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Neat holiday changes/activities you're seeing this year


Dmmetler
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I'm becoming really impressed by how good my community is doing at trying to accommodate the usual activities, but in a safer form.

So, we had a zoom tree lighting/preschool program, where the kids had recorded their parts separately, and they were all combined on zoom with Santa and Mrs. Claus coming in on a fire truck to light the community light display. 

 

Then, last night, we had a drive through parade, where the groups made their floats, decorated cars, etc as usual, but then placed them along a long, socially distanced route so that people could drive by and wave at them, and drop off letters to Santa at a drive by mailbox.  

 

One of the dance companies has partnered with the recreational dance program (which does classes at my center and a couple of other community sites), and is doing a recorded Nutcracker. The recreational groups have been assigned dances to learn, and had guest artists from the company come in to teach (so all the ballet 1 kids learn the same dance) and each group is coming in to do it on the professional stage with lights, costumes, etc, with each groupbeing assigned part of the stage so that multiple dance classes can be spliced into one performance. I've seen the preview reel, and it is impressive and super professional looking, and the kids seem excited enough about getting to dance with the professionals and getting to be on the big stage, with the lights and sound (and many of the costumes, since the company has done the nutcracker for years). And, I suspect the recital fees that normally parents would have paid to do a smaller recital are helping to pay at least some of the company members and technicians, since they can't do a full season, and hopefully the streaming tickets will help keep dance alive as well. 

 

There are also a lot more neighborhoods uniting to decorate this year, and some truly amazing displays. 

 

 

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Ours is more of a mixed bag.  I think we may be more closed than your area.  They cancelled the lighted boat parade. I guess they didn't think they could keep the people watching apart?  A couple of towns have added drive through light displays.  Ours just has the same display as always but no Santa.  I haven't seen any holiday drive in movies.  Their are quite a few virtual concerts.  The big local  live Nativity has been cancelled.  I haven't seen anyone step up to do a drive thru one.  

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Our Suzuki music school is doing their bi-annual "Playdown" concert (where all the students join in playing their Suzuki pieces they know) by a combination of pre-recorded and Zoom format, where audience can also watch on Facebook. Hopefully this will work well, engage the students, and be entertaining for the parents, extended family and friends who watch.

On a slightly negative note (sorry) many of the "snowbirds" who are here in The Great White North instead of down in Florida where they usually enjoy their winters are getting quite greedy and testy about such things as indoor tennis court availability and Christmas decorations/live trees. It's making this season a little more annoying on top of the covid stuff for those of us who suffer through the long, cold winters.  Sometimes wealthy, retired baby boomers can be over-the-top self-centred. 

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People in our local communities *were* planning these sorts of things. Our PHO shut down all seasonal activities, including outdoor venues. The only exceptions are food related: farmers' markets (but nothing crafty just food) and a couple local groups can still prepare free Christmas dinners for pick up/delivery. It's a little head scratching, particularly for those of us who live in less densely populated areas.
And I too feel the need to apologize for adding a note of negativity. I hate to amplify it when positivity is already difficult. It seems ungrateful. It's not like decision-making at this time is going to be easy.

Edited by KathyBC
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