Ho, ho ho! Holiday fare dominates the weekend

Looking for that one-of-a-kind, local-flavored gift to give for Christmas? Look no further. The Holiday Open House at the Biloxi Visitors Center has you covered this weekend.

The annual event, free and open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is one of three downtown locations that will help showcase dozens of artists and craftsmen showing and selling their wares.  From the Visitors Center, you’ll find free Biloxi Tour Train rides to a host of vndors along Howard Avenue, and, on Sunday, a weekend wrapup visit by Santa to the Biloxi Fire Museum.

The focal point, of course, is the Biloxi Visitors Center, inside and out. 

“We offer Christmas shoppers a last-minute opportunity to find locally created arts and crafts,” said Biloxi Visitors Center Manager Bill Raymond.  “We will have about 30 vendors outside on the front porch and lawn and about 30 vendors inside the Visitors Center.”

In addition to all the wares, the affair will feature door prizes throughout each day, hamburgers and hot dogs grilled by volunteers from the West End Hose Co. No. 3 Fire Museum, decorating of gingerbread cookies from Electrik Maid, Biloxi Tour Train rides to the Shopping on the Avenue vendors along Howard Avenue, and, of course, Santa Claus.

“Santa Claus will be visiting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday,” Raymond said. “We will have a photographer on site taking pictures which will be available for free almost immediately.”

Also, the limited edition 2017 Lighthouse Christmas Ornament featuring an image of the Biloxi Lighthouse taken by local artist Alex North will be available for $17 and the Visitors Center Christmas T-shirts will be marked down from $20 to $15 this weekend only.  Both may be purchased during the Holiday Open House at the Biloxi Visitors Center gift shop.

Elsewhere this weekend: The Parks & Recreation Department hosts its annual Special Needs Christmas Dance at the Donal M. Snyder Community Center from 6 to 9 tonight, the Local History and Genealogy Department of the Biloxi Public Library will present a special holiday sharing event of food, recipes and stories at the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, the “Nina” and the “Pinta” are at the schooner pier, and Santa Claus will be at the West End Hose Co. No. 3 Fire Museum from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday. And at the casino resorts, “Christmas on Ice” begins at the Beau Rivage, and Jennifer Nettles will perform at the IP.
See the Holiday Open House flyer
See the Special Needs Christmas Dance flyer
See the Santa Claus is coming to the West End Hose Co. flyer
See the holiday sharing event invite
See the Community Calendar
See a complete weekend lineup
City Desk: Hear more about Visitors Center affair and more

 

 

News and notes

Holiday safety reminder:  Biloxi Police Chief John Miller is asking that you don’t let safety take a back seat and is offering some safety tips.  To watch the video, click here

City Council preview:  The Biloxi City Council faces an agenda of more than a dozen issues when councilmembers gather Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at Biloxi City Hall.  Among the measures: a FEMA-mandated flood-zone remapping of part of Woolmarket near the Biloxi River, and moving forward with Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District on constructing the new Cedar Lake fire station  To see the complete agenda and supporting documents, click here

Holiday garbage, trash and recycling schedule:  Pickups will be one-day behind their normal schedule during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s Day. To see the detailed schedule from the Harrison County Utility Authority, click here