ROCKWALL – A dazzling display of Christmas lights can be seen in The Shores subdivision at 1520 Meadows Circle. Here’s the Google map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hl=en&tab=wl

ROCKWALL – The Christmas season kicks off this week in Rockwall with the City’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony Dec. 1 at 7 pm at City Hall, followed by the Kiwanis 412nd annual Christmas parade on the Square in Old Town Rockwall, Dec. 3, at 9 am.

The Christmas tree lighting includes music, free hot chocolate, coffee and cookies; free craft-making for children, plus a visit from Santa Claus.

This year’s parade theme is “My Favorite Christmas Movie.” It begins at the intersection of Caruth Ln & N. Goliad (Hwy. 205) and travels south on Goliad to the Downtown Square. Last year’s parade lasted over one hour and featured numerous floats, bands and fun. An open-air Christmas market will continue on the Square through 2 pm, with free beverages and homemade goods and crafts for sale.

The City will also host a Breakfast With Santa for Rockwall families, Dec. 10, 9-11 am, at the Center at City Place, featuring pancakes, bacon, orange juice and candy canes for $10-15. Bring your cameras for photos.

For information about the Christmas tree lighting and Breakfast, visit www.rockwall.com.

For info about the Parade, see www.rockwallkiwanis.org/2011-christmas-parade or www.mainstreet.rockwall.com.

By J.J. Smith, Publisher

ROCKWALL – Rockwall MusicFest will present a community celebration of Christmas fund-raising event called “Welcome To The Holidays,” Dec. 6, at 7 pm, at Utley Middle School, 1201 Townsend.

The event features choirs from Rockwall, Rockwall-Heath & Royse City High Schools, plus a “Blast of Brass” a audience sing-a-long.

Unwrapped toy donations are requested to be placed under a Christmas tree for Rockwall County Helping Hands.

Tickets cost $10 per adult, $8 for students and $30 for families of four or more. They can be purchased online or in Rockwall at Alliance and Lakeside National Banks, the Rockwall Chamber of Commerce, and in Royse City at Leadership Bank and the Helping Hands Store.

To purchase  tickets online visit www.rockwallmusicfest.com/donate/ and click on the “Donate” button. Specify “Christmas concert tickets” in your comments as you complete the process. Provide your name for pickup at “will call.”   

For more info, call 972-771-3573 (leave message).

By J.J. Smith, Publisher

ROCKWALL – Want to quickly find out what’s going on across DFW tonight, this weekend or even next month?

Now you can on TheRockwallNews.com, which has just added a DFW-wide “Find Events” calendar to our news website which will show you hundreds of free and paid events – including time, place & price – happening across the Metroplex on a daily basis.

Just look for the “widget” display on our website Homepage, where you can click on the day, date or event type and be taken immediately to a separate page on the Find Events calendar powered and compiled by our content partner PegasusNews.com.

In the near future, Rockwall events will also be included on the lengthy list of concerts, music, plays, shows, dining, movies, festivals, sports, walks/runs, markets, expos, parades, museums, classes and much, much more.

PegasusNews.com is Dallas Fort-Worth’s most complete source for local entertainment and community news, providing the most comprehensive databases for events, dining, and local music available online.

The news & entertainment website offers stories and events, as well, that traditional media don’t cover from across the Metroplex. Many of the website’s news stories about Rockwall are written by and linked to TheRockwallNews.com.

PegasusNews.com also customizes content and advertising for each individual user in a mechanism called “The Daily You.” Register with the site and see how it enhances your online experience.

“We hope that by adding the Find Events calendar to TheRockwallNews.com, it will provide our readers with an even better online experience,” said Publisher J.J. Smith.

By J.J. Smith, Publisher

HEATH – The City of Heath will welcome Santa at its annual “Holiday in the Park” event Dec. 2 at 7 pm, in the Towne Center Park Pavilion located behind City Hall at 200 Laurence Dr.

This community tradition will feature all of the season’s favorites, including the Christmas Tree Lighting, Santa Claus, a miniature train and performances by choirs from Amy Parks-Heath and Dorothy Smith Pullen Elementary Schools. Free cocoa, wassail and cookies will be served.

Attendees should bring their own cameras.

For information, call 972-771-6228 or visit www.heathtx.com.

ROCKWALL – The Rockwall Community Playhouse will present “Annie” this weekend and next – Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights, plus Sunday matinees. For  info, visit “Events Calendar” or www.rockwallcommunityplayhouse.org.

The show is directed by Darlene Singleton. Assistant Director and Stage Manager is Madeline Percin. Producer is Felicia Sykes.

By J.J. Smith, Publisher

ROCKWALL -One of the “hottest” spots in Rockwall nowadays – for the 30+ crowd in particular – appears to be the new lakeside Allure Restaurant Bar & Grill at Chandler’s Landing Marina on Karaoke Thursdays, as well as Friday & Saturday nights with live bands.

Nearly 100 people squeeze into Allure’s Bar & Grill every Thursday night -  often overflowing on to the patio – rocking out to some surprisingly excellent local country, rock & contemporary hit karaoke singers, watching sports on big-screen TVs, sipping drinks with friendly people and staff, plus eating food from the grill which regulars say is quite good.

Chandler’s Landing resident Jerl Welch is the karaoke DJ, spinning tunes virtually non-stop, while adding in some of the best harmonica playing in the DFW area. By day, he and his wife own Casa Jewelers in the Casa View Shopping Center. At night, they make quite a duo – singing, dancing and rocking the house together.

It’s often the same crowd and same number Friday and Saturday nights doing it all over again – this time listening and dancing to some top area bands, including the JD Cobb Band, Droo D’anna & Sound House.

The karaoke fun begins officially at 7 pm Thursdays and continues until Midnight, but if you want to get a table, be advised to arrive as early as 6:30 pm. After 8 pm, be prepared to practically sit on the laps of some of your friendly neighbors. That might actually be one reason why so many single men and women show up! Plenty of married couples are in the crowd, as well. If you want to sing, be sure to get on the list early! On Friday and Saturday nights the music normally begins at 8 pm and lasts until Midnight.

The Bar & Grill menu includes such favorites as the Big BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger, Nacho Cheeseburgers, Lakeside Chicken Sandwich, Turkey Club, a huge Catfish sandwich, four flavors of Chicken Wings, several salads, numerous appetizers, plus many dining room entrees – such as tenderloin steaks and fresh seafood. Bar & Grill prices range from $6-14.

Allure restaurant owners Pat & Linda Adams, plus their sons Jason and Taylor, are all on hand each night and day to supervise the action. They serve lunch seven days a week – beginning at 11 am – plus host a Happy Hour daily.

Since opening in July, the Adams say business has exceeded expectations in the bar and restaurant and they are working hard to make it even better.

During the World Series, for example, the Adams brought two huge projector screen TVs into the dining room so Ranger fans could watch the games from the spacious dining room. They also had an additional big-screen outside on the patio. On Thanksgiving and game days they host Dallas Cowboys game-watching parties featuring their big screens.

To provide even more room for special parties and wedding receptions, they’ve recently torn down the downstairs exercise center wall and are converting it into an overflow room for more parties. They had a beautiful new gazebo built outside the reception room for weddings during warm weather. There’s also a downstairs patio with a snack bar and white sand beach with umbrellas and lounge chairs.

Several local residents say Allure’s dining room offers a delicious array of sizzling steaks, fresh seafood and much more. Watch soon for a review of the Allure Restaurant dining room, which is open Tuesday – Sunday, from 5-10 pm, with a Sunday brunch from 10 am – 2 pm.

The lakeside view from the Bar & Grill, patio and dining room is spectacular and unmatched in the DFW area – especially at sunset – of Lake Ray Hubbard and the boats going in & out of the Chandler’s Landing Marina.

For reservations or info, call 972-771-3600 or visit www.allure-rockwall.com.

By J.J. Smith, Publisher

Tickets are for sale now for $75 each for the second annual Home for the Holidays Gala that evening from 6 pm until midnight.

ROCKWALL – The annual Rockwall High School Holiday Arts & Crafts Show will be held again Nov. 12, from 9 am – 4 pm, at 901 Yellow Jacket Ln.

The show will featuring more than 50 unique vendors, selling everything from jewelry to bags to outdoor art. Admission is $1 and parking is free.

Proceeds from the show support a number of programs for RHS, including scholarships, educational offerings, teacher appreciation, the Presidential Service Awards program and the National PTA Arts &Education Reflections Program.

For information, contact Valerie Sandman at sandmom@msn.com.

(D Magazine) DALLAS – The State Fair of Texas is upon us. And while it is by far one of the best excuses to chuck a diet to the wind, there’s plenty of other stuff going on. Each week we’ll present all the noteworthy things to see and do that don’t involve puking up fried bubble gum on the Tilt-a-Hurl Whirl. Jump for your day-by-day plan, and find a listing of recurring events at the bottom.

Sep. 30

Opening Day Parade. You weren’t really working anyway. Noon. Downtown.

Opening Day Ceremony. 7 p.m. Heritage Hall.

Glue a Shoe Contest. For those whose shoes aren’t quite interesting enough, one of the first fair activities gives the ultra-competitive among us the opportunity to out-Bedazzle the competition. Categories include boot, high-heeled shoe, sandal, tennis shoe, and flip-flop or loafer. Entries accepted at 9 a.m., judging at 10:30 a.m. Contest Kitchen, Creative Arts Department.

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