by Barbara Johnston
There are times when Bowling Green seems like the perfect place to live, and the holiday season is most definitely one of those times! The calendar is so full of wonderful things to do! Turn off that endless stream of negative TV news, power down your computer, get off that couch, gas up the car, put on your Santa hat and prepare to have lots of fun this month!
First on your list might be a visit to the SoKY Ice Rink sponsored by Weisemann Orthodonics. The 6,000-square-foot ice rink is located at SoKY Marketplace Pavilion on the corner of 6th and Center. Even if donning a pair of ice skates is not your style, sit back and enjoy watching as the younger folks take to the ice. Visit their Facebook page to watch for special event nights scheduled throughout the holiday season.
At 5 p.m. on December 1, the lights will begin to glow in downtown Bowling Green at the official lighting of Fountain Square Park. Santa will visit, the shops will be open and carolers will sing in the season. Parking is free at the Stadium Park Plaza garage at 8th and College. Don’t miss all the fun and the opportunity to do a bit of holiday shopping surrounded by the sights, smells and sounds of the season!
On December 2, it’s time to return to downtown Bowling Green from 9:30 to 11 a.m. for the annual Bowling Green-Warren County Jaycees Christmas Parade! The parade route begins at Main and College streets and ends at 6th Avenue and State Street. Join with family and friends to enjoy the marching bands, holiday floats and, of course, a big wave from Santa Claus, as you sip hot cocoa and enjoy a cookie from one of the wonderful eateries in the Square.
After the parade, you might want to jump in your car and head down to South Union Shaker Village in Auburn for one of Kentucky’s finest antique and craft markets just in time for more holiday shopping! Admission is a canned food item or donation and the hours for the event are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Please do not return to your couch on December 3 as the Landmark Association of Bowling Green is looking forward to seeing you for its annual Christmas Tour! What a wonderful time of year to visit some of the gracious and beautiful historic older homes and businesses in our area as they will be decorated for the holidays. You can let your imagination go as you not only admire the mistletoe and holly but think about all the generations that have celebrated the holidays in these homes over the years here in Bowling Green. For more information on the tour, please call 270-782-0037 or visit the Landmark website at www.bglandmark.org.
December 9 will be another busy day beginning with breakfast with the famous Grinch at Barren River Lake State Resort Park. Yes, green eggs and ham are on the menu, and Santa will be there in his very own decorated Santa House. Reservations are required, so please call 1-800-325-0057 or visit the web site at http://parks.ky.gov/calendar/details/breakfast-and-the-grinch/81161/ to download the reservation form.
After breakfast with the Grinch, it’s back to Bowling Green to meet some of Santa’s reindeer who just happen to be visiting Lost River Cave from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on December 9 and 10. Both Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on hand, and this year they will bring a special guest with them – a dwarf, mini-horse named Rascal! Tickets are free, but reservations are required. They are available online only at www.lostrivercave.org/reindeer.
A perfect way to end this very busy day is by experiencing the sights, sounds, and fragrances of a Victorian Christmas as you tour Riverview at Hobson Grove by candlelight and lamplight. Riverview is located at 1100 W. Main Ave. here in Bowling Green. Reservations are not required, and the event is free and open to the public from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on December 9.
Nope…you can’t stop just yet as December 10 brings the 23rd Annual Bowling Green Woman’s Club Christmas Home Tour from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 on the day of the event. Flyers listing all the homes on thetour are available at the BG Area Convention and Visitors Bureau or you may call 270-781-6714 for additional information.
December 16 will prove yet another wonderful day full of holiday spirit as from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. the SoKY Marketplace at 636 Center Street sponsors the Mistletoe Market full of food, crafts and artisans. If you haven’t quite finished up that holiday shopping, this is definitely the place to be on the 16th! A bit later in the day, Orchestra Kentucky will be presenting their Christmas Spectacular celebrating the season with a new concert of music, dance and more at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center at 601 College Street. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are available by calling 270-904-1880 or by visiting the website at orchestrakentucky.com/event/a-christmas-spectacular/.
The “spirit” may have grown weary in 2017 as we have experienced a year full of tragedies and a constant stream of “news negativity” from our Facebook pages and our television sets. This month, however, it is time to let the light back into our lives as our Fountain Square Park lights up, our Christmas Parade makes its way through town, Santa and his reindeer visit our Lost River Cave, and we visit beautiful homes both historic and new that grace our community. Let the light of the season bring a smile to your face and to the faces of those around you and share in the warmth and joy of this very special time of the year!
