NICEVILLE, FLORIDA - Niceville residents don’t have to travel far to immerse themselves in magical Christmastime surroundings. The Niceville City Hall complex has been transformed into a Christmas winter wonderland for the holidays as the city celebrates its first Community Christmas.

Niceville’s Community Christmas features the area’s largest and most festive Christmas exhibition with holiday lights, motorized characters and displays, a Christmas miniatures village, drive-by and walk-through lighted Christmas scenes and displays, and a Santa’s workshop. The event is sponsored and coordinated by the Niceville Community Guild.
Community Christmas lights up City Hall and the Children’s Park every evening this month through Dec. 29. The hours are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

In addition to the lights and displays, local entertainment is scheduled for most nights at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Also, several local groups and organizations are selling holiday goodies at nightly bake sales. A live Nativity scene will be on display Dec. 14-15.

Entertainment includes performances by the choirs of the First Baptist Church of Niceville (Dec. 8), Susie Murphy (Dec. 10 and Dec 23), the Recorder Ensemble and Wesleyan Singers from the First United Methodist Church of Niceville (Dec. 11), Niceville High School’s Opus One (Dec. 13), and the Mountain Dulcimer Group and Ruckel Middle School Chorus (Dec. 18). For the complete, updated entertainment schedule visit the Niceville Community Guild’s Web site.

Debbie Lewis, known as The Christmas Lady, has moved her huge annual Christmas display from her Niceville home to city hall for the Community Christmas celebration. In years past, Lewis’ Animation in Motion, Santa’s Village and Christmas miniatures display attracted thousands of visitors to her neighborhood. The traffic and parking problems associated with the display led Niceville City Manager Lannie Corbin earlier this year to order Lewis to halt her display.

“It’s great that something so bad turned into something so good,” said a smiling Corbin, who was among those enjoying the tree lighting ceremony and other events that took place during the Town Hall Weekend Festival, Nov. 30-Dec 1, first two days of the Community Christmas celebration.

Bill Johnson, who sold kettle corn at the festival event, said the Christmas atmosphere was second to none and that the organizers should be commended for their efforts.
“They have done an outstanding job. The decorations are incredible -- really beautiful -- and everyone here is having a good time,” said Johnson.