This Weekend: Enjoying the Holidays

Remember when you were a kid and Christmas was the best thing ever? No child — at least no child whose family celebrates Christmas — complains about it. Then you get older and it costs you thousands of dollars and most of your sanity and you start to get a little bit jaded. I think the last few Christmases I've let my stress take all the fun out of the holiday, and I suspect I'm not alone in this. Well, this year I've decided that's over. I'm going to make every effort to wholly enjoy Christmas and all of the trappings and events that come with it. And like it or not, the Christmas season is here. Last week Candylane and Hershey's Sweet Lights were the opening salvo, but now the bombardment is under way. Bring it on. Here are some suggestions for the weekend:

The UnCork York wine trail is having a very cool event called Wine Just Off The Vine all weekend. From 11:00am–5:00pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you can experience special cask and tank tastings at most of the wineries that participate in UnCork York. One $10 ticket gets you access to the fun at all of the wineries, and by visiting more spots on the tour, you have a chance to win a bunch of different things. This is not the time of year we usually associate with wine tours, and I think it’s pretty cool. Of course, Friday night you’ve got your Hersheypark Christmas Candylane and Hershey Sweet LIghts. The Chocolate Chalet at Hershey’s Chocolate World is now complete and on display as well, and I hope to have some pictures for you next week. In the next few weeks we’ll have a lot of tree lightings, and on Friday they’ll flip the switch in Lebanon. Friday night, Shippensburg is also kicking off the holiday season with the Dickens Days Parade & Tree Lighting. For Shakespeare buffs, Richard III at Gamut Classic Theatre and The Comedy of Errors at Messiah College. Musically, the Chameleon Club and XPN are bringing in Philly folkster Langhorne Slim.

Saturday morning is the Harrisburg Holiday Parade. I have no doubt that if I wasn’t out of town, I’d be watching the proceedings from our office above Spice, but alas. This weekend the Hershey Lodge’s Christmas in Chocolatetown dinner musical spectacular kicks off. It runs almost daily between now and the end of December. In the evening, Chambersburg will host its 40th Annual Holiday Parade. They’ll be lighting their community Christmas tree afterwards as well. The Hershey Bears have a home game on Saturday night. You can also get your fill of classical music with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra presenting Masterworks: Haydn’s Creation and the Franklin & Marshall Philharmonia presenting Beethoven Strikes Again. I’m now picturing Beethoven playing the role of Darth Vader in the Empire Strikes Back. Obi-Wan has taught you well.

Sunday, Gifts That Give Hope, an alternative gift fare is going on at the Giant Foods in Camp Hill. It’s your chance to shop from more than 20 local, national and international nonprofit organizations for “virtual” gifts such a bag of food for a low-income family, therapeutic recreation for the elderly, medical equipment for disabled veterans or school supplies for underprivileged children. If you’d like to make your own gifts instead, Building Character in Lancaster is having a Sunday Workshop where you can learn to make Pop-Up Greeting Cards. Christmas rockers Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be playing two shows at the Giant Center on Sunday and for a more lo-fi option, the Shippensburg University-Community Symphony Fall Concert takes place Sunday as well. Finally, the Susquehanna Folk Music Society presents Sara Melonovich and Greg Anderson in the Centennial Barn at Fort Hunter on Sunday evening.

Have fun kids.