Places to go and things to see by Gypsy Bev

Posts tagged ‘Cambridge’

Small Town with a Big Heart

The Spirit of Christmas was alive and musical in downtown Cambridge, OH.  The occasion was The Cambridge City Band 2010 Holiday Concert at the Scottish Rite Auditorium.  This is an annual event in conjunction with the Christmas parade and the arrival of Santa Claus.

The band was in full force this Sunday afternoon dressed for the season.  Santa hats were plentiful as well as elves, lighted costumes, shirts and ties, as well as a beautiful holiday gown. Band director, Dr Berk Jones, always enjoys the chance to wear a costume or festive hat to help brighten the performance.

The backdrop caused comments  throughout the day and even later in the week.  It was a beautiful scene of a Victorian style village covered in snow and made the perfect setting for the Christmas music that was performed by the band. The question was: Who did that backdrop? or Where did they get it?

This small town still has old fashioned values and makes a person feel good at this season of the year.  The courthouse has a manger scene, which is easily accepted by all.  No complaints!  Well, last year some youngsters took Baby Jesus and moved his figure to a nearby place, but it was not done in a mean manner, and was recovered without damage.

Today’s concert was in memory of Melanie Jones  Bolyard,  longtime band member and music enthusiast in the community. She left this world during the late summer after a long illness, and a video tribute was shown on the walls of the theater at intermission.  Many tears were shed as family and friends watched the touching life of Mellie relived before their eyes.

All the band concerts are opened with a prayer and followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Yes, ‘under God’ is still included in the pledge.  During the day the audience also participated in singing some popular old Christmas songs and finished with singing old familiar Christmas carols, closing with “Silent Night”. The sing-a-long was led by Mellie’s Friends and Family.  Makes a heart feel good to know that this small town has kept traditions alive with no negative community feedback.

During the second half of the show an appearance was made by Maynard, the Loveable Lush pushed in a wheelchair by Santa Claus.  His bottle was quickly removed by the audio team as there is no drinking allowed in the theater!  Santa had a present, which he wanted a band member to open.  He called down one of the girls, who was dressed like an elf.  She was a bit leery of opening the present and approached cautiously.  These guys are always pulling jokes on each other. Well, this time it wasn’t a joke.

Maynard got down on one knee and with mike in hand, proposed to the young lady in the band.  That is a proposal she will long remember and she proudly showed her new ring to fellow band members.  She did have a difficult time playing her flute for the next song, as it truly did take her breath away.

The band played an outstanding selection of Christmas music with several specials.  “Santa Claus Comes to Dixieland” added some special liveliness to the afternoon.  There were special instrumental and vocal solos to give it lots of variety.

The show was excellent and closed with the traditional theme song of the band, “Thanks for the Memory”.  The Cambridge City Band has provided musical entertainment to the area for 169 years.   Cambridge should be proud of the fantastic musical ability that abounds in this area and gives so much enjoyment all year long.

Category:

Cambridge, Music, Ohio

Tagged with:

Dickens Victorian Village

Downtown Cambridge has been transformed into a bustling city with the opening of the fifth year of Dickens Victorian Village.  It is hard to imagine the change that has occurred in such a short time.

Just imagine one evening when the downtown Chocolate Walk was taking place.  There were cars, buses, and people all up and down the streets of Cambridge.  It was as busy as a summer resort town with beautiful Christmas music playing in the background as visitors went from store to store collecting chocolate surprises.

Fun is had by all ages at Ye Ole Curiosity Shoppe.  A favorite part of the day is going to Imagination Station and putting on the dress of the Victorian era. Ladies can wear a  long dress or skirt, fur coat, stylish hat, and even gloves or jewelry. Men can don a top hat and cape and even sport a dashing cane. Then have their picture taken for a great souvenir.  Here you can also find a Christmas treasure to take home with you.

The downtown courthouse also has the best Christmas Light Show ever, perhaps the best in the state of Ohio.  Our local communications team organized the project and has synchronized thousands of pulsating lights to the Christmas songs to provide an exciting and colorful display. Each year something new is added so it never loses its appeal and excitement to those who enjoy the treat. It runs from 5:30 t0 9:00 each evening for the enjoyment of visitors and residents alike.

Hot chocolate is available from the peddler’s shop on the square to warm the hands and heart. If it is a very cold night and you are there early, you may be lucky enough to find a parking place near the courthouse.  Then you can watch the show from the comfort of your car and even listen to the light show music by tuning to the local radio station, 102.7 FM. Be cautious as you travel this area and try not to stop in the middle of the street to watch the beautiful lights.  It is quite a temptation!

If you want to step back in time even further, you can ride one of the horse drawn carriages that take passengers a slow ride down historic Cambridge’s Main Street where you can see the created Dickens figures, handcrafted by local artists.  The carriage rides also add a little glamour to the evening with their  lighted wheels rolling down the street.

This is a hometown project that has really taken off and brings people into the city for the special events surrounding the Dickens Victorian Village.  A local businessman, Rob Ley, had an idea and started making sketches of Victorian figures.  With the help of local artists, the figures became a reality. The scenes created line Main Street of Cambridge and tell stories of life in years past.  If you get a chance, drive to Cambridge some evening to view the lights, Dickens figures and maybe even take a carriage ride with a cup of hot chocolate.

Category:

Cambridge, Festivals, Ohio, Uncategorized

Tagged with:

Daniel O’Donnell Concert

Everyone aboard to hear the Irish singer, Daniel O’Donnell?  Time for the Buckeye Tours’ coach to leave Cambridge, OH and head north to Cleveland.  There are two coaches filled with Daniel fans from the Southeastern Ohio area.  They are anticipating a fun filled day listening to their favorite singer.

The sky is heavy with clouds but the spirits are not dampened by the dark clouds overhead.  As we head North, the sun peeks through the clouds now and then giving the effect of a spotlight on a farm on the hillside.

First stop was at the Hometown Buffet in Akron for a delicious but quick lunch.  What is more important today, Daniel or lunch?  There is no question with this group!  Lunch was very good and their coconut cream pie brought memories of Aunt Julie’s pies to mind.  Yum!

Seating is very comfortable on the Buckeye Tours Coach.  We have Carol for our guide and she is lively and friendly with lots of trivia about the city of Cleveland and she points out The Jake, Tower City, and Terminal Tower build in the 1920s.  Of course, we see lots of old friends from previous trips and even a neighbor or two in the group.

Arriving in downtown Cleveland at the Allen Theater, the bus pulls right up to the door.  That makes it quick and easy to get into the theater.  We are all sitting right in the middle so our view is perfect!

Daniel and Mary Duff along with their band of many years put on quite a performance.  Daniel and Mary have been singing together for 24 years so their voices blend perfectly on any song they sing.  Their energy level is amazing as after three hours, both are dancing full steam ahead as well as singing.

Daniel has a soft spot in his heart for older ladies as his Mom in Ireland is very special in his life.  After intermission he takes time to sing a special song to a lady who is 103.  Then he dances the polka with a lady celebrating her 91st birthday.  The crowd loves him!

Daniel has made it a tradition to close his shows with “How Great Thou Art”, which makes your heart fill with joy to hear the entire crowd join him in that spiritual song.  Gives you hope that all will be fine in the world.

We are the last bus to leave but we have enjoyed the day.  The sky is clearing now making way for a safe trip back to Southeastern Ohio.  One last stop at Arlington Exit for a sandwich and drink at a great selection of fast food restaurants.  We have worked up an appetite singing and swaying to the music all afternoon.

Back in Cambridge we say our goodbyes and thank Jennifer for her great job driving the bus today.  She made us all feel safe on the journey.  It was a great day for another road trip.

Category:

Ohio, Uncategorized

Tagged with: