Sparkling lights, familiar carols, colors of red and green, gold and silver, must only mean one thing!  It’s beginning to look like Christmas! That wonderful time of the year when the aromas of allspice and cinnamon fill the air along with pungent odors of evergreens and bayberry, snuggly robes and mugs of hot chocolate, send us back down memory lane of Christmas past.  What fragrances, tastes, and textiles send you back through your own Christmas memories?  How about making a new memory for you and those you love?  The holidays always seem to hold magical moments when families can initiate their very own traditions.  Here are a few suggestions to help you begin new traditions with your family this holiday season:

www.gaylordhotels.com will hold a Christmas celebration starting off with comedian/singer, Mark Lowry.  His clean humor is good for all ages.  Mark is the author of the beautiful Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know.”  This year he hosts a senior trip, promising to be filled with memories in the making for you and the family.  Join Mark and a host of your favorite singers at the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Resort, world renowned for its Christmas décor and events.

Package includes three nights accommodation and tickets to five incredible shows - including the Pam Tillis Christmas Dinner Party.  VIP Package available! Get premium seating, breakfast with Mark and the ICE! ™ sculpture tour. 

You are recommended to contact the resort by phone rather than online due to large number of expected ticket sales! Call 1-888-OPRY-872. 

Entertainment Agenda

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10
7:00 p.m. - Mark Lowry Show

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11
10:00 a.m. - Morning Worship
11:00 a.m. - 'Name That Tune' with Mark Lowry & Woody Wright
7:00 p.m. - Christmas Celebration Concert

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12
8:00 a.m. - VIP breakfast with Mark*
10:00 a.m. - Christmas Carol Sing-a-long
11:00 a.m. - Joke-e-oke - Bring your best Joke!
2:00 p.m. - VIP tour of ICE!™ with Mark*
7:30 p.m. - Pam Tillis Christmas Dinner Party
   with special guest Mark Lowry
9:30 p.m. - Farewell Sing with Mark Lowry & friends

*Included in VIP Package

Here is another fantastic Christmas vacation the whole family can appreciate:  “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes will run from November 9, 2007 through December 30, 2007. Prices range from $40 to $100. Tickets are available online at www.radiocity.com or at the Radio City Box Office (50th Street and Avenue of the Americas). Box Office hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the Ticketmaster Christmas Hotline at (212) 307-1000 or at any Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket prices include a $4.50 facility charge. Tickets purchased via Ticketmaster are subject to service charges. Please call (212) 247-4777 for more information.

The 2007 edition of the Christmas Spectacular will include dramatic theatrical lighting effects, breathtaking imagery, flying characters, new musical compositions specifically written for this year's production, and an array of new glamorous costumes that only Radio City can deliver.  The Radio City Christmas Spectacular creates wonderful memories for more than one million patrons each year and has been seen by approximately 62 million people since its inception in 1933, when it was originally performed as a holiday "gift" between movie screenings. The Christmas Spectacular has long since become the main event and draws people from all over the world who want to experience a quintessential New York City Christmas. The 2007 edition of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular promises to continue to create memories that audiences have come to treasure.

Finally, one of my favorites:  This year marks the 19th Ozark Mountain Christmas! Holiday cheer and world-class live entertainment combine for an unforgettable 2007 Ozark Mountain Christmas season in Branson, Missouri. Recognized recently as a Top 100 Event in North America by a leading travel industry organization - the American Bus Association (ABA) - Ozark Mountain Christmas transforms America's live entertainment capital into a holiday oasis for the entire family. In recent years, USA Today, the A&E Network, and the Wall Street Journal have all recognized the Branson area as an outstanding holiday vacation destination.

Visitors to Branson can enjoy Christmas-themed, star-studded production shows, millions of holiday lights, theme park festivals, name-brand outlet and boutique shopping, outdoor events and attractions, and warm Ozarks hospitality. Holiday shows feature live entertainment from performers known around the world.

Almost every theatre in Branson creates a magical Christmas show for its visitors. Holiday shows begin the first week of November and feature special holiday sets, costumes and music throughout about half of the show. Carols and hymns, old and new, plus the special effects will surely put you in the holiday spirit. The music of Mannheim Steamroller and Broadway's Spirit of Christmas are great new additions to Branson's Christmas show line-up.

The area offers some of the nation's most spectacular lighting displays. All the businesses take on a holiday appearance and you'll feel as if you stepped into a living Christmas card. The Branson Area Festival of Lights' has over 200 displays and is located along Branson Hills Parkway on the North end of Branson.

Don't forget The Shepherd of the Hills - Trail of Lights! Your drive through this magical Christmas Wonderland ends at Inspiration Tower. Climb to the top, (or take the elevator) for a site to take your breath away of the Ozark Mountains and Branson literally "lit up like a Christmas tree!"

Silver Dollar City is transformed to a holiday paradise circa 1880´s. Special shows are presented in the theatres throughout the park, as well as strolling carolers in their period costumes. The smells of hot cider and roasted nuts, and other holiday fare, wafts through the air at every turn. There's a 17 foot talking Christmas tree that interacts with the kids (whatever their age) and a magnificent 5 story special effects Christmas tree with lights synchronized to music.

Area businesses participate in the Festival by adorning their storefronts and grounds with colorful lights to further add to the spirit-filled atmosphere of the season.

The 59th Annual Adoration Parade on December 2nd, 2007 is a big, old-fashioned Christmas parade with over 70 bands and floats passing through the streets of historic downtown Branson. The climax of the event is the lighting of the nativity scene atop Mount Branson.

With over 100 shows, theme parks, tons of attractions, the lakes, mountains, shopping and world-class golf, entertainment in Branson is so varied that everyone will find many things they enjoy.   Happy Traveling!

(photos are courtesy of Branson, Missouri; Gaylord Hotels; Rockettes Website)

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