Sights and sounds of the holidays to highlight Christmas on the Avenue

By Toni Miles

There will be plenty to sing about this holiday season in Long Beach, and those who decide to take part in this year’s Christmas on the Avenue will be treated with live holiday musical performances by the Long Beach High School Concert Choir Association, among other things.

The festivities will kick off early in the morning on Saturday, December 14, at a Breakfast with Santa, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Attendees will feast on pancakes with Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick himself at First United Methodist Church in Long Beach, located at 208 Pine Street. Santa will be on hand to chat with kids and take photographs at the breakfast.

While there is a charge for Breakfast with Santa, there is no admission fee for Christmas on the Avenue. At 9 a.m., the Harper McCaughan Town Green in Long Beach will transform into a scene that will look more like that of a holiday movie set, as the annual Christmas on the Avenue, a family-friendly, arts and crafts street fair gets underway. Throughout the day, there will be live performances by the Long Beach High School Concert Choir, who hosts this event each year, and other singers and groups.

The little ones will have plenty of games and kids’ activities to enjoy at the event while parents check out the dozens of local vendors who will have unique, specially-crafted art and merchandise for sale, which will help out with those holiday gift shopping lists. For those who want to take home a furry friend for the holidays, Long Beach Animal Control Officer Quentin Denney will be on hand with some adoptable animals, as well. Santa will also be available for photographs.

Rain or shine, this year’s Christmas on the Avenue, which helps raise funds to support the Long Beach High Concert Choir, is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.