Calendar and Family Calendar

Calendar

The Thurston House in Maitland will be on national news Thanksgiving night. NBC’s People of the Year show will feature nominee James Jones, the Sanford man who confronted his daughter’s bullies on a Seminole County school bus earlier this year, being interviewed by “Today Show” host Matt Lauer. It airs at 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 25.

There will be no garbage or recycling collection service in unincorporated Orange County on Thursday, Nov. 25. If Thursday is your garbage collection day, garbage will be collected on the following Monday. If Thursday is your recycling collection day, recycling will be collected on the next Thursday. For more information, call the Orange County Utilities Solid Waste Hotline at 407-836-6601.

The city of Winter Park and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra invite you to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season at their annual Holiday Pops concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28 in Central Park. For more information, call 407-896-6700.

The Give the Gift of a Smile Christmas Toy Drive is from 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 29 until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14 at the Christian HELP Foundation, 450 Seminola Blvd. Visit Christianhelp.org for more information.

Ballroom dance lessons are offered every Monday night at the University Club of Winter Park, 841 N. Park Ave., for a $5 donation.

The University Club of Winter Park, 841 N. Park Ave., for its Great Lecture Series, is presenting “National Challenges and our Founding Principles,” by Todd Long, a Civil Law Attorney of Orlando, who will present his views on whether our founding principles are being eroded by the media, government and pressure groups at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30.

Ten Thousand Villages, 346 N. Park Ave., is hosting a scholarship shopping benefit from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1.

The Orange County Retired Educators Association will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 2 at College Park United Methodist Church, 644 W. Princeton St.

Edgewater High School Choir and ’90s Club will perform a holiday music program. Visit ocrea-fl.org or call 407-677-0446 for more information.

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art’s 32nd annual Christmas in the Park event is at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, in Central Park featuring the 150-voice Bach Festival Choir. For more information, visit www.morsemuseum.org

Casa Feliz will be open for “Cookies, Cocoa and Carols,” a community open house following Christmas in the Park from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2. Come see Central Florida’s favorite historic home decorated for Christmas, listen to Dickensian carolers, enjoy hot cocoa and cookies and even visit with Santa Claus. The event is free of charge, although there is a suggested donation of $3 per person or $10 per family. For more information, please contact Betsy Owens at [email protected]

The festivities continue in Central Park with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Stroll presented by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3. For more information, call 407-644-8281.

In conjunction with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 3, the city of Winter Park and Enzian Theater will present Popcorn Flicks in Central Park featuring “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Polar Express” beginning at 7 p.m. For more information, please call 407-629-0054.

Park Avenue comes to life at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 with the 58th annual Winter Park Christmas Parade, presented by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call 407-644-8281.

Before and after the Christmas parade from 7-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, Leadership Winter Park Class 21 will host the 12th annual Leadership Winter Park Pancake Breakfast at the Central Park main stage. For more information and for prices call 407-644-8281.

The Sistas Organizing to Survive (S.O.S.) Planning Team will host their annual “World AIDS Day” Motorcycle Rally from 12–3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 at the Smith Recreation Center, 1723 Bruton Blvd. The first 30 women bikers to register and ride in the event will receive a commemorative T-shirt, lunch and gift bag. Call Tai Johnson at 407-858-1400 ext. 1146 or Linda Bailey at 407-844-6486 for more information.

Family Calendar

The Rotary Club of Orange County East/Winter Park is pleased to announce the 36th Annual Rotary Tip-Off Classic, which will be held Wednesday, Dec. 1 through Saturday, Dec. 4 at Winter Park High School’s main campus. The Tip-Off Classic is the premiere high school basketball tournament in Central Florida, involving eight teams from around the region. For more information, contact Bob Harvey at [email protected].

Join the Maitland JCC, 851 N. Maitland Ave., for Shalom Sesame Street Chanukah Party, an interactive family night of miracles, traditions and a yummy dinner at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6. The event will feature a screening of the brand new “Shalom Sesame: The Missing Menorah”. Please bring one unwrapped children’s toy to be donated to the XL106.7 Baby DJ fund. To register, or for more information, visit www.orlandojcc.org or call 407-645-5933.

Enzian will host a children’s Christmas event featuring an afternoon of crafts, cookies, and the fun family movie “Letters to Santa: Cookies and a Movie”, from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12. The afternoon will kick off with a special cookie decorating and letter-writing craft session. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit Enzian.org.

From now until Tuesday, Nov. 30, Sprite is giving community members the chance to help their local schools win a $25,000 playground makeover or the runner-up prize of $5,000 that can be used toward athletic equipment. The community can donate points to their schools by entering the code found on any of their 13 favorite Coca-Cola products at www.mycokerewards.com.

The Entitle Direct College Tips Scholarship Contest has officially started and runs through Tuesday, Dec. 7. Entitle Direct Group will award one winner its “signature” reduction of 35 percent off toward a semester’s tuition. College students and high school seniors (must be at least 17 years old) can submit their best tip — up to 100 words — for navigating the college admissions process. To view the full contest rules and/or for students to enter, visit www.entitledirect.com/CollegeTips.

Children’s programming continues in the Maitland Public Library, 501 S. Maitland Ave. Call 407-647-7700 for information.

-Storytimes for toddlers/preschoolers is every Monday night at 6 p.m. and Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m.

-Babytime is every Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m.

-Reading, reinforcement, phonics and fun with Reading Buddies is every Thursday at 4 p.m.