FREE EVENTS IN THE SOUTH PUGET SOUND DEC. 19-25 >>>

Well, the spirit of Christmas is lurking around the Freeloaders column, giving Bobble Tiki a wedgie. Bobble Tiki has already seen It's a Wonderful Life three times and the Christmas cartoons are making him cross-eyed. And Bobble Tiki loves it! The stockings are hung and the egg is nogged. And in that spirit, Bobble Tiki has a lot of love and free event announcements to give, gentle reader, so sit back, pull that Santa hat up from your eyes and join the community for a free group hug.

MONDAY, DEC. 19: So the tree and the fairy lights are up, you have enough booze and unhealthy snacks to sink the Titanic, and your television is about to explode in a flurry of consumerism and romantic schmaltz. But there's something missing. That's right, folks: it just wouldn't be a happy holiday without some singing about God. And for that, there's no beating Handel's "Messiah," a piece for choir, orchestra and soloists that has delighted audiences worldwide for more than 250 years. As 18th-century music historian Charles Burney once said, "Messiah" has fed the hungry and clothed the naked, fostered the orphan, and enriched succeeding managers of Oratories more than any single musical production in this or any other country." Bobble Tiki isn't totally sure what that means, so check it out yourself - for free - at 7:30 p.m. inside the Washington Center in Olympia when the Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia, Conservatory Orchestra, Anna's Bay, Olympia Choral Society, Opera Pacifica, Olympia Chamber Orchestra and other community groups present a community "Messiah" Sing-Along.

TUESDAY, DEC. 20: You've heard of the grandparent phenomenon - Kids are always 10 times cuter when you can send them home to mom after you've ramped them all up. Well, apparently now Lakewood City Hall wants to get in on this. City Hall will ramp the 6 and older kids with attention and the film Polar Express for free from 10-11:30 a.m.  It's enough to make the most frazzled, suffering-from-post-holiday-exhaustion parent smile. So exhale, tired parents, right now the employees of Lakewood think your kids are way cuter than you do. And they'll continue to think so right on through to the point they return them to you.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21: One of the best things about the holiday season is the way people and neighborhoods go all out with the decorations. The South Puget Sound area is known for its dramatic light displays. You can walk among the flickering bulbs at Point Defiance Park, drive through a wonderland at Spanaway Park, stalk the Hilltop Tacoma house on Ninth or ... run through the Sky Island neighborhoods. Yup, Fleet Feet running store in Bonney Lake hosts a free 5K run the neighborhood. Bring non-perishable food for the Bonney Lake Food Bank. There will be a raffle too. Meet at the Bonney Lake Pierce Transit Park-and-Ride at 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, DEC. 22: Volksmarching is something else. It's leisurely walking with a little sightseeing along a planned route. But wait: That's not all! A volkswalk has the added bonus of record keeping for the obsessive-compulsive CPA in all of us. No OCD? No worries! Volkssporters don't have to buy the event - and/or distance books to log participation: They can just walk with a purpose for fun and exercise. The Capitol Volkssport Club will walk the hell out of downtown Olympia, leaving the Bayview Thriftway at 10 a.m. The 10K route will lead walkers around Capitol Lake and through the South Capital neighborhood.

FRIDAY, DEC. 23: Today is the last day of downtown Olympia's 12 Days of Free Parking promotion. As a thank you to shoppers and diners for buying local and supporting downtown Olympia the city has allowed free two-hour parking in the pay station areas of downtown since Dec. 12. Head to Olympia for your last-minute shopping.

SATURDAY, DEC. 24: Capital Christian Center as they present He Is, a night of acting, music and celebration from 4-6 p.m. inside the Washington Center in Olympia.  If He is anything like Bobble Tiki, He is frustrated he can't find Shania Twain's Down-Home Country Christmas at Thong Beach in the local record stores.

SUNDAY, DEC. 25: Look for Bobble Tiki at Denny's. In the corner. All day. Weeping and slightly drunk.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Santa Says Blog