Well, now that December is here, that means there’s nothing you have to do, no places to go and you can just sit back and relax for a while. No, wait, that’s January. This month is so loaded with happenings you’ll need a spread sheet just to keep track of every place you want to go and all the things you need to do.

So let me help you break things down a little so you can start penciling in some fun events on your calendar.

Let’s start with what’s happening in Downtown Golden this weekend.

On Dec. 10 you can catch the Olde Golden Holiday Parade. Yes, the parade is returning in 2022 for one spectacular day with all your favorites including elves, marching bands, floats, Victorian carolers, antique cars, the Grinch, Buffalo Bill and Santa. The parade route runs along Washington Avenue from 10th Street to 13th Street starting at 10:30 a.m. and lasts for about a half hour. Then you can do some shopping or grab something to eat in the shops and restaurants downtown. It’s something fun and free that the whole family can enjoy and the kind of thing that your kids will remember fondly once they grow up.

Now, there are a few tips I’ll add here so you have the best experience. First, get there early so you can find a place to park and a good viewing spot. The parade is only three blocks long, so it gets a little crowded down there. Second, dress for the weather because it can get a little chilly. If you have lived in Colorado for any significant length of time you have probably become a master of layering your clothing and it’s events like these that put that skill to good use. Third, avoid bringing along any chairs or pets since it does get so crowded. Sure, if you have someone in your party that needs to sit due to health reasons, or you need to strap Grandma to a chair so she doesn’t leap out into the street and get run over by a reindeer, then go ahead and bring one. And lastly, remember you can park in one of the free public parking garages on Jackson Street between 11th and 13th.

OK, so you are downtown, you saw the parade and had lunch or brunch or whatever, now what do you do? How about taking a free carriage ride around town? Yes, you can do that on Saturday too.

The Clear Creek Carriage Company will be offering free horse-drawn carriage rides through historic downtown Golden from noon - 3 p.m.  The rides begin and end on 12th Street, just west of Washington Avenue, next to the Old Capitol Grill. These rides are sponsored by GoldenToday.com and the City of Golden.

So, that should cover Saturday, but what about Sunday? No worries, I have a double feature for you on Dec. 11 too!

You can start out with a free Hayride with Santa presented by Golden Hayrides. This will run from 1-3 p.m. on Dec. 11 and leave from the Golden Mill at 1012 Ford Street in Golden. You want to dress warm or bring a blanket for this one too and you can pick up a hot apple cider or hot chocolate there before the ride if you want.

If you catch an early ride, then you can head over to the Green Center on the Colorado School of Mine’s campus in time for the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Concert. That starts at 3 p.m. so you should have time to do both. 

This year’s concert features the Academic Festival Overture by Johannes Brahms, Norwegian Dances by Edvard Grieg, Hansel and Gretel selections by Engelbert Humperdinck (my spell check just went nuts on that name!), Fantasia on Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughan Williams plus a lot of festive holiday favorites. The concert will be conducted by Christine Gaudreau. You can order tickets and find out more information by going to www.jeffsymphony.org.

Now all you have to worry about is shopping, shipping, decorating, cooking, a few more events and this month and buying plenty of liquor to get you through all of it. Just wait until you see what I have lined up for you to do next weekend!

John Akal is a well-known jazz artist/drummer and leader of the 20-piece Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra. He also is president of John Akal Imaging, professional commercial photography and multimedia production. He can be reached at jaimaging@aol.com.