5 Things to Do This Weekend and Beyond

Can't shake that holiday excitement? Finished with shopping but still need holiday-themed activities to keep your yuletide spirit flowing? You're in the right place: Here we present five events this weekend (and one scheduled for Tuesday) for hardcore holiday fans.

1. Christmas-themed theater? You bet, and the  has it for you this weekend with its presentation of "," an original holiday-themed play by its pastor, Jeff Edwards. The play is described as a comedy/drama that reminds us what the holiday season is all about. Performances run Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. The UMC of Parsippany is at 903 S. Beverwyck Road. For more information, call 973-887-4657.
2. If you're a friend of , here is a great way to help the church while having Christmas fun. Of course, the occasion of Jesus' birth is a big deal for the PPC, so it wants its sanctuary to be as beautiful as possible. Hence , an event in which members and friends of the church are invited to help decorate the building for its most holy day. The trimming starts at 9 a.m. Sunday at 1675 Route 46 East. For more information, call 973-334-7958.
3. Prepare for a moving experience at . From 4:30-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the faith community presents its 22nd annual . The event includes a reading of the Nativity story framed within James Allen Francis' poem “One Solitary Life.” Admission is free, refreshments will be served and the gift of an ornament will be given to each small group attending. You can give a gift as well: If able to do so, attendees are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item to help the help the hungry. For details, call 973-887-6713.
4. Parsippany's  has the holiday spirit. The post is collecting toys as part of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Annual "Toys for Tots" 2011 campaign. As a special celebration of the effort, on Sunday at 9 a.m., members of the ladies' auxiliary will serve breakfast made to order, free with the donation of a new unwrapped toy (please, no stuffed animals) or a $5 donation. The American Legion Post 249 is located at 91 N. Beverwyck Road in Lake Hiawatha. More info? Call 973-335-9266.
5. This goes past the weekend, but we believe it's worth sharing the info here to ensure you don't miss it: The , rained out earlier this week, has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the gazebo at Hiawatha Park on North Beverwyck Street. It's a celebration of the holiday decorations throughout the town, which exist because of FLH and its efforts. The group held a number of fund-raisers this year to cover the costs of putting up seasonal adornments when the town's budget could not bear the expense. FLH also raised money to assist flood-affected families in lower Hiawatha. Tuesday's event will be all about neighbors coming together for the most wonderful time of the year.