Cypress Gardens Hosts Holiday Concerts

CYPRESS GARDENS, Fla. - For the past several years, the Gardens has been resplendent in holiday garb, sporting the Garden of Lights and the Poinsettia Festival.

Complimenting this beautiful scene this year are holiday concerts the weekends of Nov. 25-26, Dec. 2-3, Dec. 9-10 and Dec. 16-17 at 1 and 4 p.m.

Starting the season is the Diamonds who present Silver Bells and Diamonds Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 25-26. They open with a medley of "Jingle Bell Rock," "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Then they sing vintage classics from the `50s and `60s, ending with their biggest hit, "Little Darlin'." The holiday portion of the show continues with traditional holiday songs, closing with "White Christmas."

One the weekend of Dec. 2-3, the celebrated Ink Spots offer a holiday salute and a raft of their own hits. Called "The Living Legends of American Music," the most influential vocal group of all time and the most imitated entertainers in show business, the Ink Spots' story spans six decades with more than 80 chart hits with performances around the world. Hear favorites like "My Prayer," "I'll Never Smile Again," "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie," and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." And enjoy traditional Christmas music by these time-tested artists, including an original recording by the group that was never released called "My Favorite Holiday."

The Lettermen Holiday Show, scheduled the weekend of Dec. 9-10, is a departure from regular Lettermen shows previously performed for Cypress Gardens audiences. Including the familiar chart toppers that have become a part of every Lettermen show, the Holiday Show encompasses "every Christmas song ever written" as well as seasonal originals by group members. "It Feels Like Christmas," an original song by the Letterman Donovan Tea, is a highlight, not to mention the favorite audience participation segment, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

Country Christmas is performed by Shenandoah Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 16-17. For a solid decade, Shenandoah has helped define the contemporary country sound. To date, they have had 25 charted singles, 15 Top Ten hits and 11 #1 records. From their first chart-topping hit, "Church on Cumberland Road," to their most recent "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart," the group has handled soulful, contemplative ballads and grin-producing toe-tappers with equal ease and expertise. Down-home holiday music will round out this entertaining program.

The concerts will be held at the Cypress Isle Pavilion at the north end of the park. The cost of the concert is included in the regular daily admission price.

Cypress Gardens is a 200-acre "must-see" tropical theme park noted for its beautiful plants and flowers and its world-famous water ski shows. It is located off U.S. Hwy. 27 just 22 miles south of I-4 between Orlando and Tampa on the shores of Lake Eloise and Lake Summit near Winter Haven. The park is open 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily except Christmas Eve during the Garden of Lights.