Guide to Toledo, Ohio, Christmas Events and Holiday Festivals 2007
For the 20th year running, Toledo kicks off the season with the largest holiday parade in Northwest Ohio. The Downtown Holiday Parade begins at Summit and Jefferson Streets on Saturday, November 24, 2007 from 11am until 12:30pm. Toledo's holiday parade includes massive helium balloons, equestrian units, crazy clowns, marching bands, and festive floats. Napoleon, Ohio native and Indy race winner Sam Hornish Jr. will led the Toledo's Holiday Parade as its Grand Marshal.
The first weekend of December the Toledo Botanical Garden presents their annual winter festival, Heralding the Holidays. This free Toledo holiday event takes place from 5pm to 9pm on Friday November 30 featuring luminaries sparkling in the gardens. The holiday festival includes an ice carver and children's activities and runs between 10am and 5pm on Saturday, December 1 and from Noon to 5pm on Sunday December 2, 2007. The Toledo Botanical Garden also offers holiday classes including Evergreen Wreath Making on December 6 between 6pm and 9pm.
South of the Art Museum, Toledo's Old West End is a large historic neighborhood featuring massive old trees and elegant restored mansions. The annual Tours de Noel opens up five opulent, decorated late Victorian and Edwardian homes for a tour on December 2 from 1pm to 7pm. Tickets can be purchased online via PayPal for $20 each or at local spots including Barnes and Noble on Monroe Street or Downtown Café Latte on St. Clair and Lafayette. More information can be gathered by calling 419-244-4921.
Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo sparkles with more than 1 million lights including more lights on their 85-foot tall Norway Spruce than on the tree at New York City's Rockefeller Center. This traditional Toledo holiday event runs nightly from November 16 through December 31, 2007; the zoo is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. The festive atmosphere includes carolers, Santa in the indoor theater, and the newer holiday attraction, Dancing Lights with lights moving to Christmas songs. Thursday evenings at the Toledo Zoo's holiday event feature ice carving demonstrations. Admission costs $9 for adults and $6 for children and senior citizens.
The University of Toledo's Ritter Planetarium offers fun and educational holiday events each winter. Holiday Lights relates the origin of our calendar and holiday celebrations to the winter solstice and the twinkling stars on Friday nights at 7:30pm; November 23, November 30, December 7, December 14, and December 21, 2007. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and children. The planetarium and observatory offers Santa's Secret Star, a weekly Christmas event geared towards children. On Saturdays in December, from December 1 to 22 at 1pm families can enjoy a story about Santa getting lost and learn about winter constellations and how Santa uses to stars to find his way to the North Pole.
The Toledo Symphony Orchestra, in conjunction with Huntington Banks, presents a Neighborhood Holiday Concert Series bringing festive music to Toledo's neighborhoods this Christmas season. Holiday event concerts begin at 7:30pm and feature classic and favorite Christmas songs by the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. Dates and venues include:
Cedar Creek Church in Perrysburg - November 23
Epworth United Methodist Church - November 28
Westgate Chapel in Toledo - November 30
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sylvania - December 5
Glenwood Lutheran Church in Toledo - December 7
Augsburg Lutheran Church in Toledo - December 12
Cornerstone Church in Maumee - December 13
All Saints Catholic Church in Rossford - December 16
Published by Lynne Monton
After earning a Marketing degree from Miami University, I worked for Procter & Gamble and Monster.com, and lived on both coasts. I enjoy traveling and writing about local and Midwest events, as well as r... View profile
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- The Toledo Symphony Orchestra performs the Huntington Neighborhood Concert Series at local churches.
- The Norway Spruce tree at the Toledo Zoo features more lights than the tree at Rockefeller in NYC.
- Ring in the season with Toledo's annual Downtown Holiday Parade stepping off at 11am on November 24.