December 1, 2009

Holiday Walkabout – Tuesday after Thanksgiving

6:00 PM -9:00 PM

Entertainment MAP

Printable Version of this information

Entering our third decade, this annual event in Downtown Lakeland celebrates the holidays with shopping, dining, music,  horse-drawn wagon rides and more! Holiday music from many area schools and churches create a festive atmosphere. Pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a kiddie train ride,  pony rides and lots of holiday shopping complete the picture!

PLEASE NOTE:

LRMC Foundation Lights of Life lighting of the tree ceremony IS NO LONGER HAPPENING DOWNTOWN.  Please contact LRMC Foundation if you have questions about this activity.

Here are the details for the walkabout:

Photos with Santa are located at the Pansler Law Firm on Pine Street. Pictures are $2 per photo.  To keep the line moving we can not allow additional poses and personal photos to be taken.

Pony rides will be located on North Kentucky Ave, next to Lloyds of Lakeland Antiques Mall.  Pony rides are $4 per person. Pay at ride.

Kiddie Train Ride will be located in the Munn Park parking lot,  just north of Munn Park. Train rides are $1 per person per ride. Pay at ride.

Carriage rides, sponsored by Gray Robinson, are free and will circle Munn Park. Loading for rides will be on the corner of Tennessee Ave and Main St. Lifestyle Family Fitness booth will be there to entertain you with holiday music.

Street Closures:

We will begin to cone off parking spaces to clear the streets at 3:30pm on Tuesday, Dec 1. Official time for street closure is 5pm. Here is a link to the street closure map.

Event Activities: Downtown will have 3 “villages”:

Santa’s Village: (The block of Pine Street from S. Florida to Tennessee) Santa photos will be held at Pansler Law firm, our generous sponsor. Photos are a digital print in an event keepsake holder and are $2 each. Patrons will pay at the photo location. Pansler Law firm provides a beautiful setting with elaborate decorations and treats for the guests. Also in Santa’s Village enjoy free Christmas tattoos provided by Heacock Insurance. Meet a Ringling Bros clown, register for free tickets to the Circus and get a clown nose!  Brightway Insurance will have a drawing for a FREE gas card plus holiday cookies and candy canes. Be entertained with holiday tunes from Phil Schnieder Trio before and after Rochelle School of the Arts performs at 7pm.

Who-ville: (The blocks of Kentucky Ave between Pine and Oak) The Grinch will be on hand to take candid photos and shake hands. Get some yummy “who-hash” at Purple Onion restaurant. My Cottage Garden is having a Tea Tasting, including “Who-Tea”.  Home Essentials will have a drawing for a Set of 2 Christmas Serving Plates from Vietri. ($125. value, no purchase necessary) Parresol Jewelers will be working on assembling a clock made out of paper, that will actually, keep time, be rewound, and is operated by weights, will have small and large Grinch heart cookies, Grinch mints, and Grinch masks for children to take home and make.  They are also having a guest craftsman who will be demonstrating hand weaving baskets, vases, etc which will also be for sale. Get yummy apple cider at Barrow & Powers and St. Joseph’s Academy will perform at 6:30. Get candy canes and cupcakes at the Law office of Ramona Blankenship. Stop by the SPCA table to adopt your very own Max, straight from Whoville! We’ll even have some of Max’s feline friends and another canine or two. He’s a friendly guy and will surely steal your heart. If you don’t fall in love with him, your heart may just be looking for one of his best buds. Don’t be a Grinch! Help us help others! From Dec 1 through Dec 4 bring non perishable food items to the GO MINI in the parking lot north of Mitchells Coffee House.  This holiday Food drive is organized by Brooke Pottery.  Holiday music and a balloon artist will entertain you while you drop off your goodies. GOSH Asian Buffet will play “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (original cartoon version at 6, 7, & 8 pm)  Keller Williams Realtors will be giving out free hot chocolate on Pine St. Calvary Church will entertain throughout the evening and Salvation Army bell ringers will perform in front of Brooke Pottery.  Pony rides will be located on North Kentucky Ave, next to Lloyds of Lakeland Antiques Mall.  Pony rides are $4 per person. Pay at ride.

Nutcracker Village: (The block of Kentucky Ave between Main and Lemon) Sugarplum fairies and mice roam the streets with other Nutcracker related activities in stores and restaurants. Kicking off the Nutcracker activities is Broadway Studios “A Christmas Nutcracker Showcase” at 6pm featuring their award willing show team performing ballet, pointe, tap, hip hop and more!  Then stay for more great holiday music from McKeel Elementary.   Frescos Bakery & Bistro will host cupcake decorating.  Plus check out the kid’s activities – Make your own “costume”- mouse ears, sugarplum fairy wings & toy soldier hats (kids will pick one to decorate & wear) . Faces will be painted to match!
Don’t miss Jingle Jam at 7:30 in front of FastFrame.  Kids, get your Jingle Bells from merchants on S. Kentucky and then at 7:30 everyone will gather up and ring the bells and make a huge noise to “ring in the holiday season.” Florida Dance Theatre will do a Nutcracker related performance right after Jingle Jam (about 7:45). Then Lakeland Community Theatre will will have the 6 cast members of The Sanders Family Christmas and do a couple of 10-15 minute performances.  The General Store will have Rick Olivo, a quick sketch artist, to capture you at the Holiday Walkabout. The General Store will be all abustle with traditional Christmas excitement in the air! Gifts for the appetite will be featured, including Chalet Suzanne’s Orange Aspic Cake – sure to be a hit at any gathering and Lakeland’s own Garth will be on-site sampling his “Hillbilly Ketsup” BBQ Sauce and rubs. Don’t forget the Stayskal family’s “Country Bee Honey”, fresh from Lakeland hives to your favorite recipes – or just right from a spoon! Last Call! Guests can bring their cards, letters and gifts for our service men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. We want them to receive their boxes in time for the holidays. For a suggestion of items needed, check out the DLP web site or contact The General Store or FastFrame. Donations can also be made to help offset the shipping – each box costs $11.75. Special give-aways for customers and fun for all! Historic Lakeland will set up for the sale of Christmas ornaments and DVD’s. Home Inventory Specialist is handing out candy canes with the Legend of the Candy Cane and  will be having a drawing for a $25 restaurant gift card.

MUNN PARK: Munn Park area is Holiday Central. City Christmas lights decorate the park.  JP Henderson with Galaxy of Lights will entertain with  Christmas music  filling the park with holiday cheer and keep the crowd informed about where activities are and when. REFUGE CHURCH will be giving away balloon animals and glow bracelets at the corner of Cedar St. and Kentucky Ave. Explorations V Children’s Museum open 6pm-8pm –FREE Admission Drop in or stay and play! A free holiday activity for kids!

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE:

JP Henderson Galaxy of Lights – Munn Park 6-9pm
Bryan Rivers – In front of Crispers 6-9pm
Phil Schneider Trio – Pine and Tennessee 6-9pm
Lifestyle Family Fitness – Tennessee and Main – Holiday music 6-9pm
Rochelle School of the Arts – 7pm – Tennessee & Pine
St. Josephs Academy – 6:30 – Kentucky & Bay
Berkley Charter School- 6:30 – Main & Tennessee
McKeel Elementary – 6:45 – Kentucky & Lemon
Balloon Artist and Holiday Tunes – Traders Alley and Kentucky 6-9pm
Calvary Church – Kentucky and Oak 6-9pm
Salvation Army Bell Ringers – Kentucky & Pine 6-9pm
Broadway Studios – 6pm – Kentucky & Lemon
Florida Dance Theatre – 7:45 – S. Kentucky
Lakeland Community Theatre – 8pm S. Kentucky

Parking info:

Because of the street closures, parallel parking on the streets and access to the Munn Park lot will not be available. However, there is ample FREE public parking in the following areas:

ALL PERMIT Parking lots are FREE after 5pm and on Weekends. ( Bay Street and the corner of Massachusetts and Cedar are great choices) There is a FREE lot on Oak Street, and parking in the Main Street garage is also FREE after 5pm. You can enter either the permit parking side on Main St. or the Public Parking side on Cedar St.