Holiday season gets underway with Hearts of Gold, concerts, Christmas Honors

The Fort Smith Region is celebrating the start of the Christmas season with its annual Hearts of Gold Open House, the Fort Smith Chorale and Fort Smith Symphony's holiday concerts, Lighting of the Crawford County Courthouse, Junior League's Holiday Home Tour, Mercy's White Christmas Charity Ball, and the distinguished Christmas Honors event.

Hearts of Gold Open House
Project Compassion will host its annual Hearts of Gold Open House on Dec. 2. The event will give community members the opportunity to deliver new gifts that will be given to nursing home residents throughout the area at Christmas.

TV weatherman Drew Michaels will serve as emcee. Guests will also enjoy live music and refreshments.

The Open House will be held in the Retreat Room at St. Scholastica in Fort Smith,  from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. A list of suggested donations is available online. Only new items will be accepted. For more information, call 783-2273.

Fort Smith Chorale presents "Merry Christmas to You”
The Fort Smith Chorale will present its annual holiday concert, "Merry Christmas to You" on December 4. The concert will be held at Fort Smith's First United Methodist Church, located at 200 North 15th, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

This year's program will  feature beautiful and inspiring songs including "O Holy Night", "Angels' Carol", "The Christmas Song", a new setting of "O Magnum Mysterium" by Sally Herman and a slow spiritual "Ain't Dat A-Rockin' All Night" by Paul Casey.  There will also be a classical selection of the exciting "Magnificat" by Pergolesi.

Tickets are $15 and can be  purchased online. For more information, call 479-242-SING.

Lighting of the Crawford County Courthouse/Festival of Trees/Living Windows
Van Buren will officially kick-off the Christmas season with its annual Courthouse Lighting Ceremony and Festival of Trees on Dec. 6.

Festivities will begin with the lighting of the historic courthouse at 6 p.m. The ceremony will include performances by local choirs, entertainers, and words from County Judge John Hall. Hot cocoa, hot dogs, popcorn and other treats will also be served.

Lining the courthouse steps will be entries in the 10th annual Festival of Trees, which will include trees decorated by local businesses and organizations in support of the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce. Winners will be announced during the lighting ceremony. Visitors will have the chance to browse downtown, as the Main Street merchants transform their shops into holiday displays with "Living Windows." Many will open their doors offering after-hours shopping and refreshments.

Admission to the lighting ceremony, Festival of Trees, and Living Windows is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce at 474-2761.

Single Parent Scholarship Event/Fort Smith Symphony "Spontaneous Christmas " concert
Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties will host its annual Holiday Buffet Dinner on Dec. 6, prior to the Fort Smith Symphony's presentation of "Spontaneous Christmas.”

The dinner will be held in the Fort Smith Convention Center Rotunda beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets are $40 and include a buffet, beverages and entertainment. Symphony tickets are not included.

A drawing will be held for a 14-karat gold cross set with 22 round brilliant-cut diamonds, valued at more than $5,000. Only 100 tickets will be sold with the winner to be drawn that evening.

Following the dinner, guests will make their way to Arkansas Best Performing Arts Center to enjoy the Fort Smith Symphony's annual holiday concert. The "Spontaneous Christmas" concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets to the SPSF dinner can be purchased by calling the SPSF office at 434-6171. Symphony tickets can be purchased by calling 452-7575.

Junior League of Fort Smith's Holiday Home Tour
Junior League of Fort Smith will present a Holiday Home tour on Dec. 7. Guests will travel to four different homes in Fort Smith where they will view beautiful Christmas decor and displays.

Tours will be offered from 1 to 6:30 p.m. A full map of the tour route is available online for print. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online, at the Junior League Headquarters, or at Sagely and Edwards Realtors. All proceeds support the Junior League of Fort Smith and its various community projects.

White Christmas Charity Ball
Mercy Fort Smith will welcome American Idol Alum Danny Gokey for its annual White Christmas Charity Ball on Dec. 12. Hosted at the Fort Smith Convention Center, the evening will include a dinner, drinks, live music and auction, and more.

The VIP event will get underway at 5 p.m., followed by the general reception at 6 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., "We Are One" and the live auction will start at 8 p.m., with Gokey taking the stage at 9 p.m.

Tickets are $125 and are available for purchase online. All proceeds will benefit the Mercy Fort Smith Health Foundation. For more information, call 314-1451.

Christmas Honors

The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce will take part in the national "Wreaths Across America" project again this year, by decorating the more 15,000 headstones at the Fort Smith National Cemetery. The sixth annual "Christmas Honors" project will take place Dec. 12 and 13.

Festivities will begin on Friday (Dec. 12), as hundreds of volunteers gather at the Fort Smith Convention Center to assemble the wreaths. The wreath assembly workshop will begin at 9 a.m.

On Saturday (Dec. 13), the official Christmas Honors event will take place as every grave in the Fort Smith National Cemetery is adorned with a wreath. The Service Branch Salute will take place at 10:15 a.m. at the Bell Tower, followed by the family distribution at 10:30 a.m. The formal ceremony at the pavilion will begin at 11 a.m., proceeded by volunteer distribution of wreaths.

The wreaths will remain on the graves through January 3. For more information, contact the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce at 783-3111.