Vol. 3, No. 12, December 2006
RSS Feeds
Home For the Holidays
Everything to celebrate the holidays is right here in Atlantic City
The season of giving is upon us. The air is cooler… the stores are busier… and between running to work, shopping and tending to your daily responsibilities, your stress level is rising. Don’t let your spirits get low. Atlantic City promises some terrific gift ideas and wonderful holiday attractions that your family and friends will love.
Nothing says Atlantic City more than salt water taffy, James Salt Water Taffy that is. Dating back to the 1800s, James Candy Company has everything from salt water taffy to chocolate and macaroons. Easy-to-find locations in Atlantic City— including the new Pier Shops at Caesars—Wildwood and Stone Harbor, not to mention a mail order catalog, make shopping a breeze. You can also visit their online store at www.jamescandy.com.
Promising fun for the whole family, Mr. and Mrs. Claus arrive at Story Book Land and light thousands of holiday lights at dusk for the park’s “Fantasy with Lights.” It runs through December 30. And, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will also be in their chalet to visit with children through December 23. Story Book Land is located on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township. For more information, call 609-646-0103 ext. 5 or visit the website www.storybookland.com.
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey’s Performing Arts Center is home to several holiday shows in December that the whole family can enjoy. An annual classic, The Nutcracker, performed by the Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theater, takes place on Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, December 2 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. The story, told to Tchaikovsky’s score, is about Clara, a young girl who receives the nutcracker as a gift, and her enchanted dreams that follow.
Also at Stockton, a production of A Christmas Carol geared toward children grades 1 to 5 will take place at 10:30 a.m. and noon on Wednesday, December 13. Tickets are $9. For tickets or information on both shows call 609-652-9000 or visit www.stockton.edu/pac/.
A tradition for many is the 33rd Annual Christmas Candlelight House Tours in Cape May. Scheduled for Saturday, December 2, 9 and 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., more than a dozen bed-and-breakfast inns, guesthouses, hotels and churches open their festively decorated doors each night to reveal the charm, holiday cheer and Victorian interiors that make Christmas in Cape May truly special. For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit www.capemaymac.org.
Atlantic City turns into a Winter Wonderland from Monday, December 4 through Wednesday, December 13, at Center City Park at Atlantic and North Carolina Avenues. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. visitors can enjoy hot chocolate and candy canes and take pictures with Santa Claus himself, with a $10 receipt from any Atlantic City business. Children ages 12 and under can also mail their letters to the North Pole in the Santa mailbox. For more information, call 609-344-8338.
The Absecon Lighthouse is a great place to find a unique gift for that hard-to-buy-for person. Visit the gift shop and choose from a variety of lighthouse merchandise including lighthouse replicas, clothing, jewelry, mugs, books, picture frames and prints, both matted and framed. Or, climb the 228 steps to the top of the lighthouse and give yourself an “I saw the light” badge of honor card as a gift.
The Absecon Lighthouse also presents a Victorian Holiday Event on Friday, December 8, a party filled with song, holiday treats and the spirit of friendship. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 609-449-1360 or visit www.abseconlighthouse.org. Sure to make their own winter wonderland, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra returns to Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall on Thursday, December 28 at 8 p.m. The performance combines an orchestral string section, a full rock band, multiple vocalists and extensive pyrotechnics. For show and ticket information see Entertainment on page 54.
Not only can you find great performances at Boardwalk Hall, but you can also find the perfect gift that doesn’t even have to be wrapped. Boardwalk Hall Gift Certificates can be purchased at the box office, and can be used toward the purchase of tickets for any of the Hall’s events.
And for true Atlantic City merchandise, stop at either of the Visitor Welcome Centers, located on the Atlantic City Expressway at mile marker 3.5 and on the Boardwalk at the Mississippi Avenue side of Boardwalk Hall. You’ll find an abundance of Atlantic City logo merchandise including baseball caps, shirts, jackets, carry-all bags, duffel bags, glasses, spoons, tank tops, rain slickers, playing cards, stocking stuffers, youth-sized sweatshirts and t-shirts, and more.
Whatever your religious affiliation, this year, give a gift that says Atlantic City.
