As a direct-mail newspaper that only hits mailboxes every four weeks, itâs hard for us to publish some stories because theyâre already âoldâ by the time our next issue reaches you.
For example, by the time this issue reaches you, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa will all be distant memories and the year 2025 will already be in full swing, as even the kids will be back in school the same day this issue is scheduled to reach you.
Even so, photographer Charmaine George and I attended many of the local holiday-themed events last month â some or even all of which you may have missed â including two different local performances of âThe Nutcracker,â the annual New Tampa Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah lighting events and even the unique second-annual Renaissance-era âMadrigal Dinnerâ hosted by the Freedom High chorus at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, which isnât specifically a holiday event, but which was held on December 5 and included an actual delicious dinner for those who attended.
The two photos above are from the New Tampa Dance Theatreâs âpreviewâ performance on Dec. 7 at the Shops at Wiregrass. Charmaine took these pictures since neither she nor I were available to attend NTDTâs full âNutcrackerâ ballet performances at the University of South Florida Dec. 20-22. Charmaine said that the huge crowd of people at the mall was definitely captivated by the ballet.Â
I took the three photos above during one of the Tampa City Ballet (TCB)âs three performances of âThe Nutcrackerâ at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) Dec. 13-15. Not only were the dancers (adults and children) all amazing, the choreography by TCBâs Paula Nunez, as well as the costumes and sets, were all as impressive as you would see at any big-city ballet company performance of Tchaikovskyâs holiday masterpiece. TCB also performed âThe Nutcrackerâ at USF Dec. 7-10.Â
I had really hoped to attend Freedom Highâs Madrigal Dinner at NTPAC (see the left photo and the photo below) but Charmaine said it was super-fun, with great singing, funny skits and a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan and salad, plus tiramisu for dessert.Â
On Dec. 2, the City of Tampaâs New Tampa Recreation Center and Parks & Recreation Department hosted the annual Christmas tree lighting event and parade (photos below) and a nice crowd of around 200 people attended to participate and watch the youth dance performances, enjoy the lighting ceremony and spend a little quality time with Santa Claus himself!Â
And finally, on Dec. 26 (the second night of Hanukkah), the New Tampa Rec Center also hosted the second annual Hanukkah menorah lighting event, which featured prayers, songs and a wonderful message delivered by Rabbi Mendy Yarmush of Chabad of Wiregrass, which is now the only Jewish congregation in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. Both the Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations at the Rec Center were organized in part by District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera.
