There are a lot of things going on this weekend that would be great to bring your kids to. Saturday morning (Dec. 2) there is a free movie at Carmike Cinema behind the Jacksonville Mall. Santa will greet children beginning at 9 a.m. and the G-rated movie will begin around 10 a.m. Admission is two canned goods per person to be donated to Christmas Cheer.

Then, that same afternoon(Dec. 2), from 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m. Family Fun Day will be held at the Jacksonville Commons Recreation Complex. Santa will greet children there as well. This is a fun event for little children. There are simple carnival-type games for children with candy and prizes, a “make and take” craft area, a hay ride, moonwalk, live entertainment, fire trucks and more. Admission is free.

Also beginning Saturday (Dec. 2) from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and continuing Sunday from noon-6 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the American Legion Building in Jacksonville (located at the Onslow County Fairgrounds) will be the Festival of Trees to benefit Onslow Caregivers, Inc. This is a nice event too that is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit. There will be 65 beautiful Christmas trees decorated by local businesses and organizations, as well as a silent auction, country store/sweet shoppe, live entertainment, and more. Admission is only $1. This is a good place to give your little ones a few bucks to buy the parents Christmas presents. We gave my now five-year-old $5 last year to go to the little store area and pick out a gift for mommy and daddy. My mom wrapped them for us, so Kayla was all excited to have picked out her very own presents for us for Christmas, and I couldn’t wait to see what she picked out for me. I think she came back with $3 change, so I was really wondering what she got for $2. But, they were good choices. She got her daddy a snow globe with a bear and a fish. And, she got me a little trinket with a male mouse handing a female mouse flowers on a shoe. It was really cute and she was glad to have picked them out on her own. Actress Moira Kelly will be at the Festival of Trees on Sunday (Dec. 3) from 2-4 p.m. to sign autographs. Kelly is on the popular TV show filmed in Wilmington called “One Tree Hill” and she was in the romantic ice skating movie, “The Cutting Edge,” which I actually love watching.  

And, later Saturday night (Dec. 2) is the Jacksonville flotilla to be held at New River Waterfront Park near the USO in downtown.

There are even more things going on this weekend that I didn’t even mention here. So, for those who say there isn’t anything to do in Jacksonville, I would have to say at least for this weekend, you are dead wrong. Check out the calendar section at www.maxmag.com for a more complete listing of things to do this weekend and in the coming months.