Out & About with Albert Dec. 1-7

ʻTis the season

While all of us were thankful for family and friends last week, the month of December holds many fun filled activities and events leading up to the merriment of Christmas. So many are excited about the annual Junior League of Beaumont Main Street Market extravaganza, which is begins Thursday, Dec. 1, at 4 p.m., inside the Civic Center in downtown Beaumont through Dec. 3. The MSM is a three-day, one stop holiday shopping featuring unique merchandise from more than 100 of carefully selected vendors from Texas and across the country. Shop for clothing, gourmet foods, children’s items, jewelry and more. Now its 19th year, this is one of the Junior League’s biggest fundraisers on the year and helps play a pivotal role in furthering the JLB’s work in the community. Thursday’s festivities include a wine and whiskey pull for dots and diamonds. Friday, the market opens at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m., annual luncheon begins at 11 a.m. for $75 – food, fun and amazing prizes to be given away. The market will conclude on Saturday, with doors opening at 10 a.m. Throughout the day, local choirs and dance performances will be presented on stage. Tickets can be purchased online at juniorleaguebeaumont.org or at the door. Kudos to this year’s Main Street Market chair, Casie Harris.

The Junior League of Beaumont will donate $75,000 in community assistance grants for nonprofits in Southeast Texas.

Assist the environment… Beaumont Botanical Gardens is seeking help from the community to help keep pumpkins out of the landfill. Located at 6088 Babe Zaharias Drive inside Tyrrell Park, patrons can come by and pick up all the pumpkins you want. Landfills are not designed to take pumpkins due to the lake of oxygen, which means organic matter (pumpkins) produce methane gas harmful for the climate. You can bake ‘em, make puree, roast seeds for a snack, collect for animal feed or donate them to a park, and you can even compost them, which makes the soil healthier and you may end up growing a few pumpkins next fall.

Creative gifts… The Art Studio invites local artists and patrons to “Hoporama Extravaganza” on Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5-8 p.m. Live music and holiday cheer with gallery shopping from Dec. 13-17.

Hometown performance… The Lutcher Theater will present “My Fair Lady” next Monday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. and celebrates the return of Orange native and LCM High School graduate Sophie Braud to the Lutcher stage. See you there!

Sweet time of year… the Art Museum of Southeast Texas invites members and nonmembers to their annual Gingerbread House Workshop guided by pastry chef Paige Neyland on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call (409) 832-3432 for reservations.

Holiday cheer… The McFaddin-Ward House welcomes the community to delight in the spirit of the season at its annual, and free, Holiday Open House on Sunday, Dec. 11, from 5-7 p.m. at 1906 Calder Ave. Guests will enjoy festive refreshments, live dulcimer music, and children’s crafts at the museum’s Visitor Center before touring the historic home to view the magnificent holiday decorations throughout the first floor, while beautiful Christmas music is played on the 1905 Ivers & Pond grand piano. Also on Dec. 11, the McFaddin-Ward House is partnering with the Oaks Historic district and Beaumont Heritage Society for the second annual Homes for the Holidays event. From 3-7 p.m., the Oaks Historic will offer tours of three historic homes with the district, decked out for the holidays. Tickets to tour the three homes are $20 (kids under 12 are free). Tickets can be purchased at the Visitor Center through Dec. 9 or online at oakshomesfortheholidays.eventbrite.com.

Happy anniversary… to Alicia and Charles Daleo (16 years), Allison and Mike Getz (22), Kate and Rod Carroll (30), Kim and Mark Ballard (41) and Dixie and Gay Richardson (59). Congrats!

Candles and cakes… belated best to Charlie Weinbaum, David Perkins, Cheri Parigi and Rhonda Oszczakiwicz. B-day wishes to Emily Wheeler, Darci Piel, Lisa Callas, Katherine Gavrelos Williams, Jayne Bordelon, Philip Battaglia, Kacy Cole, Kelly Sanchez, Mary-Caroline Bishop, Jennifer Mobley-Meyer, Cadien Myrick, Bonnie Vessel, Kelly Henry, Kim Burbank, Ellen Perkins Estes, Marilyn Adams, Laura Weaver, Mary Grace Bloomfield, Alison Kiker, Anthony Busceme Jr., Susie Breen, Lorri Zummo, Cathy Zummo, Jeff McManus, Barbara White, Mitzi Burns and Jenna Junell.

Until the next RSVP!