Christmas holiday activities and celebrations continue this weekend in Sweet Home with a live Nativity at the East Linn Museum, a Christmas party for local children at Little Promises and more.
Following are the details for this week’s events:
December 17
– Senior Center Potluck and Bus Tour of Lights: Potluck dinner starts at 5 p.m. Bus tour, which will visit light and Christmas card displays, starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $1 per person. Tour participants will also judge the light displays for The New Era’s annual Christmas light display contest.
A list of what our judges consider the best light displays and neighborhoods that are particularly decked out will be published in the Dec. 23 edition of The New Era.
– Also, Lighted Christmas cards, painted by local artists, are set up for viewing around Sweet Home.
Locations are:
– The Point Restaurant and Shea Point rest area at Foster Lake;
– Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, 1575 Main St.
– East Linn Museum and State Farm Beth Lambert Agency at the west end of Long Street;
– Fir Lawn Lutheran Church at the corner of 1st Avenue and Old Holley Road;
– Canyon Creek neighborhood at the south end of 10th Avenue;
– 27th through 29th Avenues and and Foothills area;
– Meridian Loop behind Pleasant Valley School;
– Oak Heights Elementary, 805 Elm St.;
– Sweet Home Boys and Girls Club, 890 18th Ave.;
– Fire Station, 1099 Long St.
– Police Station, 1950 Main St.
December 19
– East Linn Museum Live Nativity: 5 to 7 p.m. The evening will feature carriage rides, Christmas caroling, a live nativity, hot cider and cookies as well as live entertainment. This event is free of charge but as always donations are gladly accepted. Gifts of canned food for SHEM will be collected. To volunteer or participate, contact the chamber at (541) 367-6186. The museum will offer free tours of its decorated parlor and photo opportunities at 746 Long St. from 1 to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 19. Participants are asked to bring their own cameras for the photos.
– Little Promises Christmas Party: Little Promises will host a free celebration for local children from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at the school gym, 28028 Pleasant Valley Road.
The event is a collaborative effort by Little Promises, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and Child Evangelism Fellowship. It is part of a nationwide effort is to reach kids across America with the true meaning of Christmas. The focal point will be “the best gift ever given…the birth of Jesus,” according to organizers.
All children ages 4 through sixth grade are welcome to attend free of charge. Parents are encouraged to come early to register their children. Donations are welcome.
For more information, contact Pete Taraski at (936) 522-6033.
– STAR Toy Drive: Members of the STAR Touring and Riding Club will deliver gifts collected at Bi-Mart (there’s a donation box there, near the store’s exit door) to the Elks Lodge. 1 p.m. Look for a motorcycle motorcade down Main Street as the club makes the deliveries.
– Book Signings: Local authors will sign their books from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce, 1575 Main St., where their workas are on sale in the chamber shop. For more details, contact the chamber at (541) 367-6186.