Holiday Fun For The Family

The hustle and bustle of the season is a upon us. Decorating, shopping and baking are just a few things on many peoples vast lists of things they have to get done in the next few weeks. Sometimes though, a person just needs to take a break from all that, take in a show with the family and immerse the mind in something being presented on a stage. Be it music or a play, the Blue Water Area has many options of the sort happening in December.

Back before television was in every home the family would gather around the radio and let the "theater of the mind" make the scene of the sounds crackling over the speakers. Of course a telling of the Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol" was standard then as it is now.

The Port Austin Community Playhouse will bring to life as a live 1940s radio broadcast on stage. Complete with vintage commercials and the magic of live sound effects and musical underscoring, a handful of actors will bring dozens of characters to the stage of the familiar and beloved story of Ebenezer Scrooge for two weekends, December 2nd through the 4th and the 9th through the 11th. For tickets and more info call the Port Austin Community Playhouse at 989-738-5217.

The Riverbank Theater in Marine City will also being doing a musical take on the curmudgeon Scrooge too.

Running three weekends over the month of December, this production based on the Dickens play features music by Alan Menken, who's musical scores include the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and lyrics by Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Lynn Ahrens. Tickets are available here.

If you are in Marine City on December 3rd, enjoy a Merry Time Christmas. There will be music in the streets, carolers caroling and brass horns serenading plus a whole lot more!

After taking more than a year to prepare for their first production in 1990, The Nutcracker Ballet Theatre Company has been presenting The Nutcracker Ballet in Port Huron every December since.

Consisting of dancers and performers from all over the Blue Water area and beyond, along professional student couple to dance the Grand pas de Deux, this local production of the story of Clara, her favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, an evil Mouse King, a magical kingdom populated by dolls and sugar plum fairy, this famous ballet has delighted families at Port Huron's McMorran Place for nearly three decades.

Showtimes for the Nutcracker this year are December 2nd through the 4th. Advanced tickets are available from Ticketmaster or the McMorran box office on the days of the performances.

While The Carpenters are known for over a dozen chart topping hits, they also won over their fans with their Christmas celebrations. 

Based on the music of The Carpenters’ two holiday albums and Christmas variety shows, singer and playwright Lisa Rock and her 6-piece backing band are keep The Carpenters’ holiday traditions alive for two shows at the Lexington Village Theater on Saturday, December 3rd. 

On Thursday, December 8th, enjoy Christmas tunes in Motor City Solid Gold style at Port Huron's McMorran Place.  

Featuring an all-star line-up of vocalists and musicians assembled from the ranks of the Capitols, the Miracles and former members of the Temptations and backed by a 12-piece orchestra of live strings and brass, A Motown Christmas Spectacular with The Motortown All-Stars celebrate the music and the magic of Motown in Holiday style.

To find out more about these happenings and many more things going on around the Blue Water Area for the month of December, check out our events page.

Diggin' The Bones at the Port Huron Museum

Over the next month or so kids will be on break from school. It wont be uncommon to claim that they are bored. Many parents will be thinking of things for their children to do that is fun but also educational to break that boredom. For the youngsters (and the oldsters too) that are into dinosaurs, Port Huron Museum's Paleomania exhibit has just the thing for an interesting outing.

Entering the main floor gallery of the Carnegie #Museum in #PortHuron. Join us here throughout this week to check out some of the things on display at their #Paleomania exhibit running now through the end of February. #fossils #discovertheblue #dinosaurs

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Oct 17, 2016 at 5:24am PDT

From its celebrated showings at the World Trade Centers in Boston, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, the Dinosaur Discovery Center at Colorado National Monument and the Natural History Museum of El Paso, Paleomania will be on display at the museum's Carnegie Center through Feburary 5th.

One of largest (and last known) species of #trilobites, Phacops Africanus, can be seen at the #Paleomania exhibition at #PortHuron's Carnegie Center museum through Feburary. #discovertheblue

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Oct 17, 2016 at 9:33am PDT

Starting with some of the first known and discovered living organisms, the exhibit is real life time as to how living beings have evolved through the early years of the planet.

Primitive #reptiles of the #amphibian sort. One of the many fossils you can see at the #PortHuron museum's #Paleomania exhibit.

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Oct 17, 2016 at 1:31pm PDT

An early ancestor of the modern day #alligator, the #eryops is thought to be the earliest of true amphibian. This artifact, along with many others, is on display at the #PortHuron Museum's #Paleomania exhibit through February 2017. #discovertheblue

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Oct 18, 2016 at 6:54am PDT

Everything from tiny creatures to big toothed cats will be seen.

Ever leave for work and forget to feed the cat? They get pretty mad about. Just be lucky he isn't a #sabretoothtiger like this one on display at #PortHuron Museum's #Paleomania exhibit. #discovertheblue

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Oct 21, 2016 at 9:15am PDT

Along with a raptor soaring in and looking for prey.

Don't ask it to bust a rhyme. It's a #raptor not a rapper. On display now a #PortHuron museum's #paleomania exhibit. #dinosaur #discovertheblue

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Oct 20, 2016 at 1:42pm PDT

And what would be an exhibit that has dinosaurs without a Tyrannosaurus Rex flashing a big smile?

The #TyrannosaurusRex was one of the largest known predators to have walked the earth. This one greets you with a huge smile as you enter #PortHuron museum's main lobby for the #Paleomania exhibit. #dinosaur #discovertheblue

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Oct 20, 2016 at 11:53am PDT

Along with the displays, the museum will be offering some special Saturday programs as well. The Port Huron Museum's Carnegie Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-4pm. For more info on the Paleomania exhibit call them at 810-982-0891.

The Blue Water CVB Mannequin Challenge

"Stop" for a moment to check out the Port Huron Area. The Blue Water Area Convention & Visitors Bureau were joined by many friends and associates of the community to take part in the Mannequin Challenge.

We stopped and visited Port Huron attractions Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, The Blue Water Convention Center, Studio 1219 and Thumbcoast Brewing. A fun time was had by all.

Throwback Thursday: Port Huron Hockey

The last time a professional hockey team from Port Huron took a title a title was when the Port Huron Flags won the Turner Cup in the 1972 IHL playoffs.

Congrats to the @phprowlers! #PortHuron's first #hockeychamps since 1972. What an exciting game tonight! #commissonerscup #fhlplayoffs

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Apr 22, 2016 at 7:48pm PDT

Until last year, that is. That's when the Federal Hockey League team the Port Huron Prowlers won the Governor's Cup in the teams inaugural season when they swept the Danbury Dashers 3-0 in a best of five competition for the championship.

2016 #FHL Champions! #PortHuron Prowlers. @phprowlers #commissionerscup #fhlplayoffs #discovertheblue

A photo posted by Discover The Blue (@discoverthebluewaterarea) on Apr 22, 2016 at 7:10pm PDT

The Prowlers kick off the 2016-17 season with a home game when they take on the St. Clair Shores Fighting Saints this Saturday at McMorran Place.

A Haunting We Will Go

Are you ready for shrieks and frights and leaping from things that go bump in the night? The Blue Water Area has a few places where you can walk through spooky woods, wander a haunted railroad and event blast some zombies and creepy clowns.

Featuring a half mile walk through a wooded area of eerie sights that lead up to a ghostly and ghastly residence, Panic At Pine Stump Hollow, located at 6310 Gratiot Avenue in St. Clair, is not for the faint of heart. It is for anyone who enjoys to be frightened though. It's open Friday and Saturday through the from 8pm until midnight.

Located at the old Chicory Factory at 1129 12th Avenue in Port Huron, the Black River Haunted Railroad & Infected Zombie Paintball Shoot is divided in two parts that are guaranteed to give you thrill and chills. Outside, where the abandoned railroad tracks runs, monsters lurks and jump. If you still have your wits about you after that, you can enter the ominous looking building where can take am zombies and clowns with paintball guns. The fright experience is open Thurs through Sundays evening all the way to Halloween.

Meet the unexpected residents of the buildings at the Sanilac County Historical Museum and Village. Open Saturday, October 15th and the 21st, the Family Haunted Village and Spook Walk, located at 228 South Ridge St in Port Sanilac, sets you out to wander in the Halloweeny Woods and cemetery where meet the Wicked Witch and Snow White, Dr. Loop, the Mad Hatter, the Grim Reaper and more.

Port Huron Parks and Rec invite the family to take a Halloween Stroll through Sanborn Park on Saturday, October 29th. Come and encounter various stations of Halloween scenes with lots in store. Per-registration is required for this event which can be done here.

Also on the 29th, Halloween In Lexington has a day full of family fun in store including Children's Costume Parade, Pet Costume Parade, Children's Activities & More!

Find out more about these and many other things happening at our events page.