Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 9, 1994 TAG: 9412100006
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
THE DICKENS, YOU SAY: Even the meanest of Christmas curmudgeons can't resist the charm of horse-drawn carriages, strolling carolers, hot apple cider and roasted chestnuts, entertainment, crafts and children's activities when downtown Roanoke's historic Market area returns to the Victorian past tonight from 5:30 - 9; Saturday from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon - 5 p.m. for Bell Atlantic's "Dickens of A Christmas."
On Saturday, from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Virginia's Explore Park at Milepost 115 on the Blue Ridge Parkway will join the "Dickens of A Christmas" activities with Christmas songs sung in barbershop harmony by the Virginia Gentlemen's Community Chorus at 2 p.m. and ongoing children's ginger-bread cookie decorating, plus hiking trails, self-guided tours of the historic settlement, hot apple cider and products and crafts made using 19th-century techniques.
SMALL PACKAGE: Petite performer Terri Allard is well-known in progressive folk-country-blues circles for her big voice and emotionally charged lyrics. Tonight, from 9 -11, she'll bring her powerful sound to the Third Street Coffee House at Trinity Methodist Church, 305 Mountain Ave. S.W., Roanoke. Allard will also sell CDs and cassettes of her self-titled debut recording during tonight's free performance. Call (804) 823-7726 or 342-4268.
TOE-SHOE TALES: Roanoke Ballet Theatre will present two holiday classics at 8 o'clock tonight and Saturday in Whitman Auditorium at Virginia Western Community College. "The Little Match Girl" tells of a beggar girl who watches and dreams of being part of the season's gaiety. "A Holiday Toy Shop" is about a lonely toy shop keeper whose ballerina doll comes to life and enlivens the other toys to join in an enchanted evening.
Advance tickets are $5 for students and senior citizens, $7 for adults. Tickets at the door are $7 and $9 respectively. For information or to reserve tickets, call 345-6099 or 384-7137.
The Southwest Virginia Ballet Company will present "The Snow Maiden" on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Roanoke College's Olin Hall. The Russian fable, dating to the late 1800s and seldom performed outside of Russia, is about a beautiful maiden shaped from snow by a childless couple. The snow child comes to life but can only survive if her heart is unwarmed by love. Her stay among mortals is brief. Tickets are $7.50 and $9.50. Call 375-2333.
TREE TUNES: Calvary Baptist Church's "Singing Christmas Tree" - with its 70-voice choir, 30-piece orchestra, organ, celesta, handbells, soloists and narrator - is, in its 26th year, a Yuletide tradition. This year's tree is dedicated to the late John Will Creasy, the arts patron who helped develop the tree concept and for many years served as its artistic director.
The free performances, from a 27-foot high wood and steel structure covered with greenery and lights, will be at the church at West Campbell Ave. and Sixth Street, Roanoke, on Saturday at 5 p.m. and on Sunday at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Child care will be provided and a free-will offering taken.
Tonight at 7:30, Lynn Haven Baptist Church, 1501 Washington Ave., will be the site of Vinton's first Singing Christmas Tree, featuring 85 singers performing traditional hymns and carols. The event, which may one day become a tradition in its own right, is free.
TALENTED TEENS: Local R&B group Much 2 Much is just one of several area entertainers and students showcasing their talents Saturday at 7 p.m. in the William Fleming high school auditorium during Metro Valley Talent Showcase '94. Hot new fashions will be modeled by the ever-cool Gatsby Models. Tickets are $5 and available at the door or by calling 345-1966.
HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Ten houses, apartments and buildings - including the house where recently wed Herb and Alisa Smith two years ago met and struck up a courtship - will be part of the 15th annual Old Southwest Christmas Parlor Tour on Saturday from 5 - 9 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Tours begin at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, corner of Franklin Road and Highland Avenue. Tickets, $8, on sale at the church only on tour days, help finance operation of Old Southwest Inc. Call 343-8794.
The Salem Museum and Salem Historical Society will on Sunday from 2 - 5:30 p.m. open for self-guided tours five homes along High Street, ranging in style from an 1840s Greek Revival residence to a Victorian-embellished farmhouse to a 1920s Sears and Roebuck frame four-square. A welcome reception at the museum from 2 - 7 p.m. will include an old-fashioned tea party hosted by the Herbal Society of Southwest Virginia and featuring unique herbal refreshments. Tickets, $8 in advance or $10 at the door of each home, benefit the museum and historical society. To order or for information, call 389-6760.
STAGG STUFF: The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl NCAA Division III Football Championship has sparked at least a couple of offshoot events including a "Before the Bowl Block Party" in the Salem Farmers Market tonight from 5 - 9 o'clock, with live bands, K-92 radio remote, Salem High School cheerleaders, shopping, food and a bonfire. On Saturday at Salem stadium from 10 a.m. to noon a bring-your-own tailgate or don't "Super Saturday Tailgate Party" will offer prizes, food samples, music and cheerleaders. Then, of course, there's the Stagg Bowl itself, Saturday noon at Salem Stadium. The parties are free. Bowl tickets are $8 in advance, $10 on the day of the game, $5 for high school students and under. Call 375-3057.
by CNB