Halloween is approaching.

Take the little ones downtown on Wednesday for tricks, treats and a whole lot of fun. Many downtown businesses will be handing out treats; be sure to look for the spooky ghost in the window. We’ll have llamas performing tricks for your entertainment as well. There will be a pumpkin decorating contest for $5, and more, from 5 to 8 p.m.

There will also be trick-or-treating at Oak Park Mall on Halloween evening.

 A merry TubaChristmas

The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau has many great Christmas holiday events to tell you about over the next few columns as we move right into the season.

A very special event to inform you of right away is our Third Annual Merry TubaChristmas event for Austin on Saturday, Dec. 1.

It is planned for 2 p.m. at Center Court at Oak Park Mall. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by rehearsal at 11 a.m.  TubaChristmas celebrates its 39th anniversary this year, with concerts set for 300 cities across the globe.

This Christmas concert will be presented by performers ages 8 – 90 and over.  All tuba and euphonium players of any age are welcome. Players are encouraged to bring a music stand, their instrument and to wear bright holiday colors.

Concerts have been presented in Mason City, Iowa, Northfield and other cities nearby for years, and many of our local folks have gone there to perform and to watch the concert.

This year, you can stay home and have the same holiday fun with our Austin TubaChristmas event.  The concert is free for the listening audience. We hope lots of people plan to attend.

There will be other events happening at the mall that day, too, so come early.  Start your Christmas season off with music. For more information or donate a door prize for the players, please contact me at the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, 507-437-4563. Visit www.tubachristmas.com.

Austin painting the town pink again

Here is more exciting news. Mark the dates Feb. 1 to 10, 2013, on your calendar for Paint the Town Pink.

Last year, we partnered with the Austin Bruins and The Hormel Institute for the first-ever community-wide celebration. More than $63,000 was raised for breast cancer research. Saturday will be the third annual Paint the Rink Pink Bruins home game the Brookings Blizzards. Many special events are planned for the entire week all around town there will be lots to do. Contact 434-4978 for Bruins ticket information and the CVB at 437-4563 for community events.

Plan on how your group or business will participate now, and let us know so we can promote it.

 

Your place for Austin happenings

Did you know that there is a great all-in-one-place resource to go to so you’ll always know what is happening in Austin? There is an Austin Community Calendar,  where visitors considering Austin as a destination for a family trip, business meeting or activity go.

Simply go to our website at www.austincvb.com. You will see our bright and colorful Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau website and list of local attractions.

Click to enter.  Once there, you will see the choices along the left-hand side of your computer screen. Click on Calendar of Events.  There you will see the current month’s calendar. You can either click on “view entire month” and get a full-page printout of all of this month’s many activities or you can click on a certain date or dates right on the month’s calendar and it will bring up the events for that day or days. Also, you can go to the next month or any upcoming month by simply using the buttons there.

Our office sends out a weekly email to tell people about Austin area events. I’m on-air every Friday morning at 8:50 a.m. with John Wright at KAUS on 1480-AM bringing you the Austin Action Report and I write this monthly column, all so you can stay informed about everything that is happening in Austin.

As always, please call us at the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau office for events and information at 437-4563.