walk and dog picture day, kid's make it/take it crafts, children's story time, a Christmas service, Karaoke and lighting of luminaries along the walking path.

New LED display on the duck pond

Many different local entertainers have performed including Saints and Singers barbershop quartet, Tim and Duane show, Cassie Campbell with Carla Traxler, Unusual Suspects, Free for All, Chris Ruble, Country Gospel Revival, Brush Mountain Band, Grace Fala with Rhonda Sweigart, Miranda Shoop, Drew Zimmerman, Blue Grass Country Express, Dylan Crosson and Mike Bair.  The night we were there, we listened to Drew Zimmerman while sipping our hot chocolate.  He was good!

Penguins getting warm by the fire

This was a totally free event.  Volunteers do welcome any donations you can make when you are at the park. The donations are used for expansion and maintenance of this delightful little piece of hometown fun. They also welcome any volunteer help. Check out the Kish Park Shining Light website for more information.

Destination: State Theatre for "It's a Wonderful Life"

My all time absolute favorite Christmas movie is, "It's a Wonderful Life". I put the DVD in every year on Christmas Eve, then fight sleep the whole time I watch it.

So this year, I found out that the State Theatre in State College was showing it on the big screen.  I was very excited.  We were able to purchase the tickets online for only $5 per person.  We went to the 7 p.m. showing on December 23rd.

Hubby and I found out two friends of ours were going on the same night.  We made plans for dinner before the show.  We went to the Green Bowl.  It was the first trip for John and Suzanne.  They really liked it.  We had a nice relaxing dinner and then walked to the theater.

John, Suzanne and hubby Bob at the Green Bowl

We were all surprised to see that the theater was almost full.  John and Suzanne had gone two years before and said there were only about thirty people there.  It was so cool to see a movie I almost know by heart on the big screen for the first time.  It was also really eye opening to hear groups of people laughing at the funny parts of the movie.  We all said our favorite lines out loud! At the end, everyone clapped and cheered.

Waiting for the movie to start

If you are in the State College area next Christmas, Check out the State Theatre if you would love to see, "It's a Wonderful Life" the way it was meant to be seen. If it's your favorite Christmas movie too, here's some things you may not know about the movie.  Amaze your friends  :)

1. It was based on the short story, "The Greatest Gift" by Phillip Van Dorenstern.  He couldn't get it published so he made it into a Christmas greeting card and sent it to 200 people. A producer from RKO Pictures saw the card and bought the movie rights for $10,000.
2. It was Donna Reed's first starring role.
3. Beulah Rondi, who played George Bailey's mom had played Jimmy Stewart's mom in three previous movies.
4. Director Frank Capra, Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart all call, "It's a Wonderful Life" their favorite movie.
5. The copyright lapse from 1974 to 1994 (it made the movie free to anyone who wanted to show it) turned this box office bomb into an American movie classic.
6. Donna Reed really threw the rock through the old Granville house window in one take.
7. The high school kid who opens the gym floor to expose the swimming pool as a prank is played by Carl Switzer AKA Alfalfa from "The Little Rascals".
8. The film was shot in the summer of 1946 during a heat wave. Production was shut down for a day due to extreme temperatures.
9. Carolyn Grimes (AKA Zuzu) did not see the film until 1980, 34 years after it was made.
10. Myth Busted: The characters of Bert and Ernie have no link to the Sasame Street muppets.  Jim Hensen and Jon Stone (the producer of Sesame Street) just thought the muppets looked like a Bert and Ernie. 

What's your all time favorite Christmas movie? Share your comments!

Destination: Peter Mayer Stars and Promises Concert

Last week my friends and I started the holiday season off on a great note by attending Peter Mayer's "Starts and Promises" Christmas concert in Lancaster, PA. In case you are asking, "who is Peter Mayer?", we were introduced to his talents when we went to a Jimmy Buffet concert years ago.  Peter is part of the Choral Reefers band that backs Jimmy.

Peter Mayer plays lead guitar.

Don't expect "Christmas in the Carribean" when you see "Starts and Promises".  This is a totally different musical experience.  Peter is an accomplished guitarist and he tours with some pretty impressive musicians. There is Mark Holland, a native American flute player.  I counted 13 different types of flutes that he played while onstage. Alicia Enstrom plays violin and has played as the featured violinist for Cirque du Soleil. R. Scott Bryan can play just about any instrument you put in front of him and is oh so good as the group's percussionist.  Chris Walters plays a soulful piano. Zeb Briskovich played great stand up bass.  Peter's son, Brendan is a talented guitarist and vocalist in his own right who has begun touring with his father in recent years.

The music in this concert is eclectic, inspirational and uplifting.  There are influences from Peter's childhood in India, jazz and rock.  The concert is filled with Peter's original songs.  Two of my favorites are "Junk Man's Christmas" and Peter's version of "Go Tell it on the Mountain".

We were about two rows back.

The concert was held at Highland Presbyterian Church.  This was a small venue, so there was no bad seat in the house. The music was a celebration of the joy of the season and we all felt a part of the celebration.  Several times during the concert, we were asked to join in the song. What fun!

Last Spring, we came to the church to see Peter's Easter concert.  My friend, John White won an Australian guitar that Peter raffled off for the church.  He decided to donate it back to the church so it could be re-raffled.  He's hoping it will become a little like those traveling pants in the book.  He's excited to see where the guitar goes next and what it's story will be.

John White and the now famous Aussie guitar.

Peter and his band are touring the country in the next few weeks before Christmas.  Take a look at his tour dates.  Maybe you will be able to enjoy this wonderful slice of Christmas for yourself!