Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests.

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Now, GO FIND FUN!

WINTER COMES TO PEARLAND.

This Saturday, January 10 from 10am-5pm, the City of Pearland Parks and Recreation Department presents their annual “Winterfest” in Independence Park. The event will kick off at 10am at the main stage with the singing of the National Anthem by Julian Brashears (son of the GISH PICKS designer!). "Winterfest" is a fun-filled day with the sights, sounds and activities of winter that will include 200,000 pounds of snow creating a three-lane snow tubing hill, an ice skating rink, carnival rides, inflatables, a climbing wall, midway games, petting zoos, camel and pony rides, mural painting, live entertainment, and much more! Food vendors will offer a delicious variety of foods from BBQ, turkey legs, burgers, funnel cakes, chocolate covered cheesecake and bananas, to kettle corn and roasted nuts. And, for the second consecutive year, “Winterfest” is proud to host a green event: the “Recycle Snowman Contest” as well as eco-friendly entertainers and vendors. The “Recycle Snowman Contest” is open to families, school classes, or clubs who construct snowmen out of recyclable products. There is a $5 per entry fee per snowman which was due by January 5, 2009 and groups must pre-register for this contest.

Event parking is only at Pearland High School, 3775 South Main and a free shuttle service will be provided. Call the Parks and Recreation office at 281.652.1673 for information on handicap parking. The cost is $10/for all day play for children 3-16 years old; $4/adults and there is a $2 discount per admission when you bring a canned good to benefit the Pearland Neighborhood Center.

SCULPTING THE DAY AWAY.

If you pine away for the outdoor ice rink that used to be in front of the Wortham Center, you’ve got to check out the open air rink on Kinder Lake at Discovery Green. It remains open daily through January 19 for ice skaters of all ages (be sure to call first because conditions can cause it to close). The skating surface for The Ice at Discovery Green spans 7,200 square feet of the model boat basin sitting within Kinder Lake and holds 6,000 gallons of water with a surface temperature maintained at a cool 22 degrees! There is hot chocolate with whipped cream and other refreshments available after your spin. And to add excitement to this icy-ness, Discovery Green is holding a very special event this Saturday, January 10: "Houston's First Annual Magnificent Seven All Out Ice Sculpting”. This competition will pit seven artists vying to create the best ice masterpiece, using seven tons of ice in seven hours.

The public is invited to watch as seven of the top ice carving sculptors in the country create their unique masterpiece with chain saws, blow torches and unrivalled creativity. Each artist must transform one ton of ice into a special creation in just seven hours. Acclaimed artists and ice sculptors include Reverend Butter, Gonzo, Buddy Rassmussin, Dan Rebolze, and Dean Demaris. The competition begins at 10am, winners will be judged at 5pm and announced at 6pm, and the event will wrap up with a Reverend Butter carving performance for 45 minutes to live music by the band Downfall 2012.

PARLEZ FRANÇAIS AT THE ALLIANCE.

The Alliance Française is starting up a new series of French classes for children this Saturday, January 10. Their children’s program immerses children ages 4-15 in the French language, allowing them to learn in a natural way, through visual, kinetic and auditive experience.

Classes meet in seven-week sessions on Saturday mornings at either 9:30am or 11:15am. Tuition is $175 for the seven-week session. Registration must be in advance or a $25 late fee will be assessed and there is a one-time registration fee of $15 for children. You may register by phone anytime at 713.526.1121 using a credit card.

SMITH'S OPTICIANS HAS THE BEST EYEWEAR AROUND.

If you are into funky frames like I am, then you'll love the underground hit for eyeglasses, Smith's Opticians, located at 4313 Austin and Wheeler Streets on the edge of downtown Houston. Smith's is the only place that I go to get my unusual frames and their fashion doesn't even break the bank: they have over a thousand styles to choose from, ranging from $28 to $150. See what fellow Houstonians have to say about Smith's on the "Hot Town, Cool City" website: www.hottowncoolcity.org/view/site/detail/120/.

For more information, call 713.524.8884.

Sarah Gish
Gish Creative
1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116
Houston, Texas 77057
phone/fax: 713.532.1173

email: sarah@gishcreative.com
web: www.gishcreative.com
and: www.thesummerbook.com
and: www.saveourlandmarks.org

© 2009 Sarah Gish

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