Holiday festivals abound across OC

Mauriceville celebrates on Thursday

The Mauriceville Heritage Association will have their annual Christmas Tree Lighting Thursday, December 5, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Community Center, 7441 Cohenour Road.

The free event is open to the public and includes a vendor market, holiday shopping, live music, photos with Santa Clause, plus hot chocolate and cookies.

A rain-out date has been set for Thursday, December 12, at 6 p.m. at the Community Center. More information is available through http://www.crawfishbash.com.

A number of other events are set for this coming week.

Bridge City

The city of Bridge City is sponsoring Christmas in the Park from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, December 6, at the park off West Roundbunch Road. Food trucks, vendors, and music will be at the free event that will include the lighting of the community Christmas tree. Reverse Santa will be there. Kids of all ages can get a picture with Santa in exchange for a new, unwrapped toy to be donated to the Bridge City-Orangefield Ministerial Alliance to give to families who need help during the holiday.

The Bridge City Chamber of Commerce's 15th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade will start at 6 p.m. This year the family of the late A.J. Judice will be honored as grand marshals with the parade theme of Christmas on the Bayou. The parade will begin at First Baptist Church on West Roundbunch Road and head northward to the area by Bridge City Intermediate School.

Orange

Shangri La Botanical Gardens on Park Avenue will have lighted Christmas strolls on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 6 to 9 p.m. beginning this week through December 21. The tours are free, but people are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Orange Christian Services. Special senior mobility and sensory-sensitive tours will be offered each evening from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with no flashing lights, no music, and smaller crowds.

Free State Cellars Winery will be selling beverages, and the Orange Lions Club will sell hot chocolate and cookies. Last year, nearly 55,000 people went through the gardens during the lighted strolls.

The Orange Kiwanis Club is having Breakfast with Santa from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday, December 7, at Spanky's on 16th Street. Tickets are $12 with proceeds going to help Kiwanis community projects. The price includes breakfast plus a visit and photo with Santa. Tickets are available at Spanky's, through Kiwanis members, or on the Orange Kiwanis Facebook page.

Downtown Orange will be rockin' for Christmas on Saturday. The city is sponsoring the Gum Drop Shop in Stark Park along Green Avenue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors will be offering a variety of items perfect for gifts or decorating. Food trucks and entertainment will also be at the free event.

The 1894 W.H. Stark House, on the east side of Stark Park, will be open from noon to 5 p.m. for a Stark Family Christmas. Buddy the Elf will be in Stark Park from 1 to 7 p.m. for people to pose for photos. The Stark Museum of Art, across Green Avenue from the park, will have free children's holiday crafts from 3 to 5 p.m.

The Orange Kiwanis Club is sponsoring the 75th Annual Christmas Parade in downtown beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday. The theme this year is Red, White, and You. The parade staging area is on Front Street behind the Lutcher Theater. From there, the parade will go west on Front to Tenth Street, then right on Tenth Street to Green Avenue. At Green the parade will turn right and go eastbound on Green to First Street. The route will then turn right, or southbound on First, before turning west on Front Street to go back to the staging area.

After the parade, the city will have a tree lighting ceremony in Stark Park along with pictures with Santa. A free outdoor screening of the animated film "Mickey's Christmas Carol" will then be presented.

On Sunday, December 8, Heritage House Museum, 901 Division Avenue, will have Santa Paws from 1 to 3 p.m. on the back deck. Santa Claus will pose with pets and people. Pet photographer Lacey Hale will do pictures for a $10 donation to the museum, which works to preserve Orange County history and artifacts. From 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, the 1902 J.O. Sims House will be decorated for the season with free family tours. Santa will visit with children in the parlor. Santa has been a tradition at the museum for nearly 50 years.