Arrive Magazine - November/December, 2008

UP to SPEED

NEWS and SPECIAL OFFERS from AMTRAK

Holiday Traditions

and New Experiences

Princeton is quite the bright spot during the holidays.

Holiday traditions—spending time with family, sipping a little eggnog and singing Christmas carols—can really help get you in the spirit of season. There are plenty of your favorite holiday shows to see live throughout the Northeast Corridor, including two versions of A Christmas Carol and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical. But sometimes you’ve just got to shake it up a bit and try something new. Experience Christmas through the eyes of Jane Austen at a historic Georgian mansion. Think you love a parade now? Wait until you witness a floating holiday parade in Maryland. And have you sampled a Brandywine Christmas yet? There are plenty of events that have absolutely nothing to do with the holidays (which might be what you’re looking for), such as a food festival in Rhode Island; a new production of Frost/ Nixon; RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles; an evening with comic Judy Gold and much more—details below. Remember to mention special rail fares to select cities to save some cash. — Compiled by miChael hammett

Holiday fun in Princeton: The holiday season is a wonderful time to visit Princeton. With an incredible amount of activity, there is always a chance to enjoy the area’s arts, culture, history, sports and entertainment venues. Holidays in the Princeton region feature an array of concerts, events, programs and more. You can experience the holidays as they were meant to be in one of America’s most gracious and distinctive towns. visitprinceton.org.

DELAWARE
NEW JERSEY

Get Scrooged: McCarter Theatre Center celebrates the holiday season with its critically acclaimed, annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Directed by Michael Unger, the production features

the work of a Tony Award-winning design team: set designer Ming Cho Lee; costume designer Jess Goldstein; and choreographer Rob Ashford. A cornerstone of this production is the company—it’s composed of professional actors and children from

throughout the greater Princeton area. With merry music and dancing and a heartwarming message, The New York Times calls this production “a must-see” that will become a tradition of your holiday season for years to come. Dec. 7-28. 609-258-2787; mccarter.org.

Christmas through Jane Austen’s eyes: The Historic Odessa Foundation presents “A Jane Austen Christmas: Vignettes of Customs and Traditions at the Corbit-Sharp House,” a historic Georgian mansion decked out as if it were the early 1800s. Holiday vignettes include games and charades in the parlor, a Twelfth Night ball in the upstairs parlor, and a table set for a sumptuous Christmas dinner in the formal dining room. Nov. 28-Dec. 31 (Closed Dec. 24-25). 302-378-4119; historicodessa.org.