With just three weeks to go until Christmas, the holiday season is in full swing. This is the time of year when people come together to celebrate as a community. This often takes the form of decorated homes, joyful music and special street decorations, but nowhere is it more on display than during the many special holiday celebrations.
These ever-popular gatherings get underway this weekend with “winterfest” events in Royal Palm Beach and Wellington, and continue next weekend with the 31st annual Wellington Holiday Parade, which will bring 10,000 spectators to line Forest Hill Blvd. as more than 100 holiday-themed parade entries march along the time-honored route.
Every family has its own holiday traditions, but it is also important to make room for these communal traditions that help bind us together as a society. Yes, it is possible to spend the next month indoors watching the many cable channels running movie marathons of holiday favorites. However, such anti-social behavior belies the spirit of the holiday season. So, gather up your family and friends, and head on over to one or more of these holiday festivities:
• Newly expanded this year, the Royal Palm Beach Winter Festival will take place Saturday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 9 p.m. at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park with local choirs, bands and dance teams on stage, a variety of holiday crafts and decorations, and plenty of rides and games. Santa Claus will be stopping by. Food will be provided by the popular Food Truck Invasion. For more info., visit www.royalpalmbeach.com.
• The next Acreage Community Park Music Fest will also have a holiday theme. Taking place Saturday, Dec. 6 from 2 to 10 p.m., food trucks will be onsite, as will the classic car cruise-in. This month’s music fest will also feature a chili cook-off benefiting Flags for the Cure, as well as a special appearance by Santa Claus. For more info., visit www.acreagelandowners.com.
• Wellington Winterfest featuring Vanilla Ice will return to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. Presented by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the event will include a food and wine expo, shopping and food vendors, local musical and dance performances, a show jumping competition and more. For more info., visit www.wellingtonchamber.com.
• The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will present the 31st annual Wellington Holiday Parade on Sunday, Dec. 14. The Holiday Park at the Wellington Amphitheater opens at noon, and the parade begins at 2:30 p.m. at the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace, and heads along Forest Hill Blvd. to the Wellington Amphitheater. Visit www.cpbchamber.com for more info.
Aside from these events, most of the area schools have special events and concerts planned, as do many of the local and regional cultural organizations, such as the wide array of holiday-themed shows appearing this year at the Kravis Center. Take out your calendar and start filling it up with appointments that will get you in the holiday spirit!
