Suwannee Lights returns for December

LIVE OAK, Fla. — Suwannee Lights at Sprit of the Suwannee Music Park will open every evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. starting Dec. 3 and ending Christmas Eve. The park is located 4.5 miles south of Interstate 75 and 4.5 miles north of Interstate 10 at 3076 95th Drive at the Suwannee River of US-129 in Live Oak, Fla. Participants will ride through the park, viewing Christmas scenes from the comfort of their own vehicle. Then take a walking tour to see the more than six million lights and many new displays. Santa and his elves will be at the park to meet with kids and ask them what they want for Christmas. The nationally famous Puppetone Rockers musical performance group will bring music excitement nightly with puppets and fun for children and adults. There will also be live entertainment around the campfire with hot cocoa and marshmallow roasting.

 

VSU Jazz plays Ellington, Foo Fighters

VALDOSTA, Ga. — The Valdosta State University Jazz Ensemble will perform 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, on the Whitehead Auditorium stage. Admission is free of charge and open to the public. Throughout the evening, the Jazz Ensemble will perform music by the legendary Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, as well as new arrangements by the Foo Fighters and Snarky Puppy, according to a VSU press release. The students will be joined on stage by special guests Matt Roehrich, assistant professor of saxophone at VSU; Jesse Cook, assistant professor of trumpet at VSU; and Ryan Smith, assistant professor of percussion at VSU. The VSU Jazz Ensemble was recently the only college jazz ensemble selected to perform at the 2017 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference Jan. 26-28 in Athens. The concert Tuesday will serve as a preview of what the group plans to share with the state’s top public school, private school, college, university, and private studio music educators and their students during the conference, according to VSU. Conducted by David Springfield, assistant professor of jazz piano and director of VSU’s jazz studies program, the VSU Jazz Ensemble “is the premier performing jazz ensemble in the jazz area … with a repertoire ranging from Big Band era standards to contemporary styles and original jazz compositions.” The group has toured Europe and performed with such artists as Marvin Stamm, Dizzy Gillespie, Byron Stripling, Ernie Watts, and more. Whitehead Auditorium is located on the first floor of the VSU Fine Arts Building, at the intersection of Oak Street and Brookwood Drive.

 

Georgia Peanut Commission to host Christmas open house

TIFTON, Ga. — The Georgia Peanut Commission will be hosting a Christmas Open House event at the GPC office located at 445 Fulwood Blvd. from 1-4 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2016. The event will take place in conjunction with Tifton’s Hometown Holiday Christmas Celebration and is open to the public. The Georgia Peanut Gift Shop, located inside the Georgia Peanut Commission will be open during the event for holiday shopping. Peanut-embossed belts, Georgia Peanut branded tumblers and peanut-inspired jewelry are among some of the most popular novelty items sold in the gift shop. During the holiday season, GPC also offers a special holiday gift pack which includes a 12-ounce can of honey roasted, 12-ounce can of butter toffee and a 12-ounce can of skinless salted peanuts all packaged in a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays box.  GPC will be providing a variety of holiday peanut treats to guests as they stop in and visit. GPC hopes this event not only puts visitors in the holiday spirit, but encourages them to incorporate peanuts and peanut butter into holiday dishes.  The Georgia Peanut Commission represents approximately 3,400 peanut farmers in the state of Georgia and carries out programs in the areas of research, promotion and education. For additional information on the programs of the Georgia Peanut Commission, visit www.gapeanuts.com.

 

“Polar Express” readings and trains highlight event

CHATSWORTH, Ga. — Christmas is coming to the Old Chatsworth Depot on Saturday, Dec. 3, prior to the annual 6 p.m. Christmas Parade through downtown. The 1905 L&N Chatsworth train depot on First Avenue will be open from noon to 4 p.m. celebrating the holidays with the Polar Express day. The depot will be decorated for Christmas, but the highlight of the afternoon will be model Christmas trains set up and running in the former freight room by local train enthusiast Ted Yarbrough and other members of the Georgia Garden Railway Society. Local educators will do readings of “The Polar Express” on the half hour. Refreshments will be served and there could be a special someone dressed in red with gifts for the children. The event is free for children 10 and under accompanied by a paid adult, but a $2 donation for those ages 11 and up is requested, with all proceeds going to the continued preservation of the depot. The event is co-sponsored by the Chatsworth-Murray County Library and the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society. For more information, call the library at (706) 695-4200.