HOLIDAY CHEERS TO 60 YEARS!

Celebrate 60 years of holiday season magic as LeMoyne Arts marks its 60th anniversary with a 5-week Diamond Jubilee-themed Holiday Show, presented by Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation. Expect exciting new events offering something to capture everyone’s imagination and inspire excitement for the holidays.

It all begins with an early show opening on Saturday, November 18. LeMoyne Arts members will have the first peek at the festooned gallery showcasing giftable items by 50 local and regional artists at the Member’s Only Mimosa Mixer & Preview from 9am-10am, followed by the Grand Public Opening, and new this year, a Garden Galleria with 27 artists in the garden from 10am-6pm. The day will be filled with holiday spirit through live performances by groups like Hot Tamale, Elsinore Sewing Club, Tallahassee Ballet, and Young Actors Theater Troupe, local food offerings from Street Chefs, LaSalle St Carnival Food and The Juice Bar, light libations and craft beer by DEEP Brewing, Argonaut Coffee, and family-friendly activities by the Retired Art Teachers of Tallahassee. 

Generations of Tallahassee families have made LeMoyne’s annual Holiday Show their holiday tradition for 60 years. Wowed by the lights in the garden and delighted by the holiday-themed decorations, visitors walk through a winter wonderland of locally crafted gifts, art, and ornaments.
  
A respite from the crowds on Black Friday and offering a local, homegrown holiday experience, Cookies & Cocoa on the Front Porch will delight folks on Friday, November 24, 11am-1pm.  The gallery will welcome visitors with a warm cup of cocoa (and a splash of spirits for adults only), delicious baked goods from local icon, Uptown Café and Catering, cinnamon roasted nuts for purchase by the Tallahassee Nutty Bavarian, and music by Elsinore Sewing Club. 

For a casual, southern holiday garden party vibe, put on your denim and diamonds on December 2, from 11am-1pm for Hoppy Holidays, a local craft beer and cocktail tasting experience with PROOF Brewing and delicious bites by Chicken Salad Chick. Listen to local folk music in LeMoyne’s celebration gazebo and enjoy the casual glitz while browsing the holiday gift selections and enjoying a genuine Florida winter holiday experience. 

If you’re looking to pump up the glam, the Dazzling Diamonds Cocktail Party on Tuesday, December 7, 5:30-7pm is your chance to dress up in your festival cocktail attire and raise a toast as we say, “Cheers to 60 Years!” with signature cocktails, dance to swing music by the Rachelle Hillman Quartet, taste delights by downtown favorite, Il Lusso Restaurant, and enjoy oysters-on-the-half-shell by local sea farmer, Oyster Mom. 

The finale of delightful holiday fetes is Festive Family Fun Day, Saturday, December 16, 11am-2pm. With live performances by Hot Tamale, Elsinore Sewing Club, and Young Actors Theater Troupe, face painting, children’s crafts by the Retired Art Teachers of Tallahassee, holiday photo ops with Santa, baked goods by Uptown Café and Catering, and delicious bites by Chicken Salad Chick, with loads of fun for the entire family. 

A reluctant husband, accompanying his wife on a holiday shopping trip, had planned to sit this one out on one of the rocking chairs on the front porch. When invited to peek inside, he was delighted by the variety of handmade art and the welcoming holiday décor, exclaiming, “This isn’t what I was expecting.  I love the variety of art and how well it is presented for the holidays. There is so much to see!” 

LeMoyne Art Foundation, now called LeMoyne Arts, was founded by a group of community art lovers in 1963. This year LeMoyne is celebrating its 60th anniversary of bringing enriching art experiences to Tallahassee through art exhibits, studio art classes, community gatherings, and the Chain of Parks Art Festival. 
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The new expanded gardens at LeMoyne where the Holiday Garden Galleria will be held on November 18 is a part of the Art for Always Master Plan project begun by LeMoyne Arts in 2017. Through careful planning, community engagement, and capital campaign support, LeMoyne was poised to apply for rare public funding opportunities which allowed the project to be realized and completely transform the facilities located in the downtown historic district. A new Education Center is fully operational, and the beautiful gardens have been reimagined with a new celebration gazebo and are now ADA accessible.  Coming soon are support spaces for events in the garden including a warming kitchen, accessible restrooms, and a pre-event lounge for bands and weddings. LeMoyne’s ceramics program has been expanded and has two new dedicated studios and a new ceramics pavilion for alternative pottery firings. The East Call Street property is being converted to studios for lease to artists planned to be available by Spring 2024. 

For more information, event tickets, and opportunities to get involved, visit www.LeMoyne.org/holidayshow. 
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LeMoyne Arts at 125 N. Gadsden St., in Tallahassee’s downtown historic district. Learn more at www.lemoyne.org or call 850-222-8800