Acworth Holiday Event, Community Class Schedules Released

Staff Report

The City of Acworth has announced its events calendar for the upcoming month. Several holiday festivals have been included to the calendar, as well as some classes at the Roberts School Community Center.

The calendar is as follows:

Santa’s Arrival- It’s that special time again! The City of Acworth is excited to be partnering with NorthStar Church to make this year’s Santa’s Arrival the best yet! Santa will be reaching the Depot in downtown Acworth on Friday, December 5th. Festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. and Santa is scheduled to arrive at 6:30 p.m. There will be a host of live performances until 9:00 p.m. to help Santa kickoff the holiday season.

Bring the entire family to hear Mayor Tommy Allegood read The Night Before Christmas and watch the lighting of the tree on Main Street.

Enjoy pictures with Mr. Claus, eating candy canes with all his elves, and filling the streets with the holiday spirit. There will be puppet shows, face painting, train rides, marshmallow roasting, hot chocolate and a live nativity. Don’t forget to visit Frana Brown Park, where you can peruse the beautiful Festival of Trees!

Arrive at the Depot at 5:15 p.m. to schedule your picture time with Santa. Pictures begin at 6:45 p.m. Time slots for pictures are limited and only those who have reserved a time will be able to take pictures with Santa, so be sure to arrive early to schedule your picture time. This year we will not have a photographer onsite, so plan on bringing your camera to capture the special moment.

For more information visit www.acworthparksandrecreation.orgor call the Parks and Recreation office at 770-917-1234.

Menorah Lighting Ceremony– The City of Acworth invites everyone to its third annual Menorah Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday, December 17, the second night of Hanukkah, at 6:00 p.m.

The Menorah is located at the corner of Cowan Road and Main Street in Downtown Acworth. Rabbi Zalman Charytan from the Chabad Jewish Center will officiate the lighting with Mayor Tommy Allegood assisting. There will be a reception immediately following the Ceremony at Dogwood Forest of Acworth located across the street from the site of the Menorah.

The eight day Jewish holiday commemorates the Jewish Maccabees’ military victory over Syrian-Greek oppression more than 2,000 years ago. During Hanukkah, Jews across the world celebrate the miracle of light that burnt for eight days out of a single-days-worth of oil found in the Temple. One Hanukkah candle is lit the first night, December 16, and an additional candle is lit each successive night. The holiday is a celebration of religious freedom and hope.

“Christmas in Acworth” - The Acworth Downtown Development Authority is excited to present, “Christmas in Acworth”! We have many wonderful festivities planned so that you can shop local, while enjoying the season of Christmas in a quaint downtown setting. “Christmas in Acworth” will take place on Saturday, December 6 and Saturday, December 13. The schedule of festivities for each date includes; marshmallow roasting, pictures with Santa, Polar Express book reading, caroling tours, carriage rides, musical performances and more!

For the complete schedule of events, visit www.acworthtourism.org

Festival of Trees- During the month of December, the City of Acworth Downtown Development Authority along with the Acworth Parks, Recreation and Community Resource Department, will be hosting the 2nd Annual Festival of Trees at Frana Brown Park! The park is located at 4901 N. Main Street beside the Acworth Post Office. Participants will include local businesses, organizations, and schools, who will decorate their live trees in the traditional holiday fashion or in the theme that best represents them. Last year we had 20 trees decorated and this year we are hoping to have even more!

The Festival of Trees really adds to the holiday atmosphere in the Historic Downtown District. Trees will go on display at the Santa’s Arrival event on Friday, December 5!

Make sure to Visit Acworth this December and check out Frana Brown Park!

Community Classes

Tai Chi- The Acworth Parks and Recreation Department offers three levels of Tai Chi. Our Beginners Classes are Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Intermediate Classes are Mondays at 6:30 p.m., and Advanced Tai Chi Classes are Mondays at 7:30 p.m. All classes are taught by Phil Robinson and his certified instructors. All classes are held at the Roberts School Community Center in Acworth. If you are unsure of which class you should be in please contact the Acworth Parks and Recreation Department at 770-917-1234 and we will help you contact the instructor. Classes will begin on December 1. The cost for this 2 month session is $75 for City residents and $80 for non-City residents. Register today atwww.acworthparksandrecreation.org!

Tap/Ballet- The Acworth Parks, Recreation and Community Resource Department offers this combination dance class for 2.5 to 5 years old. Classes are divided with 20 minutes of tap and 25 minutes of ballet. The technical training is taught through ballet, which in turn helps teach the proper shifting of weight and patterns in movement for tap. Since children naturally respond to music and movement, all of the activities are executed to fun music. Class will be taught by Creative Movement and Dance (CMD) instructor, Heather Pace, who received her BA in Dance Education from Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. All classes are held at the Roberts School Community Center in Acworth on Tuesday’s from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Classes will begin on January 13, 2015 and end on April 28, 2015. The cost for this 3 month session is $195 for City residents and $200 for non-City residents. Register today atwww.acworthparksandrecreation.org!