Kingston’s new ice skating rink opens at Ole Savannah’s Restaurant
Ole Savannah’s Restaurant on the Rondout in Kingston held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Kingston’s new ice skating rink on Thursday evening, December 2. Ole Savannah’s owner David Amato was on hand, along with members of the Skating Club of Saugerties, Michael Dell and other singers, Santa, the Bruderhof high school band and a laser show that wowed everyone. The rink will be open to the public through February 2022 and skate rentals are available. For further information, contact www.olesavannah.com.
Menorah lighting in Kingston
On Friday afternoon, December 3, the Chabad of Ulster County sponsored a menorah lighting at the end of Wall Street in Uptown Kingston. Rabbi Avrohom Boruch Itkin lit the menorah for the fifth day of Chanukah while members sang and afterwards celebrated with latkes and sweet buns.
Snowflake Festival in Kingston
Kingston’s annual Snowflake Festival was held Friday night, December 3 in Uptown with an array of entertainment, including a band on stilts, a hip-hop juggler, a flame eater, ice sculptures, holiday carolers, campfire s’mores, bicycle raffle awards, a stage filled with local singing children, dancing, horse-drawn carriage rides, complimentary treats and refreshments and much more. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived by a vintage fire truck all decked out with holiday lights.
Movies with Spirit screens Lost Christmas December 18
The BBC movie Lost Christmas, a heartwarming urban fairytale of love, loss and second chances, is the next Movies with Spirit screening, taking place on December 18 at 7 p.m. at the St. James United Methodist Church, located at 35 Pearl Street in Kingston. The tale – with shades of It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist – takes us into the life of a ten-year-old boy, Goose (Larry Mills), who causes a series of heartrending losses due to his seemingly innocent action.
The 2011 film earned an International Emmy Award as the best made-for-TV film for children produced and premiering outside the US. The film’s trailer can be found on YouTube at tinyurl.com/LostChristmas-MoviesWSpirit.
The screening will be followed by a facilitated discussion and refreshments will be served. Attendees over age 12 are asked to contribute $10 a person. Movies with Spirit screenings comply with all federal, state and local health and safety protocols, including those of the screening venues.
The monthly Movies with Spirit series is organized by Gerry Harrington of Kingston. For more information about Lost Christmas and the rest of the series, contact Harrington at (845) 389-9201 or at gerryharrington@mindspring.com.
Fools’ Mass by Dzieci Theatre troupe at Old Dutch Church in Kingston
Actors playing medieval “village idiots” will take over the Old Dutch Church in Kingston to enact their own Christmas Mass. Theatre Group Dzieci (Polish for “children”) will present its signature creation, Fools’ Mass, on Sunday, December 12 from 5 to 6 p.m.
This absolutely unique theatrical experience has been embraced by theatre-lovers and an array of spiritual communities, spanning a multitude of paths and practices, across the nation. The piece celebrates the sacred, the miracle of life and the enigma of death, with lovely choral singing, comic buffoonery and extraordinary dramatic invention that literally draws the audience into the drama.
A conversation with the actors will follow the performance. Admission is by free-will offering.
The Church is located at 272 Wall Street in Kingston. For additional information, call (845) 338-6759 or e-mail info@olddutchchurch.org.
Live Nativity at Grace Church in Lake Katrine
The Grace Community Evangelical Free Church is holding its fifth annual Live Nativity on Saturday, December 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Church, located at 160 Seremma Court in Lake Katrine. This will be a drive-through, no-contact production that you can watch from the safety of your car. Guests will hear a radio narration as they drive through almost a dozen sets telling the story of the birth of Christ. (The written narration in both English and Spanish will also be distributed to each car.)
The event will feature:
• A stable with live animals and costumed characters, including angels, shepherds, Wise Men and more.
• A Victorian choir with members dressed in period garb.
• A children’s choir of angels.
• Refreshments, free Bibles for all ages and Christmas comic books.
“There is a lot of stress around this time of year. Our Living Nativity is a great chance for families to leave behind the commercialism for one night and find some peace and joy in remembering that first Christmas,” said Donna Albright, one of the event organizers. “There will be lots of animals for the kids: a donkey and sheep and maybe even a llama. This will be a wonderful time for the whole family.”
Join the family! 
