Thanksgiving Facts and Figures: Don't Eat All 13.3 Pounds Today

That's your annual turkey consumption, according to U.S. Census.

In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims, early settlers of Plymouth Colony, held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation's first Thanksgiving. Historians have also recorded ceremonies of thanks among other groups of European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Virginia in 1619. The legacy of thanks and the feast have survived the centuries, as the event became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the …

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Black Friday Sales: Local Mall Hours Near Lakewood

If you you must leave Lakewood to go Christmas shopping, and you want to check out the deals at Crocker Park, SouthPark, or Great Northern, here’s what you need to know.

Northeast Ohio shoppers who want to get an early start on their Black Friday shopping are in luck. Lakewood might not have any malls of its own, and if you must leave the city to do some Christmas shopping, there are plenty that are just a short drive away. Here are the details you need from our nearby Patch sites:

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Holiday Dance Performances Slated at Beck Center

Beck Dance performs “The Nutcracker” at two events this holiday season.

The Beck Dance group from the Beck Center for the Arts is kicking off the holiday season with a couple of performances of “The Nutcracker.”  A Journey with Clara to the Land of the Sweets (Ages 4 to 8) Nov 18, 1 and 3:30 p.m. The magical story of The Nutcracker comes to life for young children as they see, hear and participate in a journey to the “Land of the Sweets.” Students listen to the story, watch portions of the story unfold before them in dance, and learn simple movement and dance steps from the costumed dancers. The session concludes with an opportunity for photos with their favorite Nutcracker characters. Class size is limited. Tickets are going quickly. The Nutcracker Holiday Tea Party Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 Dance Alliance of Beck …

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Huge Craft Show Returns to I-X Center

Christmas Connection set for Nov. 16-18

The I-X Christmas Connection will return Nov. 16-18 to the I-X Center in Cleveland. The craft show includes up to 500 booths featuring items like gourmet dips, woven garments, flavored coffees, chocolate-covered pretzels, handmade jewelry, furniture and much more. New this year is the Christmas Wine Cellar, a wine-tasting area; and the Traveling Duck® Tape experience where attendees can check out a 31-foot Duck® Bus and other creative items made from the tape. A free roll of Duck® brand duct tape will be given to the first 500 attendees each day of the show. For kids, features will include Santaland, where youngsters can write letters to Santa or visit with the Jolly Old Elf; the Sugar Plum Shoppe, where children can buy gifts; and …

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Who Had The Best Decked Out House?

See the finalists and vote for the best-decorated home in the country.

Poll: What’s Your Favorite Part of Thanksgiving?

Tell us more about your favorite tradition in the comments.

That first major holiday of the winter holiday season is upon us: Thanksgiving. Chances are good that you and your family have some special traditions that you’re looking forward to – so help everyone get into the spirit of the season and share your favorite part of the holiday! Take our unscientific poll, and then tell us about your favorite tradition in the comments.  And while you’re at it, share what you’re thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Patch Holiday Events Guide 2011

What holiday events are going on this season? The Patch Holiday Guide provides all the answers.

The holidays are upon us. Prepare to eat, celebrate and be merry for the next seven weeks, until the calendar flips to 2012. We know our readers in Patchland want to know what holiday-centric events are going on in their communities, so we created the Patch Holiday Guide, a handy list of all the events— tree lightings, turkey trots, religious services and more— that are coming to your neighborhood this season. Did we miss a great event? Add it to the comments and we'll be sure to include it in the guide! We want to wish all of our Patch users Happy Holidays! We hope to help you make it the best one yet. *Click the links for dates, times and more information on each event!* Free Zoo admission on Thanksgiving Day Admission to the Zoo and The…

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Residents Wait Two Hours for a Thanksgiving Turkey

As demand swells, funding has shriveled at Lakewood Community Service Center.

People were lined down Madison Avenue, some arriving as early as 7:30 a.m and waiting more than two hours. There was no concert, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 wasn’t set to be released until Tuesday. These people were waiting on something a little more important than a video game. Trish Rooney, executive director at Lakewood Community Service Center (LCSC), said people were there to sign up for a Thanksgiving Day food basket, including a turkey, for the holidays. “We’ve never seen anything close to this before,” Rooney said. After making people aware of the sign-ups at produce distribution, hot meals and other events, LCSC opened at 10 a.m., with 180 slots for baskets. By 12:30 p.m. last Monday, they had all been filled. “It’s just …

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Light Up Lakewood Looking for a Few Good Floats

This year, the event is adding a parade to its holiday extravaganza.

Look out Matt Lauer and Katy Couric. Lakewood is getting its own Holiday Parade. At 5 p.m. on Dec. 3, the Light Up Lakewood Parade, sponsored by LakewoodAlive, will march west on Detroit Avenue, from Parkhaven Row to the Discount Drug Mart parking lot on Arthur Avenue. Santa will go on his pied-piper march back to Lakewood Hospital for the official lighting ceremony following the parade. There will also be awards for Best of Show, Most Creative and Best Use of Lights. At last year’s Light Up Lakewood, hundreds of residents lined Detroit Avenue to see trolleys strolling the streets, carolers caroling and Lakewood High School drama students performing a “living windows” act in an empty storefront. Those wishing to participate in the parade …

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