Editorial: Fun family activities in the SV to celebrate the holidays

We encourage you to shop local when you’re seeking special Yuletide gifts for loved ones

This editorial is the opinion of Gilroy Life

The South Valley is about to enter the holidays zone. You’ll find plenty of family fun events to celebrate during December. Here are our picks:

• The Gilroy Downtown Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Dress warm for an evening of hometown festivities. Kris Kringle (AKA Santa Claus) will make a special appearance to join kids in lighting the Christmas tree in the CMAP building parking lot.
• Head over to Gilroy Gardens from Nov. 25 to Dec. 31 to experience the family theme park in its Yuletide glory. Festive lights on trees will sparkle with magical illumination, the Peanuts gang will perform “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” as well as carol singers roaming the park and ice skating. Visit www.gilroygardens.org/holiday for dates and times the park is open.
• The South Valley Symphony will hold its “Holiday Magic” concert Saturday, Dec. 10, returning at the Gavilan College Theater. Tickets are $30 and children and students can attend for free. Visit www.southvalleysymphony.org.
• The narrative of a boy’s hilarious holiday misadventures is told in South Valley Civic Theatre’s production of the comedy “A Christmas Story.” It’s showing on weekends until Dec. 10 at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse. Visit www.svct.org to order tickets.

On another note, we encourage you to shop local when you’re seeking special Yuletide gifts for loved ones. Holiday shopping at local stores is a wonderful present you give your fellow Gilroy residents. For every $100 spent at a local business, about $68 stays here by supporting local jobs and reinvesting in our infrastructure through local taxes.

We also encourage retail shops, restaurants, wineries, spas, and service industries such as hair stylists to do holiday advertising in Morgan Hill Life and Gilroy Life readers. We distribute more than 20,000 copies of each issue of Morgan Hill Life and 23,000 copies of Gilroy Life. It’s a wonderful way during winter to market to more than 100,000 residents in the region.

We’re offering special holiday package deals to businesses — including holiday discounts for businesses who are advertising with us for the first time. Our two community newspapers offer merchants a cost-effective way to connect with shoppers seeking unique holiday gifts. Call marketing director Mark Fenichel at (408) 410-4782 or email him at [email protected].

Happy holidays to all!