“Dad, you taught me everything I know about exterior illumination.”
—Clark Griswold, Christmas Vacation
Christmas Vacation (1989) was scripted by John Hughes, just a little before he became extremely famous for Home Alone.
The fictional Shermer, Illinois was the setting for most of his movies, but his parents called Lexington home for many years. His mother Marion’s country ham canapés were the star of every holiday party at the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation.
We’re now coming into the homestretch of the holidays. Santa has settled in, and there are dozens of 5ks scheduled to melt away those added pounds if you want to freeze your baguettes off. Cousin Eddie is surely on the way.
As always, confirm dates and times with the venue.
Lights
DEC 1 Christmas at Mustard Seed Hill
DEC 2 A Kentucky Christmas at Ashland
Guests for the holiday? Enjoy Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park, a three-mile driving tour of lights. Celebrating its 30th year at the Kentucky Horse Park, Southern Lights invites guests to view over a million twinkling lights on a drive-thru tour. Enjoy the return of the Holiday Village which features photos with Santa, Animal Land, model trains, and so much more. 5:30 pm to 10 pm thru December 31. (Closed on Christmas Day.) Named one of Kentucky’s Top 10 Winter/Holiday Festivals and Events by Kentucky Travel and Tourism.
Ashland Illumination at the Henry Clay Estate begins at 5:30 pm on Saturday Dec 2 with the First Candlelight Tour 5:30 – 7 pm. Additional candlelight tours are scheduled for Thursday Dec. 7, and Saturday Dec. 9.
Holiday Music
DEC 1 An Oak Ridge Boys Christmas, Renfro Valley
DEC 1 Handel’s Messiah, 7:30 pm Christ Church Cathedral
DEC 2 Celtic Women Christmas Tour, Norton Center (Danville)
DEC 3 A Vince Guaraldi Holiday 5:30 pm Kentucky Theatre
DEC 3 A Classic Christmas with Maggie Lander & Chris Dennison, The Burl
DEC 10 Alltech’s Celebration of Song, KY Horse Park
DEC 14 Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s Creole Christmas, The Kentucky Center
DEC 15 Christmas with the Beatles, The Kentucky Center
DEC 17 J. Roddy Walston’s Christmas to the Bone The Burl
DEC 18 Joyeux Noel, Crestwood Christian Church
DEC 19 Darren Criss: A Very Darren Crissmas, Lexington Opera House
The Center for Old Music in the New World and Musick’s Company present Joyeux Noel, Monday Dec 18 at 7:30 pm at a NEW location – Crestwood Christian Church. Join for a celebration of sacred and secular holiday music from the sixteenth through the 19th century including French traditional carols and works by Charpentier. Admission by donation. 1882 Bellefonte Dr. Lexington, KY.
Movies
DEC 1 Season’s Screenings, Elf, Movie Tavern (thru Dec 7)
DEC 1 Season’s Screenings, It’s a Wonderful Life, Movie Tavern (thru Dec 7)
DEC 2 Disney’s A Christmas Carol Kentucky Theatre
DEC 3 How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Movie Tavern
DEC 5 Max Lucado’s Because of Bethlehem 7 pm Movie Tavern
DEC 8 Season’s Screenings, The Polar Express, Movie Tavern (thru Dec 8)
DEC 13 A Christmas Story, The Grand Theatre (Frankfort)
DEC 16 It’s a Wonderful Life & Christmas Sing-a-Long 7 pm Kentucky Theatre
Join the Kentucky Theatre for a special Christmas event on Dec 16, 2023. Take part in a Christmas Sing-A-Long with live organ accompaniment. Enjoy a glass of eggnog or a holiday cocktail. Then sit back for Frank Capra’s Christmas classic, It’s A Wonderful Life.
Parades
DEC 2 Lawrenceburg Christmas Parade
DEC 2 St. “Nich” Christmas Festival, Nicholasville
DEC 2 Lexington Christmas Parade
DEC 9 Danville Christmas Parade
RUN FOR IT
DEC 2 Santa Shuffle 5k, Versailles
DEC 3 Frosty 5k, Frankfort
DEC 8 St. Nich Ugly Sweater 3k, Nicholasville
DEC 9 Reindeer Ramble, Keeneland
DEC 9 St. Nicholasville Ugly Sweater 5k, Nicholasville
DEC 16 Frosty Feet Winter Mileage Challenge, Lexington
JAN 1 Frozen Rails 5k + 10k, Midway
Santa
DEC 1 Jingle & Mingle, Joseph Beth
DEC 2 Pink Santa, Olive’s Apron
DEC 3 Santa & Itty Bitty Betty, Mirror Twin Brewing
DEC 3 Brunch with Santa, The Kentucky Castle
DEC 9 Pancakes with Santa, Forcht Bank
DEC 9 SantaCon 2023, Bourbon on Rye
DEC 14 Visit with Santa, Louis Flower Power
SHOP
DEC 2 Christmas Market, Ashland Henry Clay Estate
Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate hosts their Annual Christmas Market, Noon to 5:30 pm on Saturday Dec 2. Santa Selfies 3 pm – 5:00 pm Kentuckians Chorus 5 pm – 5:30 pm Ashland Illumination 5:30 pm First Candlelight Tour 5:30 – 7 pm, last entry at 7 pm (Additional candlelight tours on Thursday Dec. 7, and Saturday Dec. 9)
Stage & Theatre
DEC 4 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Lexington Children’s Theatre
DEC 8 Miracle on 34th Street Woodford Theatre
The Bradley family’s church Christmas Pageant is always the same, year after year – until the Herdmans show up. Join the Lexington Children’s Theatre for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, through Dec 4, 2023.
Nutcrackers
DEC 8 The Brown-Forman Nutcracker, The Kentucky Center
DEC 9 Kentucky Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker, Lexington Opera House
DEC 15 Bluegrass Youth Ballet’s Nutcracker in One Act
DEC 22 The Nutcracker, EKU (Richmond)
This article appears on pages 8-11 of the December 2023 issue of Ace. To subscribe to digital delivery, click here.
