Kidsfest features a heated tent full of entertainment and activities, as well as Santa’s Enchanted Forest. Children can watch a production by the Popcorn Hat Players; make crafts; and enjoy hayrides, the Santa Train, and other children’s rides.

In addition, talented artists and craftsman provide great gift ideas at the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council’s Holiday Craft Market.

Christmas Candylane
Hersheypark
Thru January 2

The entire town of Hershey sparkles in celebration of the holiday season; Hersheypark contributes brilliantly with over one million twinkling lights as a part of its transformation into Christmas Candylane.

Tudor Village offers hand-crafted gifts and collectibles to satisfy the recipient who has everything. Hershey’s Product Characters, donning festive suits, will greet visitors; and carolers and brass ensembles provide an enveloping, festive atmosphere.

Expanding into the Minetown area of the park, Christmas Candylane has rides for young and old alike, such as the old-fashioned carousel, The Candylane Twilight Express, and even a horse-drawn carriage through Midway America. Nine live reindeer inhabit the North Pole, where Santa’s Castle rests for the duration of the jolly fellow’s Hershey visit. For those with an interest in model trains, Minetown Train Village displays one of the largest seasonal train displays in the Eastern United States.

CHICAGO
Hershey Theatre
December 8 – 13

The touring members of the Tony Award-winning musical CHICAGO will come to Hershey this month.

The accolades have yet to end — the show is “wildly entertaining,” “sleek and sizzling,” “edgy, erotic, cynical, gorgeous,” and “brilliant and brassy.”

A revival of the under-appreciated 1975 musical, CHICAGO spins the tale of greed, treachery, exploitation, adultery, and murder involving vaudevillians Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. While both are in prison, they vie for the aid of Billy Flynn, a lawyer who specializes in “razzle dazzle” — and who knows how to stoke the press. Scandal made stars, but media sensation is always short-lived. Set in the 1920s, the entire musical carries a vaudeville milieu. A minimalist stage emphasizes the spectacular performers, who are accented in nothing more than black.

Featuring the music and lyrics of John Kander and Fred Ebb (the dynamic duo creditied with The Kiss of the Spider Woman) and the choreography of Ann Reinking (both the original and the current star of the Broadway productions), CHICAGO promises nothing less than a fiery score, spectacular dancing, and a story that examines the truth behind the American Dream

Martin Sexton
The Wire
December 12

While he started his musical career in a skinny tie, covering Huey Lewis and the News and Ah-ha back in the ’80s, Martin Sexton has evolved into a creative singer/songwriter who brings the acoustic guitar into R&B and soul.

Critics claim that his voice is his strongest instrument, one so versatile that he easily transitions from baritone to falsetto. It easily draws his audiences into his performances — so much so that the artist compares a successful performance to sex.

Sexton has three albums under his belt. In The Journey, released in 1992, has sold over 25,000 copies, helping him earn several Boston Music Awards and the National Academy of Songwriters’ 1994 Artist of the Year Award. His 1996 release, Black Sheep, sold 30,000 copies.

Atlantic Records picked up his most recent release, The American, and critics are raving. Songs such as “My Maria” delve into his Catholic past, highlighting a lack of inspirational figures in today’s society. He also explores the obsession with eroticism that the mass media has pushed to the forefront of our culture in “Where It Begins” and “Candy.”

Candlelight House Tour
Historic HarrisburgAssociation
December 13

In commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of Historic Harrisburg Association’s annual candlelight tours, visitors may enter 25 properties to view the restorations that have taken place in Harrisburg. The properties include historic homes, commercial buildings, and a host church. A diesel trolley will provide travel between the properties.

The tour demonstrates the remarkable transformations that the structures have undergone in order for such old buildings to support contemporary lifestyles. Most date from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Special preview tours on Friday, December 11 will feature a total of nine homes, two of which will not be featured on Sunday’s tour. Three groups will each view three houses, taking the opportunity to discuss renovations and interior decorating with the owners, as well as enjoy refreshments. The tickets for the preview cost $50 per person.

Call 233-4646 for more information.