What's Happening: Holiday Market and Open House, Country Christmas Show
DEC. 9
HOLIDAY MARKET AND OPEN HOUSE: The Shoppes at Thornebrook’s second annual Holiday Market and Open House is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9. The newer holiday tradition features Thornebrook Square decorated in winter wonderland attire with music on the outdoor stage and arts-and-crafts vendors set up throughout. Participating stores will be open late, and more than 50 artists and vendors have committed to this year’s event. Shoppes at Thornebrook is located at 2441 NW 43rd St. For more information, visit shoppesatthornebrook.com.
DEC. 9 THROUGH DEC. 10
TEDDY MAC ELVIS AND FRIENDS’ COUNTRY CHRISTMAS SHOW: The Teddy Mac Elvis and Friends’ Country Christmas Show is returning to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park after a hiatus due to COVID-19. The holiday event will feature a professionally dressed stage where renowned Elvis tribute artist Ted “Teddy Mac Elvis” McMullen and his Legends artists will entertain from 6 to 10 p.m. Dec. 9 and 5 to 10 p.m. Dec. 10. The Dec. 9 performance will be the pre-party where performers will wear normal attire. Dec. 10 will be the main performance with artists professionally attired for the occasion. For the last performance Saturday, McMullen will become Teddy Mac Elvis in full costume to end the show with a dynamic performance. Tickets are $11 for each night at the door or $17 for both nights in advance and are available by calling The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park at 386-364-1683 during their office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Legends performers each evening will be Keith Thrift as Conway Twitty and Dale Bennett as Loretta Lynn, Penny Hannah as Wynonna Judd, Calvin Smart as Johnny Cash, Bobby Long as Willie Nelson, Texanna as Patsy Cline, Diane Johnston Fields as Lorrie Morgan, Kathy Stafford as Shania Twain, Karen Black as Karen Carpenter and Trese Hill as Tammy Wynette. For more information, visit musicliveshere.com.
DEC. 9 THROUGH DEC. 11
“ELF: THE MUSICAL”: Buchholz Drama is putting on a musical version of a modern holiday classic. Based on the beloved holiday film, the hilarious comedy “Elf: The Musical” follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to spread Christmas cheer. As a young orphan, Buddy mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole, where he is raised alongside Santa’s elves. Unaware that he is human, Buddy has many comical challenges but never loses his Christmas spirit. Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to discover his true identity and help everyone remember the true meaning of Christmas. With a talented cast of more than 20 students, this musical will fill your family with holiday cheer — after all, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Buchholz Drama has won numerous performing arts awards under the leadership of Ted Lewis. They collected toys for this production earlier this year, and all donations will be given to children in need after the musical’s stage run. The musical ran on Broadway and tours annually in the U.S. The local production of “Elf the Musical” runs at 7 p.m. Dec. 9-10 and 2 p.m. Dec. 11 at Buchholz High School, 5510 NW 27th Ave. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for students, $10 for groups and free for BHS faculty. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit buchholzdrama.com.
DEC. 9 THROUGH DEC. 11
“SHREK THE MUSICAL”: “Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek …” And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude, and more than 1 dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand — and his name is Shrek. “Shrek The Musical,” the newest production from Gainesville Community Playhouse, brings all of the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears. Catch a performance at 8 p.m. Dec. 9-10 and 2 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Gainesville Community Playhouse, 4039 NW 16th Blvd. Tickets are $23 for general admission, $19 for seniors and $12 for students. For more information about this and upcoming productions, or to purchase tickets online, visit gcplayhouse.org.
DEC. 10
HOLIDAY HOMES TOUR: Welcome home for the holidays! The annual Holiday Homes Tour is set for 5 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 10, beginning at Matheson History Museum, 513 E. University Ave. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased online at bit.ly/holidayhomes22. This year’s event will feature new destinations on the walking tour, the opportunity to choose your tour time, and an expedited check-in process. The total tour length will be approximately 90 minutes. A new group will depart every 15 minutes from the Matheson History Museum and will return to the museum at the end of their tour. The route includes stops at the Matheson House/Tison Tool Barn, Colson Miller House (Mode Salon), Cushman-Colson House (Sweetwater Branch Inn) and the Medlin-Vipperman House (MB Listings, Inc.). Proceeds will benefit the Matheson History Museum, and refreshments will be provided there. Parking is available at the Matheson, next door at the law offices of Folds & Walker, and the Alachua County Public Schools District Offices.
DEC. 11
BIRTHDAY BLUES BASH: The North Central Florida Blues Society is throwing a birthday party for Bridget Kelly Band guitarist Dr. Tim Fik, and it will be a showcase of varying styles of blues as Biscuit Miller, JP Soars, the Bridget Kelly Band, Early Times, and Little Mike and the Tornadoes will perform at the High Dive on Dec. 11. Biscuit Miller, a showman known for his high-energy shows, plays Chicago blues with a funk side. Miller won Blues Music Awards for Best Bassist of the Year in 2012 and 2017. JP Soars is a Blues Music Award winner for the Contemporary Blues Male Artist category in 2013, and also was nominated in 2021. Soars and his band, The Red Hots, won the 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and claimed the prestigious Albert King Award as best guitarist. The Bridget Kelly Band is a two-time International Blues Challenge semifinalist. Inspired by classic and electric blues, the Bridget Kelly Band has placed their unique stamp on the blues-rock genre with high-energy live performances and a hybrid sound that mixes Texas blues with various Southern blues traditions. Known nationally as a DJ on BB King’s Bluesville on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Early Times is a talented singer and guitarist originally from Sacramento. Little Mike and the Tornadoes is well-known for its flawless, high-energy blues sound, modeled after the great Chicago bands of the ’50s. Little Mike is a mean harmonica player who cut his teeth in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s, backing up legendary bluesmen Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin and Jimmy Rogers, and was mentored by Paul Butterfield. General admission is $25, with NCFBS members getting in for $10. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the music starting at 5:30. See ncfblues.org for more details.
DEC. 17
“HOLIDAY HARMONIES IX — IT'S PARTY TIME”: Together again for their ninth holiday concert, Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus (women) and Barbergators Chorus (men) will unite to share four-part and eight-part harmonies. This concert will feature both choruses, quartets and a combined chorus. Get in the holiday spirit with some a cappella fun at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1521 NW 34th St. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and children. Online tickets are available through Dec. 16 at noon. After that, tickets will be available at the door. For more information, visit gainesvillechorus.com and barbergators.com.
ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 18
“A CHRISTMAS STORY”: The High Springs Playhouse brings Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s to life in their newest holiday production. “A Christmas Story” follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself at Higbee’s Department Store. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” All of the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking; Ralphie’s fantasy scenarios and more. Catch a performance at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 18 at High Springs Playhouse, 130 NE First Ave. in High Springs. Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $10 for students and ages 65 and older. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit highspringsplayhouse.com.
ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 18
“SOME OLD BLACK MAN”: In the latest production from Actors’ Warehouse, Calvin moves his 82-year-old doggedly independent, blue-collar, ailing father from Greenwald, Mississippi, into his Harlem penthouse, where an argument over what to eat for breakfast turns into a generational clash over race, opportunity and a decision that Calvin made years ago. See a performance of “Some Old Black Man” at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 18 at Actors’ Warehouse, 2512 NE First Blvd. Tickets are $25 for general admission, and $20 for students and ages 65 and older. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit actorswarehouse.org.
ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 23
“MURDER FOR TWO — HOLIDAY EDITION”: One of Hippodrome Theatre’s most popular productions — “Murder For Two” — is returning with a festive twist. One actor plays the investigator, the other plays all 13 suspects, and both play the piano throughout! This “whodunit” is the perfect blend of music, mayhem, murder and mistletoe! Don’t miss the return of this killer musical comedy — with a holiday twist! “Murder For Two — Holiday Edition” runs at 8 p.m. Fridays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Thursdays through Dec. 23 at the Hippodrome Theatre, 25 SE Second Place. Tickets run $20 to $50. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit thehipp.org.
ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 23
“A CHRISTMAS CAROL”: The Gainesville holiday tradition “A Christmas Carol” has returned to the Hippodrome Theatre. Go from “bah, humbug!” to dashing through the snow and sleigh rides while staying true to the weighty themes of the original novel as local actors deliver a gripping story, cheerful holiday music and genuine laughs for the whole family. “A Christmas Carol” can be seen at 1 and 4 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 17, 7 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 18, 1 and 7 p.m. Dec. 19, 7 p.m. Dec. 21, 1 and 4 p.m. Dec. 22 and 2 p.m. Dec. 23 at the Hippodrome Theatre, 25 SE Second Place. Tickets run $20 to $50. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit thehipp.org.
ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 26
CHRISTMAS EXPRESS: Kirby Family Farm has opened its gates for its annual Christmas Express, which will run 6 to 10 p.m. Dec. 2-3 plus Dec. 9-11, Dec. 16-23 and Dec. 26. The Christmas train is a holiday event with lots of activities to see and do. Organizers recommend at least two hours for the entire experience, which features performances, vendors, a petting zoo, rides and a visit with Santa Claus. The highlight of the evening is a featured train ride through thousands of Christmas lights pulled by one of the farm’s old-fashioned locomotives. Tickets are $15.99 for ages 10 and older in advance, $20 for ages 10 and older at the gate, $10.99 for ages 3 to 9 in advance, $15 for ages 3-9 at the gate and free for ages 2 and younger. Tickets can be purchased in advance at kirbyfarm.com/the-christmas-express. Kirby Family Farm is located at 19630 NE 30th St. in Williston.
ONGOING THROUGH DEC. 31
SUWANNEE LIGHTS: It’s the Christmas season again, and the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park and Campground is still showcasing its drive-through, walk-through Suwannee Lights. This holiday event, set for 6 to 10 p.m. nightly through Dec. 31, features more than 10 million colorful lights along with moving displays, amazing sights, a Craft Village, Santa’s workshop and their patriotic display with moving soldiers. Purchase some holiday gifts while in the Country Store or from craft vendors. Patrons also will be able to enjoy hot chocolate, s’mores, Christmas candy, caroling, campfires and making memories that will last a lifetime. Suwannee Lights has become a tradition for families from all over to visit each year. Tickets are based on the date you attend and whether they are purchased online or at the gate: $10 Friday adult tickets when purchased online; $12 Friday adult tickets when purchased at the gate; $12 Saturday adult tickets when purchased online; $15 Saturday adult tickets when purchased at the gate; $8 Sunday through Thursday adult tickets when purchased online; $10 Sunday through Thursday adult tickets when purchased at the gate; $2 for ages 4-12. They can be purchased online at suwanneelights.com/tickets. The SOS Café is open Thursdays through Saturdays and presents live music every Friday and Saturday night from 7 to 10 p.m. During live event performances, a minimum of $5 per person is required, unless otherwise specified, on the front porch. The SOS Café is open Thursdays through Saturdays for breakfast, lunch and supper. For advance reservations, call 386-364-1703. The SOSMP is located off of U.S. 129 at 3076 95th Drive in Live Oak.
ONGOING THROUGH JAN. 23, 2023
“ANIMATIONLAND”: Join Tracey the pencil dog and her crew — Rooth, Drop, Inky, Uno and Kari — on a fantastically immersive journey to create stories using science and imagination. In Cade Museum’s newest exhibit, attendees can dive into the world of storytelling and channel their creativity to develop their own animated production using storyboarding, sketching, stop-motion movie making and more. The quirky cast of characters and hands-on interactives break down the process step-by-step to reveal how animated features are created. “Animationland” empowers visitors of all ages to experiment, learn and tell their own stories through animation. This exhibition was created by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. See it for yourself from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays at the museum, located at 811 N. Main St. Tickets are $12.50 for general admission, $10 for seniors and college students, $7.50 for ages 5-17 and free for ages 4 and younger. For more information, visit cademuseum.org.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What's Happening: 'Elf,' 'Shrek The Musical,' Holiday Homes Your
