TUESDAY, DEC. 24 2013 >>>
1. Christmas in Las Vegas. It has a nice ring to it - the most unholy city in the world on the holiest holiday. What's a Vegas kinda Xmas all about? There will be a long line for $1.59 pork sandwiches. I'm sure you could expect ringing jackpots and clanking coins as the sounds of Xmas. It's also hella expensive. If you'd still like to get your Christmas on with a tub of nickels in hand, shrimp cocktails and cheap Heinekens, may we suggest the Red Wind Casino. Crooner Chris Anderson will be in the house. Expect to hear many great holiday standards by singers from Frank Sinatra to Bobby Darin. Anderson hails from Eatonville, and is in his 20s, but has a voice and style that come straight out of another era. And there isn't a cover charge.
2. Whether you want to channel your inner Winter Olympics sports nerd, capture the magic of the season in a vibrant urban venue or just have a wintery and sporty adventure, break out the ice skates, people, because the Franciscan Polar Plaza, in partnership with the Tacoma Art Museum, is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bring family and friends to Tacoma's holiday ice rink for holiday fun and a good time right in the heart of downtown Tacoma.
3. See the ultimate sad sack Charlie Brown and his sad sack little Christmas tree find the holiday spirit in the Christmas classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, at a dreamy locally renowned theater. Break out the "peanuts" to take in this charming Tacoma Musical Playhouse production, and watch young and aspiring local actors from the theater's innovative and premiere education program show their stuff in this quaint and heartfelt little show, which begins at 2 p.m.
4. Other, non-North American English-speaking countries know the play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by an alternate title: The Worst Kids In The World. That should tell you about the quality of the characters in question, and the odds that the title would actually come true. The Herdman clan will be on hand to teach you all about the true spirit of Christmas by lying, cheating, stealing, smoking and other wholesome endeavors at 3 p.m. in the Tacoma Youth Theatre. It's a feel-good season of joy for everyone. Or something.
5. Take a driving tour of Fantasy Lights in Spanaway Park, where carloads of travelers can see more than 300 stunning displays of lights and imaginative animation over a two-mile stretch of Spanaway Lake Park from 5:30-9 p.m. PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center LINK: Tuesday, Dec. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area