Downtown Carriage Rides, Santa Photos Start Tuesday

Get ready for the clomp-clomp of the horse-drawn carriages as part of Norcross' Sparkle! celebration.

Who doesn't like the idea of riding in a horse-drawn carriage in the evening with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand while adoring the Christmas lights around them? If that got you in the mood, you're in luck: The carriage rides in Historic Downtown Norcross begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. As part of the annual month-long Sparkle! celebration, the rides begin in front of the Taste of Britain store on South Peachtree Street and circle around on Skin Alley. Carriage rides aren't the only thing to start Tuesday, either. Round the kids for photos with Santa at 45 South Cafe. Photo packages are $15 and are printed on-site, according to the Perfect Pix Photography Facebook page. The rides and photos will run until 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, …

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Norcross Kicks Off Holidays on Friday

The holiday season gets is first sparkle with a tree lighting at the park--and an open house at the new arts center, the Nest, on Saturday.

The City of Norcross holiday festivities, dubbed Sparkle!, get their first twinkle this weekend, kicking off a month of wintry fun downtown.  On Friday, the tree at Thrasher Park will be lit at 7 p.m. and the arrival of a certain jolly man in a red suit can also be expected. The Norcross Lions Club will provide hot chocolate and cookies, and free photos with Santa will begin at 7:15 p.m., according to information released by the city. A live band will start up 6:30 p.m. Carriage rides will be offered for free during the holiday season as well.  Pick up the horse-drawn carriage in front of Taste of Britain on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. In addition, Taste of Britain will hold a holiday open house on Saturday and …

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Five Things To Do This Weekend

Witches, Elves and Billie Jean King

Here are our Calendar Editor's picks for this weekend: As expected, holiday hullabaloo and, completely unexpected, a tennis tournament.

The holidays are upon us and it's the last weekend to finalize travel plans, prepare for in-laws and find an extra-small helmet so your nephew doesn't kill himself when he gets that new skateboard. No matter how busy you get, take some time for yourself and enjoy it. Maybe by doing one of these 5 Things. 1. Go see a play. The newest film installment of The Chronicles of Narnia, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" opened last weekend and pulled in a cool $24 million. If you're interested in a refresher on the original, Lionheart Theatre in Historic Norcross opens a weekend run of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" today at 7:30 p.m. Read our article about it here. Also, this is the last weekend that The Nutcracker will be showing at …

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Downtown Holiday Festivities: Still Plenty of Cheer

From snapping a shot with Santa to taking a carriage ride, holiday events are in full swing in Historic Norcross.

The annual lighting of the Christmas tree has already passed, but there still are plenty of chances to get cheery in Historic Norcross, including carriage rides, visits with Santa and--what else?--a toy Oscar Mayer wiener bus and other tiny wonders at the Antique Toy Display, opening today.  Part of the Sparkle! activities downtown, the carriage rides mark their 12th year in Norcross this December. The carriage rides are free and last for five to ten minutes. "We've gone every year," said Kristy Parent with her small daughter, Isable. "This will be our third." The line for rides, which start at the entrance of Taste of Britain, tends to be long, so it's been recommended to arrive early. Rides are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and …

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