Melanie Preis

Latest posts by Melanie Preis

Orlando Christmas Bucket List for Kids: 25 Things to Do in Orlando This Holiday Season

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 11/22/2024 - 11:19am

Spend time with Mrs. Claus and more Christmas characters at Gaylord Palms' amazing holiday attraction. Photo courtesy Gaylord Palms & Marriott

Fill up your Christmas bucket list in Orlando, while Santa works on his naughty or nice list! We've rounded up some of our favorite must-do Christmas activities and events in Orlando that families will definitely want to hit up this holiday season. From the twinkling magic of holiday lights to exciting Christmas events at Orlando theme parks, we've got awesome ideas to finish the year with a bang!

Best Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays and Holiday Lights in Atlanta

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Sun, 11/17/2024 - 10:19am

Lights of Joy in Kennesaw uses 60 miles(!) of Christmas lights to create the ultimate holiday display.

Atlanta knows Christmas lights and how to show up, and show off, for the holidays! Neighborhood Christmas lights include intricate designs, clever themes, and surging electricity bills. Residential holiday lights include houses that offer walking tours; other houses welcome families to drive by and tune radio frequencies to their synchronized Christmas lights; and some houses are a part of an entire neighborhood that creates a collective attraction!

In fact, enjoy Christmas lights AND do charitable work—some of the homes mentioned below are part of Cobb EMC's Christmas lights map, where you can vote for your favorite and the top three winners get $500 to donate to the charities of their choice!

The Nutcracker Ballet and Other Holiday Shows for Kids in Orlando

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Sun, 11/10/2024 - 11:35am

Enjoy Central Florida Ballet's classic Nutcracker production for a fun family event. Photo courtesy of the ballet

The Nutcracker ballet is the quintessential holiday event for families, and luckily, Orlando has several productions to choose from. Families may prefer to attend the classic version of The Nutcracker, performed by professionally trained dancers from Orlando Ballet and Central Florida Ballet, or something a bit more modern, like this pyrotechnic version!

Besides The Nutcracker, there are many holiday shows for every age group and interest. As theaters and venues open doors for holiday shows and events, lucky Orlando residents and tourists have their pick in choosing some of the best holiday shows around!

30 Must-Do Christmas Events and Holiday Activities in Atlanta for Kids

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 11/08/2024 - 9:01am

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights returns to Atlanta Botanical Garden for an amazing Christmas lights event. Photo courtesy of Atlanta Botanical Garden

'Tis the season for holiday events around Atlanta! Families looking for wholesome merriment have plenty of options this holiday season, including Illuminights at Zoo Atlanta and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Center for Puppetry Arts. You can't go wrong with one of Atlanta's biggest holiday mainstays and Christmas events, Stone Mountain Park Christmas; or try something new like Cirque du Soleil's Twas the Night Before at the Fox Theatre. Feeling nostalgic for Atlanta holiday traditions? The Pink Pig returns this year at Georgia Festival of Trees!

Best Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks Near Atlanta

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Sun, 11/03/2024 - 7:55am

Skate among the stars on The Roof at Ponce City Market! Photo courtesy of Slater Hospitality PCM

Ice skating near Atlanta is the quintessential winter activity, whether you're ready for the Olympic trials or can barely stand upright. Though it may take a few turns around the ice skating rink to get your "ice legs," families enjoy spending time together spinning, skating, and realistically, falling down, together. These seasonal outdoor ice skating rinks pop up from November through early 2025. Families can find lots of ice skating in Atlanta, most of which include music and hot chocolate. We've rounded up the best ones and even included one that requires no skates at all (sock skating at Fernbank)!

Take a look at our favorite ice skating spots to nail that triple toe loop or cling to rink walls! Want more ideas this holiday season? Check out the Atlanta Christmas Activities and Holiday Guide for great winter events. If you need more ideas of things to do in Atlanta, visit our Atlanta events calendar.

Best Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat on Halloween in Atlanta

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Mon, 10/28/2024 - 9:47am

Briers North is a wonderful (and scary) place to trick-or-treat near Atlanta! Photo by Ilana Schlam

We love to trick-or-treat in Atlanta and the surrounding communities, and this city knows how to do scary—zombies and monsters creep around The Walking Dead and Stranger Things sets, and terrifying Atlanta haunted houses like Netherworld make even the bravest cry. So of course surrounding trick-or-treat Atlanta neighborhoods go all out for Halloween! Grab your candy buckets because we're highlighting some of our favorite neighborhoods to trick or treat in Atlanta.

For even more Halloween content, make sure to visit Atlanta's Ultimate Halloween Guide! We've got so many holiday ideas, like FREE Halloween events in Atlanta, Halloween events for Toddlers, and more sugary sweet Halloween articles.

Scary Haunted Houses in Orlando for Teens and Tweens

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Fri, 10/18/2024 - 10:45am

Explore immersive worlds, complete with a few jump-scares at Haunting Nights at Leu Gardens. Photo courtesy of the gardens

Orlando haunted houses will make even the bravest teens and tweens cower this Halloween! We've got the spookiest, creepiest Halloween events sure to make older kids and adults run for cover. Make sure to check out the details of each of these Orlando haunted houses and spooky sites, as many have minimum age requirements for entry as well as details about the dos and don'ts of visiting. Be ready for scares around every corner—you've been warned!

For tamer Halloween scares, check out our entire Orlando Halloween Guide for more ideas of where to go and what to do during the spooky season.

8 Things To Do to Celebrate Día de Los Muertos in Atlanta

Submitted by Melanie Preis on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 12:08pm

Celebrate this traditional Mexican holiday with the Dia de Muertos Festival and Cantina Contest on the grounds of Roswell City Hall. Photo courtesy Roswell City Hall

Enjoy the colorful celebration of Dia de los Muertos in Atlanta on November 1 and 2, as well as the end of October. This beautiful holiday pays homage to the spirits of the dead, acknowledges the relationship between the living and the dead, and help people celebrate the memories of their deceased relatives. Dia de los Muertos decor showcases skulls and skeletons, made of various materials (even sugar and icing!) in a festive way, with spirited music, delicious food, and good fun. Take a look at Dia de los Muertos Atlanta events for the whole family!

In addition to Dia de los Muertos, we've got more tasty holiday treats in our Atlanta Halloween Guide!