3 Days and Counting!!

Festival of Lights is 3 days away!

The rain forecast is good -- none! There will be a slight chill in the air (Peggy hates that!) and Downtown Greensboro will be ready to welcome the holiday season.

• Decorations Done!
• Tree @ Center City Park -- in progress
  
• 25+ Bands/Entertainers -- hired
• 3000 Marshmallows -- purchased
• 400 Christmas & Holiday Cards for troops -- ready to be signed
• Food Vendors -- confirmed
• Face Painter -- yes!
• Snow -- yes!
• Flash Mob -- of course!
• Kris Kringle Karaoke --yep!!
  
• Hand warming Stations -- almost ready
• Volunteers -- Still needed.

If you are interested in volunteering for Festival of Lights please contact the Grassroots office @ 274.4595 or email me brenda@grassrootsproductionsltd.org -- help is needed, especially with manning the hand warming stations!!

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Bah! Humbug!!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to say, I really, really hate winter -- and pretty much everything that comes with it. The cold, the darkness, the heavy clothes, the grayness and especially the holidays. Not really the holidays themselves, but what people have turned them into. Needless to say, my desire to create a commercial-free, stress-free holiday season, focused on rebirth and renewal, translates to those around me as a Scrooge-like demeanor.

So one day, into my holiday-free zone, completely unsuspecting, walks my buddy, Ted. Ted is a great guy -- he's a buddy from my bagpipe band days who enjoys playing his bagpipes, coffee -- lots of it, his wife and son and their menagerie, camping, gadgets. Ted is not a guy who is typically burdened by the world-weary musings that plague me. One of Ted's biggest passions is turning his house and yard into an extravaganza of synchronized lights and music for the holidays.

Poor Ted; there came the day when he, in all innocence, began to tell me all about his newest additions to his Trans-Burlington hoopla, ending with, "Don't you just love the holidays?" I, of course, proceeded to tell him everything I thought was wrong with them. At the end of my monologue, with an understandably dumbfounded expression on his face, Ted quietly said, "Oh, I hadn't really thought of all that. I guess you're right. But all I want to do is make people smile."

I realized in that moment that I had been missing something important. Perhaps if I peeled away all the commercials, the long lines for gifts that will soon be forgotten, frayed tempers and everything that drives me crazy about the holidays, I would see, that at the core of everything, everyone is trying to give birth to a smile.

I can't say that this new perspective has completely changed my feelings about the holidays, but it has made me grateful for Ted and what he taught me. Ted will send me a link to his holiday creation this year, as he does every year, and it will make me smile. And it will remind me that every year, at Festival of Lights, I am graced with the opportunity to participate in making someone forget whatever their particular troubles are, even if for just a quick moment -- and smile. Maybe this year, it will be you. Pass it on.......

What did you do at work today?

So, here we are... 3 1/2 weeks before Festival of Lights. What did we do in the office today? Or this week?

1. Decorations .... fixing, updating and making sure that all of the decorations for downtown are in working order. Including: Snowflakes, Bows & Sprays, Light Balls. Plus that 38' Tree that goes in Center City Park.

2. Entertainment ....confirming bands, carolers, magicians, etc....still have an opening or two for some strolling entertainment....do you have a talent?

3. Fire...ah yes, roasting marshmallows and hand warming all need fire pits. They need to be safe, secure and do the job they are required to do!!

4. Arts & Crafts -- meeting with Zeke about the First Friday Indie Market, developing a holiday craft for kids to do on the evening of Fesitval of Lights. Oh, yeah...and Peggy went Old School with some scissors and glue and gave Dolley her Santa look!!

Its a good day!
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Window Decorating Contest

Do you own or manage property, business or residence in downtown Greensboro? If so, we have the contest for you! Every year Festival of Lights holds a window/facade decorating contest. Windows and/or Facades must use lights and must relate to the theme. This year's theme is Hometown Holidays!!



First prize is an advertising package provided by The News & Record with second and third prizes of theatre tickets and restaurant gift certificates.

There are three categories that you can register in Large Window or Facade, Small Window or Non-Profit Window. New this year is the category for non-profit window -- Downtown Greensboro Inc. and the United Arts Council are teaming together to partner non-profits with vacant store fronts. It gives the non-profit an opportunity to showcase their organization while at the same time brightening up some vacant store fronts.

For more information about the contest or to download the registration form please check out the rules and criteria here.

The Winners (pictured above) from 2008 Festival of Lights were:
First Place -- Mack & Mack
Second Place -- Just Be
Third Place -- Action Greensboro
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Festival of Lights -- Band Preview

Festival of Lights is a great downtown event -- something for everyone. The merchants are all decked out and many have open houses. Santa is at Hamburger Square Park -- waiting to talk to you. Marshmallows Roasting, an Indie Market to get some cool gifts. Plus over 20 bands are performing along Elm Street. We have some favorite bands who have been with us for years! It wouldn't be Festival of Lights without them. They include:

High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Association -- a group of bluegrass musicians and fans who get together to celebrate Bluegrass music. If you can't wait until December 4th to hear them...take a listen to this clip on YouTube.



The Sinai Mountain Ramblers the only Klezmer band in Guilford County!

The NCA&T Fellowship Gospel Choir has been performing for years -- they bring a joyful sound to the Festival. Here is a clip from their performance last year.



So, even if you are saying bah-humbug to Santa, if you are wrinkling your nose at roasted marshmallows and you don't want to go into any of the downtown merchants .... you should at least stop by and take a listen to some of the fabulous music that will be offered on December 4th!
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