JOURNEY TO THE FROZEN CONTINENT
While the North Pole garners a great deal of attention this time of the year, a Temple birdwatcher turned her attention to the opposite end of the world earlier this month and journeyed to Antarctica. Deidre Dawson and her daughter, Emma Wenkert of Austin, spent several days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and miles of frozen coastline.
CHISHOLM TRAIL CHRISTMAS BALL
This year’s Chisholm Trail Christmas Ball, an annual gala benefiting the Bell County Youth Fair scholarship fund, will feature music by the legendary McBride & The Ride. The Christmas Ball will be Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Bell County Expo Center beginning at 6 p.m.
BLUE SANTA TOY DRIVE IS DEC. 2
A downtown street party will help provide hundreds of toys, books and stuffed animals to Temple kids in need. Sammy G’s fifth annual toy drive will be Friday, Dec. 2, on South 1st Street in front of Fire Base Brewing Company, and donations will go toward the Temple Police Department’s Blue Santa Project.
KRIS KRINGLE ART CARAVAN
Those who have an art-lover on their holiday shopping list are in luck — a Temple studio is having a Dec. 3 event just for you. The Kris Kringle Artist Caravan, a collection of affordable art by local artists and gifts priced as low as $5, will be at Susan Sterle’s Downtown gallery. Sterle Fine Art Studio is located at 8 N 9th Street in Temple and the event will start at 9 a.m.
2023 CENTRAL TEXAS FILM SOCIETY MOVIES
The Central Texas Film Society has announced its monthly lineup for 2023, and the list is full of classic films. According to Jeff Swindoll, a Central Texas Film Society board member, all of the showings are free (so is the popcorn) and will be on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. at the Cultural Activities Center.
Pets included on many shopping lists
You better not bark, you better not chew; don’t chase the cat, put down that shoe. Santa Paws is coming to town, and he has a growing number of four-legged friends on his “nice” list. According to the American Pet Products Association, 56 percent of US pet owners plan to buy holiday gifts for furry family members.
Literacy Council accepting new students
Area adults who want to improve their reading skills or learn English as a second language are in luck, the Temple Literacy Council is accepting new students for one-on-one tutoring.
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
The popular Vineyard Voice chamber vocal ensemble will present its annual Christmas concert — Light of the World — at Immanuel Baptist Church on Dec. 4. A second show is set for Dec. 5 at LifeWay Fellowship in Killeen.
MERRY & BRIGHT
Christmas lights tour/contest under way in Temple Get read for Temple’s inaugural Merry & Bright Holiday Lights Tour & Contest. Temple residents are encouraged to decorate the exterior of their homes, and submit a photo and their address at templetx.gov/holidaylights. After the submission deadline, community members may tour the homes using an interactive digital map […]
Family recipes still among favorites
According to a report released by Campbell’s Soup, stuffing is America’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish, followed closely by mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and macaroni and cheese. For the most part, those traditional favorites hold true right here in Central Texas. And for many Temple-area cooks, old family recipes still hold the key to Thanksgiving success.