Page 21 - Boca ViewPointe - October '21
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October 2021                                                    Viewpointe, Page 21























       Light Up Downtown Boca Kicks Off


       On Friday, November 19 From 5 P.M. To 9 P.M.



       With Tree Lighting, Movie And More



       By Hillary Reynolds                                                                                 Wednesday, December 8 from  7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
                                                                                                           beginning at Federal Highway and SE 5th Street, traveling
          Light Up Downtown Boca, a series of winter holiday                                               north to the Mizner Park Amphitheater. More than 70 floats
       festivities, kicks off on Friday, November 19 from 5 p.m.                                           and groups will entertain viewers as they bring dance, lights,
       to 9 p.m. at the Mizner Park Amphitheater (MPA), 590 Plaza                                          and song to Federal Highway in Boca Raton. For more
       Real, with a FREE holiday happening, culminating with the                                           information or to enter the parade, visit www.myboca.us/
       City of Boca Raton’s and Mizner Park’s annual tree lighting                                         specialevents.
       ceremony.                                                                                              FAU’s Tuba Christmas returns on Sunday, December 12
          Festivities will include a holiday stage show at 5:30 p.m.                                       at 5 p.m. at the Mizner Park Amphitheater. Tuba Christmas
       and a showing of holiday favorite, Home Alone (PG) on the                                           concerts will be presented in 250 cities throughout the world,
       lawn at 7:15 p.m.                                                                                   including Boca Raton. Enjoy the tradition of holiday music
          The highlight of the evening will be the ceremonial                                              performed by tubas and euphoniums, started by Indiana
       lighting of the City’s tree led by Mayor Scott Singer and City                                      University Professor Harvey G. Phillips. FAU’s Sean Murray
       Council at 6:45 p.m. that will illuminate simultaneously with   9 p.m., continuing through the holiday season. The tree will   brings this tradition to the Boca Raton community for its
       Mizner Park’s 47-foot animated tree at the south end of the   be illuminated for photo opportunities between shows.  sixth annual presentation.
       center, followed by a spectacular fireworks display above      Your favorite Mizner Park restaurants will be open with      The 43rd Annual Holiday Boat Parade on Saturday,
       the MPA at 7 p.m.                                 special seating options offering great views of the holiday   December 18 will begin at 6:30 p.m. and light up the
          Throughout Mizner Park, 50,000 LED lights will adorn   decor, lights, and fireworks. Please contact the restaurants   waterways beginning at C-15 Canal, traveling south, with
       75 palm trees; poles will be laced with garland; lights and   directly for more information.        bleacher viewing at Red Reef Park. Free boat entry with
       four wreaths (each 60” in diameter) will be placed throughout      The event is sponsored by the City of Boca Raton, Mizner   $10,000 in cash and prizes with many categories in which to
       the center; garland will be swooped throughout the gazebos   Park, and WPBF-TV.                     win. For more information or to enter the parade, visit www.
       and the valet parking station – all of which will be decorated      Other holiday events, presented by the City of Boca   myboca.us/specialevents.
       with lights and holiday trimmings.                Raton, include:                                      Attendees are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool and
          Located at the south end of the center, Mizner Park’s      Merry in Mizner will bring evening weekend holiday   use free parking at City Hall, the Boca Raton Library and
       “iTree” consists of more than 32,000 life-like PVC branches,   entertainment and strolling pop-ups to Mizner Park on   Downtown Boca Library.
       red & gold bows, ornament clusters and 25,000 clear &   various weekend nights, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., throughout      For more information visit www.myboca.us or call
       multi-colored LED lights. There will be 20-minute musical   the holidays.                           561.367.7073. 
       light shows performed nightly at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and   The 49th Annual Holiday Street Parade will be
      Clowns On Call



       By Harriet Rubin,                                 that has been great! It’s amazing how this kind
       aka Florabelle the Clown                          of direct intervention and dialogue can add to
                                                         one’s knowledge. For example, we use a magic
          Hello Again  and                               gadget called an “Energy Stick”. It’s a simple
       Greetings from Boca Ponte                         encased set of wires, and when both ends are
       “Clowns on Call!”                                 held or touched lights and sound go off. So we
          Can you believe that                           have been using it for several years and generally
       Halloween is almost here?                         we gather a circle of kids and have them hold
       Where did 2021 go? Our                            hands and as soon as both ends of the cylinder
       clown group has been                              are making skin contact, the lights flash and a
       waiting for our gigs to start                     musical sound emerges. If you break the circle
       again, and we were disappointed that the Down Syndrome   it stops. Kids love it, and it’s one of our favorite
       Buddy Walk was canceled for October. Hopefully some   group “shticks”. I was watching a zoom lecture/
       of the other walks will be re-scheduled for the winter/  presentation by a hospital clown from Oregon
       spring seasons, and we will be able to attend and bring our   and she described how she used it when making
       happy personalities to make everyone laugh and smile!  room visits to patients. She would hold one
          One big positive, which resulted from the ability to   end, place  the other on a  part  of the patients  Doc the clown, Juggles, Florabelle, Cutie pie, Twinkletoes, and J.J. at
       zoom on line, has been interaction with clowns all over the   body (typically the upper chest) and when the  the YMCA Food Truck event
       world. Between Facebook and zoom presentations, I have   patient touched the end by the chest the cylinder
       been in touch with both old friends and new ones, sharing   would light up and make a sound. The clown would say   and creative, and encourage a love of reading.
       ideas, magic tricks, various techniques, disappointments,   something like “See how much energy you have. You can      The first classroom visit will begin with the Red
       frustrations, the joys of clowning, experiences, etc. and   make magic happen”. This gave me so many new ways   Nose  Reader  introducing  themselves  to  the  students
                                                         to use this simple gadget that I would never have thought   and telling them a little bit about real clowns, followed
                                                         of, so we are never too experienced to learn new ways of   by a quick transformation with makeup and red nose
                                                         incorporating ideas.                              to turn the reader into their clown character. They will
                                                            I’m so happy to announce that our Boca Raton YMCA   share some silliness and a fun story. It concludes with
                                                         has invited us to a FoodTruck event on Sept. 23, and we   answering questions from the class. Students go home
                                                         are all going with bells on! See the photo- don’t we look   with a coloring sheet and letter to share with their families
                                                         great! In addition we will be presenting our “Red Nose   about the clown’s visit”.
                                                         Readers” program at the YMCA in October, starting with      In addition, we will do some kazoo or guitar singing, a
                                                         their pre-school classes and then continuing with their   little magic and whatever fun activities we want to share.
                                                         after school groups. I can’t tell you how exciting this   Each clown can add their own particular talents to make
                                                         endeavor is for all of us. Here are some quotes from the   it a great experience for the audience.
                                                         Red Nose Guidelines - “The Red Nose Readers Program      So—if anyone reading this has any contacts with
                                                         promotes literacy and anti-bullying by inviting a certified   children’s classes from ages 3-9, please contact me by
                                                         member to read a book to students and transform into a   phone or email and I will be happy to follow up. We are
                                                         friendly clown right in front of their eyes. It is our hope   hoping to perform at libraries, schools, and pre-schools…
                                                         that this experience will prevent children from forming
       J.J. and his fans at the Boca YMCA                a fear of clowns, show them that it’s okay to be different   Clowns On Call on page 22
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