Okay, Thanksgiving should be great. Nice to see all the kids, with no arguments this year, at least big ones. But how are you going to work off all those turkey and stuffing and sweet potato and green bean casserole calories? It’s time to head outdoors for a Holiday celebration that requires a little bit of movement along with your eating, shopping, playing games and sipping holiday spirits.
Every city seems to have some sort of post-turkey, end-of-year Holiday party, whether it’s Christmas-themed, or Hanukkah-oriented, or Kwanzaa-focused. A kid’s book we recently came across titled “Turkey Versus Santa” showed these two holiday icons arguing over which one was the favorite. Well, here are some of the best post-Thanksgiving Holiday gatherings this year. GO Airport Shuttle can help you get into the Holiday spirit from the moment your trip begins.
Christmas in the South
A few miles outside Atlanta, Georgia sits Dahlonega with a month long Old Fashioned Christmas celebration featuring parades, holiday photo ops, a visit from Santa, starting with a extravagant lighting of the town square. Activities run day and night, and there has been snow in past years, according to photographs. You never know. You’ll find the latest updates here.
A better chance for snow
Improving your odds for some white stuff, you could head to Denver and their version of the ubiquitous Christkindlmarkt. In addition to lots of glug and Gluhwein, they offer 33 days of entertainment. Rock, polka, brass bands, you name it. Plus, rides, food, Holiday spirits, mountain views, and maybe snow! What could be better. For details, you’ll find everything you need to know from their website.
Chriskindlmarkts are basically a national franchise nowadays. It seems that any city with a history of a lot of German immigration over the years will have one. Chicago, for example, has two or three. Cincinnati won’t let you down either. Get your lederhosen on and get outside!
A different Holiday spin
If you’ve always wondered what the celebration of Kwanzaa is all about, the best place to learn is the birthplace of this cultural tradition, Los Angeles. Begun in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of African Studies at California State University Long Beach, Kwanzaa is a celebration of family, culture and community for one week over the Christmas through New Year’s period. There are candle lighting ceremonies, traditional dining festivities, and gatherings all over town, especially for kids. Check out these sources as this year’s celebration starts coming together, for general information and for kids.
Many other cities will have Kwanzaa celebrations you can discover. In many cases, there may be activities spread out all over town spanning the seven day celebration. A great example is the Atlanta Regional Kwanzaa Association (ARKA). You can discover everything they have planned right here. Maybe even volunteer.
A Dickens Holiday
What’s more Holiday than Charles Dickens and Merry Olde England? You’ll find them both just outside San Francisco in the Cow Palace. For 5 weekends, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving, you can shop, play and feast like the times of Tiny Tim. Pub crawls with Jekyll and Hyde, dance halls, street performers along winding streets ala’ Victorian London. Even a Tea Room or two. You’ll have a Dickens of a good time, guaranteed! Get a taste of how much is happening here.
#1 Christmas Town in the U.S.
Voted Number One by Newsweek magazine last year, the city of Grapevine, Texas goes all out. Nearby Dallas can’t hold a Christmas candle to what goes on here in “The Christmas Capital Of Texas,” officially declared as such by the Texas State Senate in 2009. There’s the Carol of Lights, the Parade of Lights, ice skating, and holiday drone shows. Covering 40 days, with 1,400 events, this is one Holiday experience you’ll never forget. There’s even an Urban Wine Trail to follow when you’re not catching a show. It’s Christmas Texas-style! HO, HO, HO!!!
Hey, what about Hanukkah?
Getting tired of Santa and his little elves? But still want the bright lights of the season? Well, the largest “menorah” in the country, and maybe the world, lights up every year in New York City. Called the “Festival of Lights,” Hanukkah represents eight days of candle lighting, present giving, children’s activities and traditional food tastings. In NYC it all takes place at the Grand Army Plaza in the southeast corner of Central Park. Music, too! For all eight nights. Here’s what you need to know.
Not to be outdone, Washington D.C. has its own menorah lighting party with the “National Menorah” on the Ellipse near the White House. Billed as the “world’s Premier Celebration of Hanukkah,” dignitaries tend to show up to enjoy all the music, food and activities. Not to mention the “Mendy Deren National Menorah Essay Contest” winner!
As a matter of fact, just about every large city will have some sort of Hanukkah party. Here are more ideas to consider. And as long as we’re discussing Holiday events across the country, you might be interested in this compilation of planned Kwanzaa celebrations from coast-to-coast.
Hispanic Holiday Traditions
This year, you might be interested in how Christmas is celebrated within the Latin community. It’s a bit different, with perhaps more of a religious perspective. For example, one activity is “Las Posadas,” a reenactment of that famous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, ending in a joyous party. Every city will most likely have some form a celebration you could attend. For more background on what to expect overall, look here. Typical of the kind of information you might find once you start looking in your favorite city might look like this activity plan in Indianapolis. Explore something different this year for the Holidays. GO has ground transportation services in Cancun and Tulum, Mexico.
Hope these travel ideas will get you into the Holiday spirit and maybe try something different this year. GO Airport Shuttle offers airport shuttles, economy rides and airport car service in over 100+ destinations. Don’t let the Holiday party get started without you!