Gish Picks: Week of December 10, 2008


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. I know many of you go to events based on GISH PICKS recommendations; PLEASE remember to tell the organization that you are there because of us. Word-of-mouth like yours helps our business to grow. In the same spirit, please also feel free to share GISH PICKS with friends and families. Do you have something you would like to promote on Gish Picks? Advertisers can promote family-friendly events, products or services to Houstonians all over the city and the surrounding area who are active parents, involved citizens and great shoppers. We love doing this community service and want to keep it free for our readers but in order to justify the hours spent researching, writing and designing this newsletter, we need advertising support. If you'd like to learn more, please click below. Now, GO FIND FUN!

The Heritage Society's 46th Annual Candlelight Tour

THE HERITAGE SOCIETY WELCOMES THE HOLIDAYS WITH SNOW AND SANTA.

Santa Claus is visiting the Heritage Society this weekend at a gingerbread home serving as “Santa’s Workshop”, powered by Devon Energy. Santa’s visit is part of The Heritage Society’s “46th Annual Candlelight Tour” this Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13 from 6:30-9:30pm at Sam Houston Park, 1100 Bagby Street in downtown Houston. An extra treat for this gathering is SNOW – 40,000 pounds of it! Children will be able to play in it, take photos with Santa and create arts and crafts. Families also will be able to tour some of Houston’s most historic homes as they stroll along paths lit by glowing candlelight. Storytellers, carolers and craft artists will help visitors experience how holidays were celebrated in historic times. The museum and historic structures are open for tours Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10am-4pm and Sundays 1-4pm. Admission is free for children, $10/adults, and $5/students and seniors.

"HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS" IS INTERACTIVE.

InterACTive Theater Company is expanding their performance schedule for both school groups and the public, making it easier to see their fun and rowdy productions. “Here Comes Santa Claus” is onstage through December 19 – with a Saturday matinee at 2pm on December 13 and a “Target Two for Tuesday” (two-for-one) next Tuesday, December 16. In “Here Comes Santa Claus”, the Company takes a fresh look at the history of Citizen Klaus in this holiday homage to Orson Wells' classic film. Not only are the elves preparing for Christmas but they are also busy uncovering the story behind the man in the red suit in a production that will delight the entire family. InterActive Theater Company is a forum for artistic collaboration, a vital educational resource for metropolitan schools, and a site of multicultural programming for an international city. And the best part about the Company? They’ll pull you onstage to be a part of the production! Tickets are $7/each ($6/each for groups of 75 or more).

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AT BAYOU BEND.

“Yuletide at Bayou Bend” is a special holiday treat through Sunday, January 4 in which The Museum of Fine Arts’ Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is dressed up in its holiday finest. During the holidays, Bayou Bend will feature festive lighting in the gardens, and eight rooms of the mansion decorated with historic recreations of celebratory moments in the lives of 18th-20th century Americans, including a scene of the first meal eaten by the Hogg family when they moved in to Bayou Bend in November 1928 and a drawing room Christmas setting created after Miss Hogg moved out of Bayou Bend into a high-rise apartment. Other scenes go back further in time to show the difference in weddings in 1700 and 1821; the elaborate christening of a New York Dutch-American boy in 1714, and a 1772 party for a commencement from Harvard. Bayou Bend is also hosting other events for families over the holidays with holiday entertainment and refreshments, including candlelight tours (12/12 from 5-8pm); Victorian ornament making (Saturdays in December from 2-5pm); and a “Holiday History Family Day” (12/21 from 1-5pm). Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, Houston’s home for America’s treasures, features one of the world’s great collections of American decorative arts and paintings which are displayed in the home of legendary Houston philanthropist and collector Ima Hogg (1882-1975), who gave her estate to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in 1957. The mansion is situated on 14 acres of formal gardens and lush woodlands and is open year-round to visitors, and offers many programs for children, families, and adults. Tickets are free-$10, depending on day and time of visit.

AEROS HOCKEY. 15 SEASONS, ONE REASON.

The Houston Aeros hockey team is busy this week with lots of promotions and games: tonight and tomorrow night (Thursday) at 7:05pm are "Maple Leaf Happy Hour" games. Fans will get a Center Ice seat, $10 in Toyota Bucks, free parking and a Maple Leaf Pub drink coupon for just $33. And this Saturday, December 13, the Aeros host the Hershey Bears and the first 3,000 fans receive Aeros Legend Bobble Head #3. Take advantage of specialty priced Center Ice seats for only $27 (regularly $32) or $10 Upper End Zone seats (regularly $14). Also, there's no better holiday gift for the Aeros fan in your life than a Houston Aeros "Holiday Stuffer." The popular Holiday Stuffer includes four ticket vouchers for any 2008-09 regular-season home game, a bonus voucher and an Aeros Autographed Puck. The Holiday Stuffer begins at just $48. Lower end zones “Stuffers” are $68, corners are $88 and center ice “Stuffers” are $120. The Stuffer is only available through the Aeros Front Office and can be purchased by calling 713.361.7940. For information or other ways to purchase tickets please visit www.aeros.com.

STILL SEARCHING FOR CAMPS FOR YOUR KIDS TO JOIN OVER THE WINTER BREAK???

Worry not, as some organizations around town are offering camps during the holidays in December. Sign up now as spots are filling fast!

These organizations are here to help you out:

Alley Theatre - Alley Theatre Young Performers Studio is offering winter "Break-A-Leg Workshops" during the holiday break. These workshops are fun and intensive theatre classes for the 3 consecutive days before Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, December 22-24 and 29-31 from 10:30am-noon. Camps for ages 7-12 will be offered the week of December 22 and for ages 9-16 the week of December 29. The workshops are $55/each; for more information or to register, call 713.315.3385.

Art Mix Creative Learning Center - Join Art Mix as they explore diverse and exciting holiday traditions from around the world and create awesome multimedia projects from each destination! Camps are offered December 22, 23, 29, 30, 31; and January 5th. Camps are $50/day and $250/week and run from 9am-12pm. The Pop-In Studio is open from 1-5pm on each of these days and Saturdays from 10am-5pm.

Houston Arboretum and Nature Center - Explore the frosty forest and discover who's around the Arboretum in winter with the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Naturalists who will lead kids on a fun-filled winter camp experience. Camps are from 9am-3pm and will be offered Monday, December 29; Tuesday, December 30; and Wednesday, December 31. Camps are $75/day ($60 for members) and $220/week ($170 for members).

Houston Gymnastics Academy - Kids can bounce around at HGA during the “Holly Daze Camps” which are offered December 22-24 and 29-31 from 9am-3pm. After care is available from 3-5pm and camps are $60/day ($50 for members).

TUTS' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) - On December 22 and 23, TUTS offers "Winter Performing Arts Camps" in which students learn acting, singing and dance and each session concludes with a free showcase presentation on the TUTS Studio Stage. The camp is open to children ages 4-14. To register for Winter Performing Arts Camps, call 713.558.8801 or email HSMT@TUTS.com.

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My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);

THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, AND ART PROGRAMS that cover topics such as summertime fun, passion-finding (for adults, children, and parents helping their children), marketing, historic preservation, art classes, and activism. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.


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 © 2008 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World