Serving all the communities of the Buckeye Lake Region

Things to do…




Events

Dawes Arboretum – Ohio 13, three miles north of I-70.

Home School Investigations – 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Cost: $5 per student. Migrate or Stay?: Look at our local wildlife and their winter habits; will they stay or will they go? Join other home school students in exploration of our natural world. Each 90-minute session begins in the Discovery Center (unless noted otherwise) and includes a hands-on science study correlated with Ohio Learning Standards. Sessions are for ages 6 to 10.

Holiday Greenery Workshop – Six sessions available. Thursday, Dec. 10 – 6-8 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 11 – 6-8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 12 – 9 -11 a.m.; Saturday, Dec. 12 – noon – 2 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 12 – 3-5 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 13 – noon-2p.m. Cost: $35/$25 members. Create a festive arrangement of greens taken from The Arboretum to decorate your hearth, door, entry or table. Let the sight and smell of pine boughs, holly branches, cedar berries and other greens put you in the mood for the holidays. The Arboretum provides all of the materials, including decorations and candles, to enliven your display! Please select from wreath or centerpiece. Registration is required.

Second Saturdays Speaker Series: Daytime Astronomy – The Sun & Space Weather, 10 -11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. FREE! Does the change in the season have you feeling chilly? Warm up with this presentation by Tim Winship where he will discuss space weather, solar activity and structure and how to safely observe the sun. Tim has been an amateur astronomer for over 50 years. He holds a BA in Biology from the University of Rochester, a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and was an employee of Abbott Nutrition in Columbus for almost 27 years. Now retired, Tim has concentrated on solar astronomy since he is no longer allowed to stay up late on school nights!

Night Hike – 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18. FREE! On the 3rd Friday of each month, join our team of educators and volunteers for a guided hike on our main grounds, after hours. Search for night-time critters and look for stars, as daylight fades and your senses change. Each season brings something new to see and hear.

Jingle Bell Dog Walk – 1 – 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19. Cost: $5/$3 members. Jingle all the way with your pup in this celebration of the season. All dogs receive bells to wear on their collars and make a salt-dough paw ornament. Dogs must have a good temperament and be on a 6’ leash or shorter; no flex-leashes. Maximum two dogs per person. Registration is required.

Adult Night Hike: Owls and Their Calls – 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19. Cost: $5/ Members Free. Four species of owls call Ohio home. Learn about the life history of these majestic creatures and how to identify them by call. This hike takes participants into The Arboretum’s Deep Woods where an attempt is made to locate birds of prey in their natural habitat. Registration is required, as space is limited to ensure a small group size.

The Visitors Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays. For more information visit www.dawesarb.org

Licking County Courthouse Christmas Lighting – Newark. The annual lighting ceremony be- gins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27. Singers Belinda Paisley, Shawna Corder, and Hugh Price will perform holiday favorites joined by Blessed Sacrament Combined Chorus and The Heisey Brass. Santa is expected to arrive around 7 p.m. on a fire truck. Santa will light the colorful Courthouse decorations to officially start the Christmas season in Licking County. Then Santa and his elves will be in the lobby of True Core Credit Union, on the northeast corner of the Square, for those who would like their children to meet Saint Nick.

Elves in Action will kick-off their annual holiday food drive for the Licking County Food Pantry Network. Volunteers will be located on the east side of the Square each evening until Christmas. The Vineyard Church of Licking County will be at the Gazebo serving free hot chocolate and popcorn. The church will also provide the very popular ‘live nativity’ on the south side of the Square near the colorful fountain. FREE with free parking in the county parking garage on South Second Street. Courthouse Square will be fully open to traffic!

Lunar Alignment – Newark Octagon, Newark. The public is invited to view the moon rise in alignment with the Octagon Earthworks on Friday, November 27 or Saturday, November 28. The event is being hosted by The Ohio State University’s Newark Earthworks Center and the Ohio History Connection. The Octagon Earthworks were built by ancestors of today’s American Indians approximately 2000 years ago. These ancient architects built the Octagon to align with all of the important points in the lunar cycle.

The moonrise this week is called a northern minimum moonrise. The moon follows an 18.6 year cycle and includes eight “standstill points,” four moonrises and four moonsets. The place on the horizon where the moon first rises moves from north to south and back again every 28 days, and the distance between where it rises on the first day and the fourteenth day expands for 9.3 years and then returns over 9.3 years. The moonrise this week is called a northern minimum because it is the least northern moonrise in the entire cycle.

November 27 and 28 are the last dates on which we are likely to see the northern minimum moonrise for the next 18.6 years. On Friday, plan to arrive at the Octagon at 6:15 p.m. and to leave by 7:45 p.m. On Saturday, arrive at 7:15 p.m. and leave by 8:45 p.m.

Wildlights – Columbus Zoo. Millions of colorful LED lights await holiday visitors from 5 – 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5 – 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Jan. 3. Enjoy three animated musical light shows, Santa and Mrs. Claus, reindeer and other holiday festivities plus five indoor viewing areas for animals. Regular zoo admission rates apply. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Dickens Victorian Village – Cambridge. Take a trip back in time and experience old world England as historic downtown Cambridge, is charmingly transformed into a Dickens Victorian Village each holiday season. From Nov. 1 to Jan. 2, visitors are invited to stroll amidst over 92 scenes of 166 lifelike figures representing classic scenes from Victorian society. The Dickens scenes are stationed along Wheeling Avenue at each antique lamppost and bench, between 6th and 11th Streets, in windows on street level, and in second story windows. Wheeling Avenue is also the historic National Road/ Route 40, and features an outstanding streetscape of original buildings from the 1800s. The Dickens Victorian Village scenes are comprised of life sized and hand-made mannequins wearing real vintage clothing. The faces for each character are individually sculpted and painted by local artists. The displays include engaging depictions of classic Dickensera scenes and figures such as Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, the town crier, groups of carolers, a bucket brigade, lamplighters, school children, street peddlers, and Father Christmas, all posed in active scenes that appear frozen in time. FREE!

Granville Farmers Market – Granville. The market now moves indoors to the Granville Elementary School auditorium. Hours are 9:30 to noon on Saturdays. No market Saturday, Nov. 28. All kinds of good thing to eat and drink.

Preschool Storytime – Buckeye Lake Library. Calling all children ages 3-5 and their caregivers to join us at the Buckeye Lake Library at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays from Nov. 25 thru Dec. 16, for our Fall Storytime Session. Have fun with interactive stories, finger plays and songs. Siblings are welcome! This event is free and open to preschool aged children and their caregivers.

Holiday Homecoming – The Works, Newark. Visit The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology, to kick off the holidays with special family fun during Holiday Homecoming 2015 celebrating “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Friday, November 27. Cost: Free for Members of The Works; general admission rates apply for non-members: adult – $9; senior (55++) – $7; child (2-17) $5; and children under 2 – free. Activities include: Cork and cardboard ornament creation; 3D ornament printing; “Rudolph” and other holiday Stop Motion holiday favorites; Science Show – 2 p.m.; Games; Glass blowing demonstration 1 p.m.; Land of Legend Shops – candle dipping, wood shop, general store, leather shop, weaving ; and Glass Sale – 35% off hand-blown Works’ glass on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27 and 28.

DIY Holiday Greeting Cards – Buckeye Lake Library. Drop by the Buckeye Lake Library on at 2 p.m. on Friday, November 27, and create a truly inspired snowman greeting card. Supplies are provided while supplies last. No registration is required to attend.

Santa comes to Hebron – Hebron Library. Who’s coming to town? It’s Santa Claus! Help welcome Santa to the Hebron Library as he arrives by fire truck at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2. Bring your wish list and your camera for a festive story time and photo op with The Big Guy. Crafts and light refreshments will be available until 6:30 p.m or while supplies last. Kurt Dreier, caricature artist, will be on hand to share his artistic abilities.

Holiday Swing Dance Class – Buckeye Lake Library. Get ready for the holidays by joining us at the Buckeye Lake Library from 5:30 – 7;00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, for a holiday themed swing dance class. Don’t miss this fun night of dancing, holiday themed music, and tasty treats. No registration is needed to attend.

Christmas Candlelight Walking Tour – Granville. Enjoy more than 70 activities, events and performances from 1 – 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, in downtown Granville. Music performances, strolling performers, decorated Christmas trees, free horse drawn wagon rides and much more are Granville’s gift to families. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at the Robbins Hunter Museum at 4:30 p.m. FREE! For a complete schedule visit www.visitgranvilleohio.com/ candlelight-walking-tour/

A Small Towne Christmas – Somerset. Enjoy the 6th annual Somerset Christmas Celebration & Parade from 3:00 – 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, 2015, on the square. Activities for the full family include games for children, decorating cookies with Mrs. Claus, painting ornaments with Somerset Co-Op, craft and story time at the Somerset Library Annex and photos with Santa (please bring your own camera). Watch the Christmas parade as it winds through the village starting at 4:30 p.m. Stroll along the sidewalks and visit with the vendors selling arts and crafts. Participate in the Holiday Wreath & Themed Basket silent auction, or bid out loud for the homemade cookies that competed for the “Best Cookie” prize! The official tree lighting is set for 6:30 p.m. You can also visit our Veteran Tree with wooden stockings with names of our loved ones who served in the armed forces. For vendor information call Diane at 740-743-9201; to participate in the parade call Cathy at 740-743-1971.

Santa visits Buckeye Lake – Buckeye Lake Library. Come see Santa from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10, at the Buckeye Lake Library. Parents, feel free to bring your cameras. Light refreshments will be provided while supplies last. No registration is needed to attend.

Breakfast with Santa and Elf Shelf – Millersport. Enjoy breakfast with Santa and then let your children shop in the Elf Shelf from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Millersport Lions clubhouse. Breakfast is $5 with children under 3 free.

Music

LancasterChorale – Lancaster. Central Ohio’s premiere professional choir, continues its 30th season and the first with newlyappointed artistic director Stephen Caracciolo with “In Dulci Jubilo,” a performance of carols and motets for Christmas. The concert, scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 29, at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 132 S. High Street, Lancaster, continues LancasterChorale’s holiday concert tradition, and will feature guest performances by widely acclaimed performing organist Kevin Jones and the Lancaster Fairfield Youth Choir. Tickets are $25 or $20 for senior citizens and free for students and active-duty military personnel in uniform and are available at www.lancasterchorale.com by using PayPal or a credit card.

A “Very Jazzy Christmas” – Heritage Hall, Newark. Licking Valley High School’s jazz band presents a variety of holiday jazz tunes from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8. Light refreshments will be available. Reservations are requested by Tuesday, Dec. 1 by calling 740-345-0821 Ext. 234.

Autumn Choral Concert – Newark. The University Chorus at The Ohio State University at Newark will present a varied program of choral works at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2015, in Founders Hall Auditorium at the Ohio State Newark campus. Admission is free for this delightful program and open to the public.



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