LISA DENTON: Barry, before you remind me again, as you’ve done the past few weeks, I know there are only two more shopping days and then I owe you a Christmas present. It might be a little late. I have some other stops to make first.
If I want to see “The Christmas Story, The Musical” at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre or Christmas Underground at Ruby Falls, I only have tonight and tomorrow night to go. And if I want to catch “The Polar Express” on the big screen at the Tennessee Aquarium’s Imax Theater, I have to do it by Wednesday.
So many places, so little time.
Luckily, some of the other holiday events, like the Enchanted Garden of Lights at Rock City, Christmas Nights of Lights at Camp Jordan and North Pole Limited at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, will last past Christmas. And I hear the dates for Ice on the Landing, the ice skating rink at Ross’s Landing, may be extended. I understand you’ve been spending some time there.
BARRY COURTER: I did go down there to check it out. I did not skate because, well, it just wasn’t a good idea. The people who were there were having a great time, and it was really fun watching parents teaching their kids to skate for the first time. It’s a beautiful setting with the river as a backdrop. They’ve got holiday music on the sound system and hot drinks in the tent.
By the way, Ice on the Landing will be open Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and part of the proceeds will benefit the Chattanooga Community Kitchen. It also will be open Christmas Day from 4 to 11 p.m.
My family will probably do the same thing we’ve done since I was a small child — get in the car and drive around looking at decorations on people’s houses. The kids are a little too old to dress up in their PJs, but I’m not.
LISA: Me neither. And I love going out to see the lights.
There’s a family in my neighborhood that has one of those whiz-bang, whole-house light shows — this year synchronized to the music of “Frozen.” It’s pretty spectacular — and by that I mean it’s pretty spectacular that I have another chance to sing “Let It Go.” You know how I like to bear down on that one.
On their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SoddyLights, these neighbors have links to other big light shows in Hixson and Cleveland, so that gives me a couple more places to check out.
BARRY: Maybe people who read this — both of them — will post online some of the best places they know of to visit for Christmas lights. I know we always go up to “Helton Hill” in East Ridge at the intersection of Jason Drive and Fountain Avenue. Susan Pierce did a story on it in Saturday’s Life section. It’s nice that people do this for the enjoyment of others. It takes a lot of time and money.
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Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281. Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.