Holiday Happening again: Junior League of Lubbock eager to bring back festive tradition

The Junior League of Lubbock is inviting the community to shop for a cause during its 42nd annual Holiday Happening, which kicks off Wednesday evening with a sneak peek event.

The event runs from Wednesday through Sunday at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center at 1501 Mac Davis Lane.

Macy Martinez, publicity chair for Holiday Happening, said Junior League volunteers have been busy since Sunday morning, eagerly preparing the Civic Center for the event's return after it was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're just getting ready for our come-back year - we're really, really excited," she said. "This is the Junior League's biggest fundraiser of the year to support our causes. And to not be able to have that was hard. There's nothing quite like holiday happening."

Martinez said there will be about 130 merchants offering a variety of food, crafts and other goods perfect for Christmas gifts or your own home.

Tickets are now on sale for the five-day shopping event that kicks off the holiday season in Lubbock and the surrounding communities.

This year features multiple shopping areas with hundreds of merchants from surrounding communities and around the country. There will be silent auctions and traditional events the community has come to love such as Sneak Peek Night, Ladies' Day, Breakfast with Santa as well as a staged production of the show "Cinderella" by the Lubbock Community Theater.

Founded in 1979, Holiday Happening is the Junior League's largest fundraiser aimed at providing support for signature community projects including South Plains Food2Kids, Kids in the Kitchen and SPARK, as well as community assistance grants and student scholarships.

Admission and pricing

Market Hall Shopping: $10 Sneak Peek: $50 Ladies' Day: $45 - $750 A Very Merry Morning: $15 - $240 Friday Night Out: $25 Breakfast with Santa: $15 - $240 For ticket information or to purchase, call (806) 445-9637 or visit www.jllubbock.com. The Junior League of Lubbock is committed to providing a safe environment for all attendees, volunteers, and merchants. For your safety and the safety of others, please join the Junior League of Lubbock in wearing a mask so that we may continue serving our community. Find unique gifts for everyone on your list and have a Holly Jolly Holiday at the 42nd Annual Holiday Happening shopping extravaganza. Follow their Facebook page to stay up to date with any and all information: www.facebook.com/HolidayHappening

Cinderella

Lubbock Community Theatre is partnering with Junior League of Lubbock and Holiday Happening 2021 to bring an iconic, family favorite to the stage.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s "Cinderella" is scheduled for four performances on Nov. 19-21 at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Theater.

"Cinderella" tells the magical story of a young woman who is forced into servitude by her evil stepmother and stepsisters after the death of her father. Will pursuing her goals and her problems be impossible? Will her destiny stay the same or will something change?

Discover what Cinderella does when it is announced that "The Prince Is Giving A Ball". With the help of her Fairy Godmother, some Fol-De-Rol, and some kind animals, Cinderella steps out to find the answers in this classic fairy tale retold.

"Preparing for this role has been a fun and challenging opportunity. There is a simpleness to Cinderella that we all know from the Fairy Tale stories but yet she is so complex as she deals with very real emotions and hard relationships," said Lauren Martin, who will bring the title role to life. "It’s been a great joy to find the balance of a fairy tale princess with the emotions of a real human."

Songwriters Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II originally wrote "Cinderella" as a musical exclusively for television starring Julie Andrews, which aired in 1957 to 107 million viewers. The telecast was remade in 1965 starring Lesley Ann Warren, airing annually on CBS from 1965 to 1972.

The production is based on the book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and adapted for the stage by Tom Briggs from the teleplay by Robert L. Freedman.

Director for the Lubbock production is Heather May. She is assisted by Mark Chaney, music director; choreography by Charli Martin; Charlie Schwieterman, stage manager; Rachel Ballard, assistant stage manager; and Dean Baker, production manager.

"The cast and crew have made this production a fun experience and it is a pleasure to share the love of theater to the community," Martin added. "This production means the world to me as it has been my first chance to take on a lead role. I have learned so much in a short time and I will cherish these happy memories forever."

The four Holiday Happening performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with 2:30 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday.

ASL Interpretation will be provided at the Friday performance by the Texas Tech University Interpretation Department and Caprock Society of Interpreters.

Tickets for the production range from $10.50 to $35 (plus taxes and fees) depending on seating and are available for purchase online at selectaseatlubbock.com, bit.ly/LCTCinderella, or at the box office inside the civic center at 1501 Mac Davis Lane.

This special production is sponsored by Market Street, Civic Lubbock, First Bank & Trust, Local CFO and Alan Henry Insurance.

Founded in 1934, the Junior League of Lubbock is comprised of over 600 women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

For more information regarding the JLL, call (806) 794-8874, visit our website www.jllubbock.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jllubbock.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Holiday Happening returning in support of Lubbock community projects