News
• Happy Thanksgiving.
• City, county, state and federal offices are closed on Thursday and some will remain closed on Friday while others observe a modified schedule on Friday and over the weekend. Regular garbage collection schedules for the City of Fredericksburg will be observed on Thursday and Friday.
• A new Thanksgiving tradition is set to start at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area on Thursday when a "Turkey Trot with the Ranger" steps off at 9 a.m. Along with the three or five mile fun run, visitors can also choose to make the 1.2 mile round trip hike to the summit of the rock with a ranger. There will be door prizes, hot chocolate, water and snacks for the participants. Those planning to participate are asked to RSVP to the park at 830-685-3636 or by email to Scott.Whitener@tpwd.texas.gov.
• Eisbahn opens for the season on Friday. Eisbahn, which means “ice rink” in German, will give residents of the Hill Country and their guests a chance to celebrate the holiday season with a bit of ice skating, regardless of the weather outside. The rink is set to open at 10 a.m. on Friday and will remain open until 10 p.m. Hours will be 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturdays, 1-8 p.m. on Sundays and 4-8 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and 4-10 p.m. on Fridays (before school is dismissed for the Christmas holidays.)
• Holiday lights will be turned on in downtown Fredericksburg on Friday evening at the City of Fredericksburg’s annual tree lighting ceremony at Marktplatz. Ceremonies will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a performance by the Ambleside Children’s Choir. The official lighting will take place at 7 p.m. Other entertainment for the evening will include Al Holzscheiter’s Brass Ensemble, Bethany Lutheran Church Carolers and dance to the music of The Power Section. Free hot chocolate and cookies will be served. All children under 12 who attend the ceremony can enter the drawing in which the winner will help Mayor Linda Langerhans flip the switch to turn on the tree lights for the first time this season.
• The Peddler Show returns to the Gillespie County Fair Grounds Friday through Sunday. Show hours will be from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
• Runners will have an opportunity for a brief reprieve from their hectic holiday schedule while benefiting the Fredericksburg Swim Association at the Fourth Annual Fredericksburg Turkey Trot on Saturday. The 5K and 10K races start at 8:30 a.m. at the Fredericksburg Elementary School and the fun run leaves the starting gate at 10 a.m.
• The Second Annual Fort Martin Scott Frontier Days will be held Saturday at the fort from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will focus on living history, re-enactors, pioneer crafts, period dress, chuck wagon food, native Americans, western authors, musicians and storytellers, military drills, cannon firing, Gillespie County rangers and Fort Martin Scott Garrison.
• Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site at Stonewall will host its annual Cookie Decorating and German Traditions program on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors to the park can decorate cookies and wooden gingerbread ornaments as well as make traditional holiday wreaths.
• St. Mary’s Catholic Church will host a parish mission beginning Sunday and continuing through Thursday, Dec. 4. These missions for Catholics involve several days of activity and prayer, all focusing on faith enrichment. Called “To Serve is to Reign,” the parish mission will consist of 45-minute presentations at 6:30 p.m. each night. Then, a 15-minute benediction prayer service will follow. Priests will be available for confessions each night of the parish mission. The Rev. Joseph Aytona, Congregation of the Priests of Mercy, will conduct the mission.
• St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cave Creek will hold its annual Christmas lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. on Sunday. In this ceremony, the church’s silhouette will be lit up with hundreds of Christmas lights for the first time this holiday season. The church congregation, members of the community, and friends will sing Christmas carols. All are invited to the celebration and to the tamale supper immediately afterward in the fellowship hall.
Sports
• Heritage School football will play Granbury North Central Texas Academy on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Zephyr High School Stadium in the TAPPS Division III state semi-finals.
Today's Quotes
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
Oprah Winfrey
"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."
Frank A. Clark