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Old Favorites Still Prevail at Silver Dollar City’s Old Time Christmas; More Lights and Music on Main Street
BY BOB LINDSEY
Some old favorites, some new events and a few changes for traditional attractions highlight Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas, now through Dec. 30 (except Dec. 24 and 25) SDC’s reputation for the holidays has placed the town in USA Today’s and CNN.com’s top choices for holiday destinations.
Leave it to Silver Dollar City to shake up a few things every holiday season. The City, located just a few miles from Branson, still offers The Living Nativity, the 80,000 lights Holiday Light Parade twice each evening, the Frontier Fa-la-la Follies, A Dickens Christmas Carol, the Christmas train and all the other (non-summer) rides, plus the 5-story special effects Christmas Tree. This is where the new part comes.
Silver Dollar City’s Main Street square has added more lights and new musical selections as the grand centerpiece Christmas tree twinkles and dances in unison with over one million lights in the square, surrounding buildings and trees. The entire park boast over four million lights from the walkways to the treetops.
The tree lighting is held each at 5:30 p.m. as folks gather around Main Street and the town square to hear piano virtuoso music of Tracy Heaston. Songs added this year include: Carol of the Bell by David Foster, Interlude by Steven Curtis Chapman, the Boston Pops version of Sleigh Ride and Joy to the World, and Suite from the Polar Express from the movie soundtrack. Two songs play every 15 minutes throughout the evening.
This will be the last year for the kids’ favorite Tinker, the 17-foot Talking Christmas Tree that interacts with youngsters and their parents.
One of our favorite groups anytime of the year at Silver Dollar City is Cedric Benoit and the Cajun Connection. For the holidays they mix it up for a Cajun-style holiday show, but still include some of their recorded Louisiana favorites.
A Dickens’ Christmas Carol has been performed the past few years at Silver Dollar City and each year it gets a little better. A cast of 14 actors and a live band present the classic Dickens story of redemption and hope in a one-hour production at the Opera Theater. The real showstopper here is the movie studio style technology that includes vanishing ghosts and pyrotechnic special effects.
The show features its own musical interpretation of the Dickens classic and throws in a little Oliver to the production. Ebenezer still gets visited from the ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future. The female Ghost who shows Scrooge what Christmas is like at the homes of his nephew and employee offers a nice comic touch to the show.
A taste of the season is found at restaurants and stands throughout the park including a prime rib and turkey buffets and all the trimmings at the Mill Restaurant. You get p[enty here for your money. Other favorites in the park include gingerbread cookies, apple dumplings, hot wassail, cappuccino and hot chocolate, plus their always hot and tasty kettle corn. Lunch with Santa is available on select dates, and reservations are required. I’ve always felt Silver Dollar City offers the best fare of any amusement park in the country.
Silver Dollar City is open for the holidays Wednesday through Sundays, now until Dec. 2, Thursdays through Sunday, Dec. 6-23 and Dec. 26-30. Hours are 1-9 p.m. except on Saturday, when the park opens at 11:30 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. The park is open Thanksgiving Day from 4-10 and on Friday, Nov. 23 until 11:30 p.m.
For ticket information and schedules call 1-800-831-4FUN or visit web site: www.silverdollarcity.com
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