We’ve all cracked the jokes about retailers getting a jump on the holidays. You see Christmas trees, light displays and inflatables going up at the warehouse stores around Labor Day and the flood of social media snark begins. It’s too early! It’s too hot outside to be thinking about the holidays! Enough already! We’ve all been there. Add to that, over the weekend I saw a handful of Christmas related TV commercials. Black Friday promotions are already live and well. The reality is that won’t change any time soon. Anything to get a jump, right? In the spirit of all of that (frankly) foolishness, I am going to share your first taste of holiday cheer in our time together here. I’ve decided to go ahead and share this information this week because by next Thursday, it will be Thanksgiving and lots of plans will already be made. You should know about this in advance and make plans to attend what could wind up becoming a signature event in our great city’s future. It’s all happening at the Westin Savannah Harbor on Hutchinson Island. I’ve written about the happenings at the Westin a few times this year. What they are doing is fantastic and is very deserving of the attention. Now, their holiday program could be the best of them all, and that’s saying something you would agree.
I was invited this week, as I have been for the last 4 or 5 years to be a judge at the Westin’s annual gingerbread house judging event. A dozen or so of us gather in a ballroom full of gingerbread houses, munchies, a glass of wine and a clip board and start tallying up the best of the best. As in years past, the talent is outstanding in a number of different categories. Yes, we do know the winners, but you don’t. You’ll find out soon enough, or better yet, you can go take a look for yourself. Frankly, it’s one of my family’s favorite things to do during the holidays. You take a ride over there, have some hot chocolate, stroll the lobby and enjoy an hour or so. That’s enough of a good time right there, but this year, the ante is being upped. This year, they are adding a full blown carnival to the Westin’s Annual Festival of Lights. Yes, a holiday carnival.
In between the Westin’s property and the International Trade and Convention center, we are told there will be a full blown play area for families to enjoy. There will be rides, attractions and holiday cheer set up in the plaza between the two buildings. It will be a winter wonderland that we’ve not seen in Savannah. At least I haven’t. The idea is to have guests park their cars at the Trade Center, enjoy the festival and take a stroll through the hotel’s lobby to see all of the hard work that goes into the gingerbread houses. This year features a model of the Mercer House with pasta being used as iron railings. I’m not kidding, the visuals are amazing and very much worth the trip.
Also this year will be an opportunity to ride a trolley through the hotel’s festival of lights. In years past, guests have been able to drive their cars through the winding course of lights on Hutchinson Island. That is still the case. Families and their cars are still welcome, but Old Town Trolleys will also be offering rides for visitors to the hotel grounds. Either way there is a fee. Neither one of the options are free of charge, but they are offering guests a way to enjoy the carnival, the hotel AND the festival of lights without having to return to their cars.
Those are just some of the events going on during the holidays on the Westin’s property. They have a full schedule of events essentially from Thanksgiving through Christmas and New Year’s Eve for anyone to enjoy. The carnival, the boat parade on the 29th and the Equinox Concert on the 17th are some of the highlights. There’s also the very popular Reindeer Run on the 20th.
There are other events going on during the holidays of course, but a lot of what is being done at the Westin this year is new. It sounds like a ton of fun, and is all very much worth you making plans to be there. Any further information can be found on their website or give them a call at the Westin Savannah Harbor.
Just don’t say you didn’t have plenty of warning. Next year, I’ll give you that heads up around Labor Day!
See you on TV.
Jesse
