By Chip Chandler — Digital Content Producer
From Mannheim Steamroller to local holiday favorites, here's your guide to events & activities over Christmas weekend.
- The Waterfield Christmas Walk is open from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly through Jan. 1 at the Citadelle Gardens, 520 Nelson St. in Canadian. Admission is free. Call 806-323-8899.
- More than 200,000 lights are on view nightly from 6 to 8 p.m. through Friday at Christmas in the Gardens at Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive. Each night features live music as well from a variety of schools and performing groups. Call 806-352-6513.
- The new Nights of Lights at Enchanted Acres horse farm, 6505 S. Osage St., boasts more than 300,000 Christmas lights. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 6 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 31 (excluding Christmas Day). Admission is $10 per car or $20 per passenger van or limo with more than 10 passengers.
- The new Town Square Village, 9200 Town Square Blvd., has strung 400,000 lights around its main section and offers light shows every half hour between 6 and 9 p.m. Fridays through Sundays through Dec. 31. Call 806-803-8178.
- Several other Amarillo neighborhoods also offer optimal Christmas light viewing, including Gainsborough Road in the Belmar neighborhood, Wolflin, Sleepy Hollow, The Colonies and elsewhere. Tours are informal — meaning, just drive through the neighborhoods on your own after dark.
- The 2016 Herring Holiday Ball opens at 6:30 p.m. Friday inside the historic Herring Hotel, 301 N. Pierce St. The event opens with a VIP cocktail hour featuring Christmas jazz by Antonio Charles & The Fwoops, will continue with dinner and music at 7:30 p.m., and conclude with a dance. The night also will feature group caroling and country Christmas music. VIP tickets are $150, which include the cocktail hour and dinner; regular tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door, which includes admission to the party beginning at 8:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit Children's Miracle Network.
- The seventh annual Willgood's Christmas Spectacular kicks off at 9 p.m. Friday at Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road, featuring performances by Azizi Gibson, Scenic River Roots Band, Eddie & The Eat, Plastic Mayan Staircase, Rupert the Duke, DJ RoRo, Corbin Cary and Koty Potts. Tickets are $20 and expected to sell out.
- It's a Wonderful Life will screen at noon Saturday at United Artists Amarillo Star 14, 8275 W. Amarillo Blvd.
- Austin's Texas Pub, 3121 S.W. Sixth Ave., will throw an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party at 10 p.m. Saturday featuring DJ Gemini; there's no cover charge. Call 806-803-9063.
- Mannheim Steamroller will bring its Christmas tour back to Amarillo for a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday show in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium, 401 S. Buchanan St. Tickets are $25 to $65, plus fees; Panhandle PBS supporters who pledge $100 will get a ticket and a meet-and-greet pass. Call 806-378-3096 for tickets or 806-371-5479 to pledge.
Chip Chandler is a digital content producer for Panhandle PBS. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and at www.facebook.com/chipchandlerwriter on Facebook.
