The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Family-friendly events light up season
The excitement of the holiday season often finds kids bouncing off the walls like overcaffeinated elves. If it’s time to get the tots out of the house and soothe their Yuletide appetite with a familyfriendly event, here are a few options to consider.
Mighty Mo and more
The Fox Theatre unwraps an on-the-house holiday gift packed with seasonal sights and sounds. It begins with an organ concert courtesy of Ken Double, president of the American Theatre Organ Society. Manning the Mighty Mo, the nickname of the Fox’s Mollër organ, Double will lead a Christmas sing-along just before a bigscreen presentation of “The Santa Clause.” Santa himself will be on hand for photo ops, and faux snow will fall on Peachtree Street. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance at the Fox box office or online.
7:30 p.m. Dec. 19. Free. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 855-285-8499, foxtheatre.org.
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’
The beloved holiday TV special shines brightly as a perennial puppet show adapted by Center for Puppetry Arts’ Jon Ludwig. Based on the Rankin/Bass-produced classic, “Rudolph” soars with magnificent puppets looking as if they sprang from the telly, and those oh-so-familiar tunes. Admission includes access to the Worlds of Puppetry Museum and the Create-A-Puppet Workshop.
Multiple shows Tuesdays-Sundays through Dec. 31. No shows Mondays or Dec. 25. $10.25$20.50; free ages 1 and younger. Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-8733391, puppet.org.
Stone Mountain Park Christmas and Snow Mountain
Holiday-themed live shows, a Christmas train ride and more sweeten this year’s version of the annual Stone Mountain Park Christmas event. SkyLights Spectacular: A Musical Walkthrough Experience allows guests to walk through Santa’s workshop. And, the famous red schnoz glows up close and personal with an exclusive screening of the 4-D version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Plus, Snow Mountain brings man-made frosty stuff to the park’s Laser Lawn, with tubing runs and a snow-laden play area.
Stone Mountain Park Christmas: Select dates through Jan. 4. $25.95-$31.95; free ages 2 and younger. Snow Mountain: Select dates through Feb 26. $28; $44.95 combo ticket includes both attractions. $15 parking; $40 annual permit. Stone Mountain Park, 1000 Robert E. Lee Drive, Stone Mountain. 1-800-401-2407, stonemountainpark.com.
LanierWorld Winter Adventure and Magical Lights
Cruise through Magical Lights, 7 miles of glowing holiday displays, and head toward Santa’s Village. You can visit with Mr. Claus, roast marshmallows, watch holiday flicks on a mammoth screen, glide on a bubble-filled ice skating rink, hop on carnival rides, check out a live nativity scene and more. LanierWorld water park transforms into the snowpacked Winter Adventure, where you can play in the white fluff and brave speed slides.
Magical Lights: 5-10 p.m. daily through Jan. 3. $36$45 per vehicle up to 10 passengers. Winter Adventure: Daily through Jan. 8. $29.99 all-attraction pass; free after 5 p.m. for those 36 inches and shorter. Lanier Islands, 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford. 678-304-3120, lanierislands.com.
Candlelight Nights at Atlanta History Center
Step back in time for oldschool, low-fi holiday cheer during the final night of this annual event. Candles flicker along the center’s wooded trails, where guests will find the halls of historic homes decked out. The Smith Family Farm portrays the holidays during the Civil War years; the Wood Family Cabin shows a rustic pioneer Christmas; and the Swan House swanks with 1930s seasonal charm. Actors and actresses in period dress breathe life into historical characters and help host activities, from candle-dipping to storytelling. Keep an eye out for the 1861 Christmas tree lighting (6, 8 and 9 p.m.) on the Smith Family Farm. Live jazz swings in the Swan House foyer courtesy of the Joe Gransden Trio. Peruse the holiday market bustling with arts and crafts, and visit St. Nick 6:30-9:30 p.m. in the Garden Overlook.
5:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 16. $8-$15. Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. 404-814-4000, atlantahistorycenter.com/ family.
‘Trouble in Toyland’ at Aurora Theatre
Sugarplums may continue dancing in the heads of pint-size theatregoers for the last show of the Aurora Children’s Playhouse holiday season. Lee Bryan, known among the younger set as That Puppet Guy, presents this 45-minute show about dysfunction at the North Pole. Santa’s laugh disappears, the elves revolt and Rudolph’s honker has the sniffles. Before or after the show, make sure to take the kiddos to Aurora’s Festival of Trees. More than 25 blinged-out Christmas trees gleam in the theater lobby. Have your child bring a new, unwrapped toy and a nonperishable food item to place beneath their favorite tree. Gifts will be donated to the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots, and the food goes to local food banks.
10 and 11:30 a.m. Dec. 17. $7. Aurora Theatre, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. 678-226-6222, auroratheatre.com/education/childrens-playhouse.
Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Over Georgia
At Six Flags’ Holiday in the Park, more than a dozen themed areas blast holiday cheer, including Peppermint Plaza, where lighted trees double as giant candy canes and minty scents waft in the air. Call it a white-knuckle Christmas, with an array of rides open amid the winter chill. Most of Six Flags’ roster of roller coasters — including Batman: the Ride, the Joker Chaos Coaster, Dare Devil Dive and more — will be available. More relaxed rides include a jaunt aboard the North Pole Express train. Even the concessions get a celebratory twist, with flavorful hot chocolate, Christmas-style funnel cakes and other delights.
5-11 p.m. Dec. 16, 4-10 p.m. Dec. 17-18, 5-10 p.m. Dec. 19-21, 4-10 p.m. Dec. 22-23, 2-10 p.m. Dec. 26-Jan. 4. $45.99-$50.99 online; free ages 2 and younger. At the park: $65.99. $20 parking per vehicle. Six Flags Over Georgia, 275 Riverside Parkway, Austell. 770-739-3400, sixflags.com/overgeorgia.