What’s Up This Weekend (Dec. 3-5, 2010)

We’ve covered a lot of cool family-friendly stuff going on around town already, so first make sure you check out these previous posts for ideas:

• Holiday shopping, theatre, food and more in Over-the-Rhine
• Holiday Follies at Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati
• Holiday Light Displays in the Tri-State

Plus, Amy mentioned some great stuff in last weekend’s post that will be continuing this weekend and beyond:

• The ice is ready and waiting at the US Bank Ice Rink on Fountain Square, so gobble up all the excess calories trying to keep yourself upright! PS: Santa skates 11am-noon on Saturdays and Sundays.
• The 65th Season of the Holiday Trains at Duke Energy is full speed ahead.  Find all the details here.
• The Cincinnati Zoo makes the city sparkle and welcomes back their PNC Festival of Lights.  This must-do holiday event will run through the first of the new year 5pm to 9pm, with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
• Weekend carriage rides downtown courtesy of Macy’s will run Saturdays and Sundays through the holiday season from noon to 5pm each day.  Or check out the Holly Jolly Downtown Trolly presented by Fifth Third Bank.
• The Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad is chugging along again this year for North Pole Express.  The VIP passengers on this trip will of course by Mr. and Mrs. Claus – enjoy hot cocoa and meet their elves as well!  Rides are Saturday and Sunday through the 19th, visit their site for more details.
• Visit the Behringer-Crawford Museum in Devou Park for their Holiday Toy Train exhibit.  It runs Tuesday through Sundays til the new year, but be sure to check times and details on their site.

What else? Well, there’s …

• The Holiday Junction train display and Toys Through Time exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center (It’s also
  Grandparents Weekend, with programs held throughout museums with hands-on activities to create lasting memories with grandparents.)
• Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland at Newport Aquarium
• Christmas At EnterTrainment Junction in West Chester
• CelebriTrees, professionally decorated trees displayed in store windows at 20 O’Bryonville businesses (FREE)
• Freezin’ Fun in Highfield Discovery Garden at Glenwood Gardens
• Redsfest (sure to be more popular than the Bengals game!) at Duke Energy Convention Center
• Victorian Holiday Village at Ohio National Financial Services building in Blue Ash (FREE)
• Christmas In Mason, a festival on Friday evening in downtown Mason (FREE)
• Santaland at Sharon Woods‘ Sharon Centre (FREE)
• Polar Express Party at Blue Manatee Children’s Bookstore in Oakley on Friday at 6 p.m. (FREE)
• Dinner with Santa at the Deer Park Community Center on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Christmas in Covedale at Covedale Gardens on Friday at 6 p.m. (FREE)
• Holiday Craft Workshop at LaBoiteaux Woods, Friday, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Santa’s Workshop at Beech Acres Park RecPlex, Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
• Historic Lebanon Christmas Festival in Downtown Lebanon, Saturday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (FREE)
• Hometown Holiday Weekend at Krohn Conservatory (FREE)
• Christmas Tree Lighting and Open House at the Miami Township Civic Center, Saturday from 3 to 5:30 p.m. (FREE)
• Feast of Carols at UC’s Corbett Auditorium
• Cheviot Christmas Celebration at Cheviot United Methodist Church, Saturday 5 to 8 p.m. (FREE)
• Family Hot Chocolate Hike at Miami Whitewater Forest, Sunday at 1 p.m. (FREE with parking permit)
• Giving, Giggles and Gelt Hanukkah celebration at Mayerson JCC, Sunday at 1 p.m. (FREE)

Enjoy the weekend, folks!