Photo courtesy of Desoto Family Theatre
Peter Pan, Desoto Family Theatre at the Landers Center
Holiday Family Fun
Peter Pan, a timeless Broadway classic musical that whisks you away to a place where dreams are born and no one ever grows up. $20. Fridays, 7 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Wednesdays, Thursdays, 7 p.m. Continues through Dec. 17. Landers Center, 4560, Venture, Southaven, MS. 662-280-9120.
Miracle on 34th Street Radio Play, an old man in a retirement home gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s and unleashes waves of goodwill with Macy’s customers and the commercial world. Call for ticket pricing. Germantown Community Theater, 3037 Forest Hill Irene. Friday-Sunday through Dec. 20. 453-7447.
Snow in Overton Square, safely play in the snow at The Square for socially-distanced fun and holiday photos. Free. Overton Square, Midtown. Free. Sunday, Dec. 13, 4-6 p.m. and continues every Sunday through December. overtonsquare.com.
Outdoor Holiday Movie Series, bring your own blankets or chairs, and enjoy National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation this week and It's a Wonderful Life next week to close out the series. Free. Friday, Dec.11 and 18, 7 p.m. Chimes Square at Overton Square. overtonsquare.com.
Christmas Movies, bring the family for a holiday movie in the yard on the big screen. Free. Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. Continues through Dec. 31. Railgarten, 2166 Central. 504-4342.
New Ballet’s Nut Remix, set on Beale Street, a modern reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker featuring music and dance styles from Ballet to Breakdancing and Flamenco to Memphis Jookin. $40 per car. Thursday, Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m. Malco Summer 4 Drive-In, 5310 Summer. 921-0388.
Nutcracker: A Gift from Ballet Memphis, a new film version of the classic story ballet that promises a new experience to delight this holiday season. Filmed at the historic Mallory-Neely House and the Ballet Memphis studio, this version will feature the original music of Tchaikovsky performed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the entire Ballet Memphis professional company. Free. Ongoing. Stream the performance anytime on Ballet Memphis' digital channels. balletmemphis.org.
Children's Ballet Theater Movie Vignettes: Nutcracker, enjoy the movie and then watch the characters come to life in the gardens plus My Big Backyard light show with live Nutcracker vignettes. $25. Sunday, Dec. 13, 4:45 p.m. Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry. 921-0388.
Wonderland: An Interactive Holiday Photo Experience, immersive holiday photo experience from the minds of Memphis Escape Rooms. Located on the corner across from Forever 21 and H&M. Book your experience today. Through Jan. 10. and Socially Distant Santa, the jolly old soul arrived in-person the weekend before Black Friday. Check Carriage Crossing's event page for the schedule, photo, package pricing, and private appointment booking. Through Dec. 24. Carriage Crossing, Houston Levee & Bill Morris Parkway. 854-8240.
Winter Wonderland, expect the unexpected with magical visits from favorite seasonal characters. Wear your ugly (or not so ugly) sweater to have your socially-distanced picture taken with Santa each Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Activities include crafts, animated story times, interactive games, scavenger hunts, and live holiday performances. Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewers is also on exhibition. Food trucks will be on campus. $15. Through Sunday, Jan. 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. during Museum hours. Children's Museum of Memphis, 2525 Central. 458-2678.
Zoo Lights, sparkling and festive displays deck the Memphis Zoo with holiday cheer. A winter wonderland of over 1M lights await you, along with the big man himself, Santa Claus. Visit on select nights. Zoo Lights closed Dec. 24 and 31. $10. Through Dec. 29. Fridays-Sundays, 6-9:30 p.m. and Mondays, Tuesdays, 6-9:30 p.m. Memphis Zoo, 2000 Prentiss Place in Overton Park. 333-6500.
Holiday Wonders at the Garden, annual, outdoor holiday light show featuring 30 nights of activities in three venues; Snowy Nights in My Backyard, Under the Stars outdoor lounge, and the City of Memphis Christmas Tree. $10. Through Dec. 26, Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry. 636-4120.
Enchanted Forest Festival of Trees, exhibit benefitting Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Photos with Santa, pandemic style, with Santa behind a Plexiglass shield that looks like a holiday snow globe. $6. Through Dec. 31. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Pink Palace Mueum, 3050 Central. 636-2362.
Santa’s Wonderland, a magical Christmas pop-up village featuring Santa visit and photo, customized digital video, letters to Santa, and holiday craft activity kits. Free. Through Dec. 24. Bass Pro Pyramid. 1 Bass Pro. 291-8200.
Santa Visits
Breakfast or Dinner with Santa, enjoy an Italian inspired family-style meal and time with the Zoo's favorite characters before Santa arrives. Santa will be available for photos during dinner and each child in attendance will receive a special gift. $35 members, $40 nonmembers. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 11-20, 9 a.m. (breakfast) or 7:30 p.m. (dinner). Memphis Zoo, 2000 Prentiss Place in Overton Park. 333-6500.
Breakfast with Santa 2020, have breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus before having your picture made with Santa. The museum will be open with lots of holiday fun. $15. Saturday, Dec. 12, 8 a.m.-12 p.m. The Fire Museum of Memphis, 118 Adams. 636-5650.
Drive-thru Santa Express, Children and families can visit Santa and have their pictures with him from the comfort and safety of their vehicles. Participants will receive special treats and are encouraged to wear their festive attire and decorate their cars to get into the holiday spirit. $25 per vehicle. Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 13, 1 p.m. Junior League of Memphis Community Resource Center, 3475 Central. 452-2152.
Holiday Shopping
Homegrown Holiday Market, featuring all your favorite vendors and perhaps a few you haven’t seen before to ready you for the holiday season. Free. Saturday, Dec. 12, 9 a.m. Memphis Farmers Market at the Pavilion of Central Station, S. Front & G.E. Patterson. 866-348-2226.
Arrow Creative Holiday Bazaar, featuring over 85 local creatives on display from fine art to home goods to jewelry. Through Dec 25. Arrow Creative, 2535 Broad.
Holiday Artist Market, shop local for everyone on your shopping list at the Memphis Arts Collective holiday market. Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. through Dec. 24, 4:30 p.m. Poplar Plaza Shopping inside former Spin Street location, 3484 Poplar. 327-8730.
Holiday Artisan Market, shop Levitt Shell inspired works from local makers. Through Dec 30. levittshell.org.
Jingle & Mingle Pop-up Shop, day of shopping and socializing with local small business featuring vendors from all over the mid-south and a variety of products including homemade candles, Jewelry, custom nails, makeup, accessories, gift baskets, food, and more. Free. Saturday-Sunday, December 12-13, noon-5 p.m. 912 Social Club, 912 Kelley. vibewscents@gmail.com.
For a full listing, check out our calendar of events. Also, check the Memphis Parent Facebook Page for information and giveaways. Be sure to tag your favorite family-fun Instagram photos with the #memphisparent hashtag. I hope you have a great week.