Christmas Events We've Done This Year

Normally this time of year I'm talking about my favorite Holiday movies but I haven't really been watching movies because the last two months have been non-stop parade so I thought I'd share some of the fun holiday things we've been doing.

1.  Krewe of Jingle Holiday Parade in New Orleans - This was the craziest Christmas parade I've ever been too.  There were people on stilts, dancers, bands, Elvises on scooters, giant floats and all kinds of other things.  Oh and of course Santa at the end with an elf with a dyed green beard. And the stuff we ended up bringing home!  Candy, so many beads, a souvenir cup, a children's book, a Frisbee, a light up bracelet, a stuffed animal, and did I mention beads?  They ran out of rubber chickens and flamingo shaped flasks before they got to us but I was okay with that.  We had so much fun! 

2.  Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival in Gulfport, Mississippi - Gulfport may just be my favorite town.  The downtown is full of gorgeous old art deco buildings, the beach is stunning, there are some amazing restaurants and once a year one of the casinos sponsors this huge light display in the city part that's right on the water and it is so much fun.  It's a very nautical Christmas but such fun to walk around and look at all the displays. 

3.  Zoo Lights at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans - I'm a sucker for a lights display if you can't tell and Zoo Lights is a lot of fun.  They have these gorgeous enormous light up lanterns in the shape of all different animals and they're displayed in little scenes.  There's a life size Santa Claus, Santa, a carousel, and all those beautiful live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and just covered in lights.  It's gorgeous. 

4.  A production of A Christmas Carol in Huntsville, Alabama - We were home for a weekend and managed to squeeze in a play by our local theater company.  I'd seen this years ago and really enjoyed it so I was excited to see what I thought of it now that I've finally read the story.  They changed the way they did the production a bit but it was really good.  Even the Tornado enjoyed it.

And Something We Hope To Do:

5.  Enchanted Winter Celebration at Anakeesta in Gatlinburg, Tennessee - We are heading up to Gatlinburg right after Christmas to celebrate the Tornado's birthday (how can he be turning 10?????) and this event is described as having a walk in snow globe, a canopy of lights, and all kinds of other whimsical fun.  I think it sounds like lots of fun.  And it's up in the mountains and you have to take a ski lift just to get to it which also sounds fun.