The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current, November 29, 2018, Image 8

Georgia Historic Newspapers

The times., November 29, 2018, Image 8

About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 2018)

Page of 30

Prev Issue Next Issue

Text PDF JP2 (2.5 MB) Clip/Print Image

Page of 30

Prev Issue Next Issue

Return to Top

Newspaper Page TextNick Bowman Features Editor | 770-718-3426 | getout@gainesvilletimes.com W&t Sttncs gainesvilletimes.com Thursday, November 29, 2018 Christmas celebration bigger than ever DECEMBER 2, 2018 4:30-5:15 Parade 5:00-7:00 Activities along Green Street 7:00-7:15 Tree Lighting Ceremony Gainesville Newcomers Club Docents dressed in Victorian period costumes serve as hostesses at Historic Green Street houses. PARADE START 751 First Baptist Church Family Christmas Program 6:30 635 The Spa on Green Street Open House & Refreshments Humane Society of Northeast GA 625 Collision Specialists Gainesville Exploration Academy 5:15-5:45 Riverbend Elementary 5:45-6:15 605 Kelly & Bell Alicats Dance & More 5:15-5:45 539 Whitmer & Law Gainesville High 5:15-5:45 C.W. Davis Middle School 6-6:30 Flowery Branch High 6:30-7 529 Hasty Pope Trial Lawyers Fellowship of Christian Athletes 517 Mitchell-Shelby House Celebration Ringers Hand Bell Choir 427 Corso Law Center Open House Mariachi Band 411 Southern Realty Star Phillips 6:30-7 403 Inez Grant Gillsville Law Open House The Gentry Irish Band Face Painting 393 The Fudgery Fudge making & samples 345 The Times Kids' train rides Open house Photo booth Letters to Santa 311 Pinnacle Bank Food Truck Festival 3-7:30 Rotary Tree Lighting 7:00 Restrooms 830 Gainesville Civic Center Refreshments Carriage Rides Food Truck Jacobs Media/WDUN Radio Petting Zoo Restrooms 756 9th District Mediation Center Open House & Refreshments Centennial Elementary 5:15-5:45 Chestnut Mountain Elementary 6-6:30 Johnson High School 6:30-7 746 Winner Wellness Clinic Open House & Refreshments Dulcimer Club Face Painting Jackson-Walters House Enota Elementary School 5:15-5:45 Lakeview Academy 6-6:30 704 Mellow Mushroom Open for Dinner 624 Seasons Transport Open House & Refreshments 616 Blair C. Diaz, CPA, PC Gainesville Middle Chorus 5:45-6:15 Riverside Military Acad. Chorus 6:15-6:45 514 Quinlan Visual Arts Center Holiday Craft Market 3-7 Kids’ Ornament Craft 5-6:30 Lanier Hills Kids 5:30 & 6:15 454 Protein Foods Balloon Artists Refreshments 446 Brightstone Transitions Open House & Refreshments 434 The Norton Agency Visits with Santa Claus Open House & Refreshments Salvation Army Band 380 W.L. Norton House Main Street Gainesville, Coupon Books 5:15-7 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 6-6:30 340 Jacobs Building of Brenau University First Aid Parade Contest Winners WBCX Brenau Radio A rush of cheer will be coming down Green Street on Sunday BY NICK BOWMAN nbowman@gainesvilletimes.com A decked-out Christmas on Green Street is coming to Gaines ville this weekend, and this year’s event could be the street’s cheeriest ever. A 40-car parade (plus marching bands, twirlers and — it almost goes without saying — miniature horses), nine food trucks, petting zoos, mariachi bands, dulcimer groups, fudge samples, carriage rides, train rides, choirs, face painting — Christmas on Green Street is going all out this year from the start of the 4:30 p.m. parade to the 7 p.m. Christmas tree lighting. This Sunday’s event is the first to be organized in part by Main Street Gainesville, the city’s booster organization for the downtown core. Main Street Gainesville has expanded its focus in the past few months from the Gainesville square to the broader downtown and, now, the Green Street corridor. For years Christmas on Green Street has been organized by members of the Hall County His torical Society. This year, the group and its committees worked with Main Street to get the event rolling. And the organizers have really crammed in as much Christmas as they could this year: 27 proper ties along Green Street will have multiple events and attractions through the evening, including many live music acts and events for kids (see again: train and car riage rides, plus face painting and, at The Times, they can drop off their letters to Santa). The parade includes 20 floats, 20 antique cars, the Riverside Military Academy, Atlanta Free dom Band, and Gainesville High Christmas on Green Street Where: Downtown Gainesville When: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2 How much: Free School marching bands, and one giant chicken (it’s the city’s float). If you’re wondering about those miniature horses, Mane Event Equine Therapy is bring ing them. A solid slate of cos tumed performers will roam the streets during Christmas on Green Street. The Times has asked, but as of deadline it wasn’t clear whether Gainesville’s beloved storm troopers will be returning to the event this year. Santa, of course, will be bring ing up the rear aboard his tradi tional fire truck. And dotted up and down Green Street will be 10 food trucks from North Georgia and Atlanta: Cous ins Maine Lobster, The Patty Wagon, Habanero Grill, OBA! Brazilian Cuisine, Carnival Food Truck, Big C’s Chicago Kitchen, South of Philly, Southern Crust, Repicci’s Real Italian Ice and Sherry’s Bait and Barbecue. “Let me tell you, these people sold out last year,” said Barbara Cole, who was put to the task of wrangling food trucks for the event. “They sold completely out.” Along with the food trucks, Mellow Mushroom will be open for dinner on Sunday and The Fudgery will — at long last — be offering samples of the compa ny’s fudge. To wrap up the event, the Christmas tree at the corner of Green and Academy streets — or is it E.E. Butler and Academy? — will be set aglow at 7 p.m. Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Above: “Star Wars” characters entertain parade watchers Sunday, Dec. 3,2017, during the annual Christmas on Green Street parade. Right: Characters parade along Green Street. Planning to drive around the city on Sunday? You might want to plan ahead. Here are the streets that are closing from 2:30-7:30 p.m. this Sun day, according to Gainesville spokeswoman Nikki Perry: • Thompson Bridge Road from Enota to Green Street. • Green Street from Thomp son Bridge to E.E. Butler. • E.E. Butler from Green Street to Jesse Jewell. • Detour from Jesse Jewell: Traffic will remain open on Prior Street to Glenwood Drive (by Civic Center) to Morning- side Drive. ‘The Nutcracker’ returns to Gainesville AUSTIN STEELE I The Times Alexis Arria, left, and Nick Hagelin, both performers in The Gainesville Ballet Company’s The Nutcracker, rehearse wearing costumes at the Peace Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 27. ‘Nutcracker’ plays at The Venue for second year If you want to catch a performance of “The Nutcracker” in the South Hall area, or can’t make it Gainesville, catch the Southern Ballet The atre performance in mid-December. This is the third year the Lawrenceville ballet will perform at The Venue at Friendship Springs near the Gwinnett County line in Flowery Branch. The group of Gwinnett dancers will take to the stage at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15 for their sec ond performance of “The Nutcracker” at The Venue. The group’s first came in 2017. “Most of our dancers are in Gwinnett County... and there aren’t many (the aters) that can hold a full blown production, so when it was built we were excited that there was a theater that held what we needed,” said Alicia Chitwood, co director of the ballet. Performers range in age from 10 to 18 years old, and the production includes a few professionals in key roles. Advance ticket prices are $18.50 for adults, with a discount for students, and cost more at the door. Times staff BY AMBER TYNER atyner@gainesvilletimes.com The Gainesville Ballet Company is twirling into the Christmas season with its annual production of “The Nutcracker.” Four performances are sched uled through the weekend at Brenau University’s Pearce Audi torium, and the company’s artistic director Diane Callahan expects the room to be filled at each one. “It’s the opening door to Christ mas,” she said about the production. “It’s all about Christmas and a little girl having a Christmas dream.” While the company’s rendition is adapted from the original version of “The Nutcracker,” Callahan said she’s made some changes through out the years. “The very first ‘Nutcracker’ we ever did, the first act was done by the actors at Gainesville Theatre Alliance,” she said. “They actually spoke and told the story in the first act, and then the ballet company did the dances for the second act. It wasn’t until a few years later that I actually came up with a bunch of ideas that are different from most ‘Nutcrackers’ for the first act.” Along with using different music, Callahan said she also cut a few scenes. “In most ‘Nutcrackers,’ they have what they call a big party scene with a lot of adults,” she said. “I don’t have that scene at all. Also there’s usually a Rat King and rats that have a battle with a toy soldier. We eliminated that also.” She most of her changes have revolved around adding more danc ing for the children. “I keep adding dances, and we keep adding dancers,” she said. “It’s just been a wonderful experience.” This year, the production will feature a new dance called “Las Parisiennes.” “It means the Parisians,” she said. “They’re supposed to be French people, and they’re sup posed to be silly and funny and goofy.” She said the ballet includes about 50 dancers, who range in age from 6 years old to professionals in their 30s. Mary Rose Gibson, a senior dance major at Brenau, said she’s been involved with the Gainesville Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ for the last ‘The Nutcracker’ When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1; 2 p.m. Dec. 2 Where: Pearce Auditorium, 202 Boulevard NE, Gainesville How much: $14-28 More info: 770-532-4241, gbcinfo@gainesvilleballet.org four years. “It’s just really magical,” she said about the production. “I think that it’s just a really great Christmas tra dition. There’s nothing like it.” Callahan has been carving out parts for Gainesville’s dedicated performers. “When I find talented kids, I do something with them,” she said. “I make dances for them.” Alexis Arria, a professional dancer who will be the “Sugar Plum Fairy” in the ballet, said her favor ite part is seeing the reaction of children. “If you can make a kid smile, you can really do anything,” she said. “If you can make them laugh, it’s pretty incredible to me.”