It's always fun to participate

in Christmas activities in your neighborhood, whether it's caroling,

the lighting of the city tree, watching a parade or taking in a local

show, but it is also fun to see how a larger city, like Atlanta celebrates.

There are lots of activities going on in Atlanta, many of them starting

this week.

It wouldn't be Christmas

without Atlanta Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker"

or the Alliance Theatre's production of "A Christmas Carol."

These two staples of the holiday season have enchanted and brought joy

to audiences for years.

"The Nutcracker"

opens Nov. 29 at the Fox Theatre and runs through Dec. 27. The story focuses

on Marya who falls asleep on Christmas Eve and has a wonderful dream filled

with a growing Christmas tree, dancers from all over the world, dream

fairies and, of course, The Nutcracker Prince. Over 300 local children

dance in a variety of roles and the Atlanta Youth Choir also performs

in the show. The choir represents 35 public, private and parochial schools

in five metro area counties.

New to this year's production

is revamped choreography in the second act and a traditional Chinese ribbon

dance performed by the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company from Norcross. There

will also be a beautiful pink ballerina pig on roller blades this year

and a snow scene that dumps 20 pounds of snow during each performance.

Tickets range from $22-$63.

Phone 404-817-8700 or visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.atlantaballet.com

for more information.

Charles Dickens' "A

Christmas Carol" is also a beloved holiday classic and the Alliance

Theatre's production is a local favorite. The story deals with Ebenezer

Scrooge, a greedy miser who learns the meaning of Christmas, after being

visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. This production features a large

cast, music and dazzling visuals. For more information on ticket prices

or performance times, visit www.alliancetheatre.org.

One could also head down to

Centennial Olympic Park to enjoy the Holiday in Lights decorations and

skating on the ice rink. The lights and skating will be up until the end

of December. The fee for skating is $5 for one and a half hours and $2

for skate rental. There will be different radio stations playing music

at the rink throughout the week. Visit www.centennialpark.com for a complete

schedule.

These ideas are merely the

tip of the iceberg. There are also activities at Stone Mountain, a chance

to visit the Pink Pig at Rich's/Macy's, "The Santaland

Diaries" at Horizon Theatre and more. Keep your eyes peeled for events

that may become a holiday tradition for you and your family.

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