Festive Fernbank Offers Holiday Delights, Treats and Events!

Holidays are cultural expressions of a variety of traditions, and Fernbank Museum of Natural History is showcasing the many great ways to celebrate this season. As part of the special exhibition Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions around the World, Fernbank is hosting two special weekends filled with festive ways to enjoy the holidays.

Among the dozens of trees and displays that represent holidays and traditions representing cultures across five continents, Fernbank will feature the Caroling & Cookies Weekend on December 1 and 2, followed by the Laughing Pizza Holiday Concert on December 8.

CAROLING & COOKIES WEEKEND

Scheduled Activities for Saturday, December 1

Activities are offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., unless otherwise noted and are subject to change.

• Santa-saurus Ornaments Create your own Fernbank Santa-saurus ornament to take home with you.
• Snowflake Rubbings Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Create your own snowflake to take home.
• Cookie Corner A variety of fresh-baked holiday cookies will be available for purchase.
• Train Rides* 10 am – 4 pm, Dinosaur Plaza Hop aboard Fernbank’s Santa-saurus Express train. Tickets are $3 for 1 ticket, or $10 for 4 tickets. *Weather permitting.
• Holiday Photo Opportunities 10 am – 4 pm Commemorate your visit with a special Fernbank holiday photo. Choose from a variety of backgrounds and have your photo printed on-site. Photos are $15
• Buckhead Girls Choir 10:30 am and 12:30 pm Enjoy a variety of holiday and cultural songs. This unique group teaches girls to sing in different languages and styles, explore musical theory and gain performance experience.
• The North Pole Fa-La-La Follies by Lee Bryan, “That Puppet Guy” 10:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, Auditorium (Limited Seating) Get ready for hilarious holiday high-jinx as some talented residents of the North Pole perform in their annual talent show. “Yule” love it!
• Georgia Boys Choir 11:30 am Celebrate with holiday songs performed by the Southeast’s premiere musical organization for boys, the Georgia Boy Choir.
• Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker Ensemble. See short pieces from Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker and other holiday favorites performed by the students from Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education.
• Pope High School Chamber Music Society. Listen to delightful holiday music from this small string ensemble

Scheduled Activities for Sunday, December 2
Activities are offered from noon to 4 p.m. unless otherwise noted and are subject to change.

• Roaming Santa-saurus Be on the lookout for Fernbank’s NEW dinosaur mascot, Giggy A. Dinosaur. He’ll be making special appearances dressed up as Santa-saurus.
• Santa-saurus Ornaments Create your own FernbankSanta-saurusornament to take home with you.
• Snowflake Rubbings Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Create your own snowflake to take home.
• Train Rides* Hop aboard Fernbank’s Santa-saurus Express train. Tickets are $3 for 1 ticket, or $10 for 4 tickets. *Weather permitting.
• Holiday Photo Opportunities Commemorate your visit with a special Fernbank holiday photo. Choose from a variety of backgrounds and have your photo printed on-site. Photos are $15
• Cookie Corner A variety of fresh-baked holiday cookies will be available for purchase.
• Buckhead Girls Choir 12:15pm, 2pm, 3pm Enjoy a variety of holiday and cultural songs. This unique group teaches girls to sing in different languages and styles, explore musical theory and gain performance experience.
• Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker Ensemble. See short pieces from Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker and other holiday favorites performed by the students from Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education.
• The North Pole Fa-La-La Follies by Lee Bryan, “That Puppet Guy” 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, Auditorium (Limited Seating) Get ready for hilarious holiday high-jinx as some talented residents of the North Pole perform in their annual talent show. “Yule” love it!

Cost: Unless noted, all Caroling & Cookies Weekend activities are included with Museum admission and are free for members. Check out Fernbank’s holiday Membership sale at fernbankmuseum.org!


LAUGHING PIZZA HOLIDAY CONCERT

Saturday, December 8- Presented by Shumate Heating and Air

Doors open at 10am. Laughing Pizza will perform at 10:30am, 11:45am, and 1pm.

Don’t miss this award-winning family band performing a variety of original holiday tunes. Guests will also be treated to special performances by the Atlanta Circus Camp and enjoy ornament-making crafts. B98.5 FM will be broadcasting live and handing out a variety of great prizes.

Laughing Pizza is a real family band that writes and performs all original pop-music for families. Their music videos can be seen every day in over 18 million homes on PBS stations and TV On-Demand around the country. This mom, dad, and daughter trio travel across the nation performing at theatres, museums, music festivals, nightclubs, schools, and other venues –including the White House (twice, including with Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers). Laughing Pizza has also been featured on the Today Show, CNN, and FoxTV, as well as in Money Magazine, The New York Times, Atlanta Magazine, Star Magazine, and the Huffington Post among others. Mom and Dad, Lisa and Billy, are both classically trained musicians and former music teachers with a history of success in the music business – including a #1 Billboard Dance Hit and a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell. Emily, their 15-year-old daughter, plays multiple instruments including flute, drums, guitar, piano, and bass – and co-writes all of the Laughing Pizza songs with her parents.

Cost: Included with Museum admission and FREE for members. Check out Fernbank’s holiday Membership sale at fernbankmuseum.org!


WINTER WONDERLAND: HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Enjoy a season of celebrations during Fernbank’s 3 rd annual Winter Wonderland, on view through January 6, 2013. This holiday-inspired exhibition features trees and other displays decorated by local cultural partners that recognize celebrations including Christmas, Hanukkah and the Festival of Lights, as well as traditions and practices like origami, indigenous art and national symbols. The exhibition twinkles with lights, glimmers with color, and shines with a variety of cultural ornaments and emblems that recognize the diversity of celebrations, holidays, traditions and events around the world.

Cost: Included with Museum admission and free for Members. Check out Fernbank’s holiday Membership sale at fernbankmuseum.org!

FERNBANK MUSEUM VISITOR INFO
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road, NE in Atlanta. Admission is $17.50 for adults, $16.50 for students/seniors, $15.50 for children ages 3-12, and free for children ages 2 and under. Admission is also FREE for Museum Members.
The Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed Christmas Day. For tickets and more information, visit fernbankmuseum.org or call 404.929.6300.