“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” —Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
This year marks the 38th annual A Christmas Affair sponsored by the Junior League of Austin. The theme was “Winter Wonderland.” As usual, a beautifully decorated tree was the centerpiece of the Palmer Events Center.
Unseasonably warm temperatures attracted a large crowd to Austin’s Holiday Sing-Along and Downtown Stroll on the first Saturday in December. As usual, local NPR host John Aielli led the Sing-Along from the steps of the Texas State Capitol. My friends and I managed to weave our way around the side of the building until we were right behind the stage. The songbook included all the traditional favorites, including crowd-pleasers, Feliz Navidad and Jingle Bells.
“A Christmas Affair” is definitely my favorite shopping event in Austin. This annual show is organized by The Junior League of Austin in support of their numerous community projects, including the upcoming Coats for Kids.
Our year-end vacation time is quickly coming to a close and Bill and I must return to work this week. We really enjoyed our staycation spent with family and friends. I’ve already blogged about some events like TubaChristmas, the Big Christmas Day Boat Fire and New Year’s Eve fireworks. Here’s some of our other holiday activities:
Made our second annual trek over to Swedish Hill Bakery for their Christmas cookies.
Checked out the shopping and eating situation on South Congress.
Kept an eye on Occupy Austin.
Walked and ran around Lady Bird Lake on a crowded Hike-and-Bike Trail.
