What’s Going On: Parade, Pygmalion, Painting & Sweet Seasonal Singing

Wow, what a weekend we have coming up in the Near North. We selected a quartet of events we thought our readers might find interesting

Let’s talk about parades. As we have said many times before no one puts on a parade like Fremont and the one coming up Friday night is a doozy. The Illumination Parade kicks off the town’s Christmas Stroll and brings Santa to his Vets Park headquarters. The streets will be lined up early so you may want to get to your spot a bit before the 6pm start. From there the downtown merchants will be offering specials and a buzz of Christmas related activities will continue until 8pm. And hey, if you didn’t get in a horse drawn wagon ride last week in Newaygo you have another shot after the parade and what better way to get everyone in the spirit of the season?
Understand we might even get a little snow for the occasion.
https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/parade-to-bring-the-big-guy-to-town

Stage Door Players will be  once again stoking our love for community theater this weekend as they present Pygmalion, known by many as the non-singing version of My Fair Lady.
 Side note: Years ago a friend had gotten hired by a theater organization to direct My Fair Lady and she made the suggestion of switching the male and female roles. Of course  the organizers said no but wow,  what an interesting concept.
7pm shows on Friday and Saturday and a 2:30pm  Sunday matinee.
https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/stage-door-presents

Feeling festive? Want to express a little Christmas creativity in a fun setting?
The  Eleven-Seventeen Lounge is hosting one of those Wine & Canvas events and you can spend a relaxing evening channeling your inner Van Gogh while perhaps sipping on a Syrah or maybe a Merlot.. By evening’s end you will be bringing home your own personalized painting with a decidedly Christmas theme. Saturday 6-9pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/424642493214856/?ref=newsfeed

And tell me, what is it about listening to a really good choir that seems to stir the soul? 
 If you have been a regular attendee of the annual Christmas Concerts put on by the River Country Community Choir you might already be lined up at the Grant Fine Arts Center to nail down some prime seats for the Sunday evening performance. If, on the other hand,you have never been to one?  Make plans to attend this musical Christmas present to the community.  The concert is free but there will be a collection taken to benefit Love INC so pony up folks. After all it’s the season of giving right?
Here’s a link to our story about the prep for Sunday.
https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/in-search-of-excellence

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