Celebrate the Holidays at Longmont Lights!
Enjoy Longmont Lights, the City’s annual free holiday celebration, this weekend in Downtown Longmont. From 5 to 8 pm (event times vary) on Friday, December 7, delight in the festivities at the Longmont Senior Center, Memorial Building, and throughout Roosevelt Park at 700 Longs Peak Avenue. The evening ends with the fireworks finale at 7:45 pm, weather permitting, sponsored by Bank of Colorado. Vendors will have food for sale, and free hot cocoa carts are stationed around the park. The event concludes with the Holiday Parade on Main Street beginning at 5 pm on Saturday, December 8. And before the parade, don’t miss the new Downtown Winter Wonderland from 3 to 5 pm at St. Stephen’s Plaza. The lights in Roosevelt Park, sponsored by Xfinity, are lit nightly throughout the holidays. Call 303-651-8404 or visit LongmontColorado.gov/LongmontLights for a complete schedule of events.

Shred Your Private Documents for Free
Safely and securely recycle your private documents. Take your boxed or bagged documents to be shredded to the Waste Diversion Center at 140 Martin Street between 9 am and 2 pm on Saturday, December 8. This event is for residential documents only; no business materials will be accepted. Please also take identification and a copy of your most recent Longmont utility bill. For more information, visit LongmontColorado.gov/WasteServices or call 303-651-8416.

Shop Loco and Win!
Enjoy everything Downtown Longmont has to offer all season long, and be rewarded for your patronage. The Downtown Winter Passport is your ticket to some great prizes from now through the end of February. Simply make purchases at participating businesses, collect passport stickers, and enter to win. Drawings will be held periodically throughout the winter, and all entries will qualify for the grand prize drawing at the end of February. Visit DowntownLongmont.com for more information. 

Join “Beatrix Potter” for Family Storytime
From 7 to 7:30 pm on Thursday, December 13, meet Beatrix Potter, portrayed by Connie Neumann, as she reads her favorite Christmas tale, “The Tailor of Gloucester,” at the Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Avenue. This memorable holiday book with a magical twist is about a little tailor mouse, and is best for families with children age 5 to 9 as it is longer than a picture book. No registration required.

Sign Up Now for Youth Basketball League
Basketball players in grades 3-8 can hone their skills in Recreation Services’ youth basketball league that emphasizes teamwork, sportsmanship, participation and fun! Saturday games are played in January and February in Longmont and nearby communities. Each participant receives a reversible Junior Nuggets branded jersey, a basketball, and two tickets to a Denver Nuggets game. Scholarships are available. There also is a Sunday high school program for those not on a school or club team. Register at LongmontColorado.gov/rec, or to volunteer as a coach call 303-774-4800.

Buy Your Rec Pass Before Fees Increase
Admission fees to Longmont Recreation facilities will increase on January 2. Take advantage of 2018 pricing through January 1 when you purchase 20-visit, quarterly or annual passes. You also can purchase passes in advance for summer outdoor pool admission and the 2019-2020 Ice Pavilion season. Email RecSupport@LongmontColorado.gov or call 303-774-4800 with questions.

Let It Snow … But Not On the Meter, Please
A good snowfall can make the Christmas season magical … and it can also double the time it takes to read the 72,000 electric and water meters around Longmont. Give the meter readers a hand by keeping the areas near your meters free of snow and ice, especially the “meter pit” in the yard, which can get easily covered over. Want some other ways to help out? Visit bit.ly/meter-reading-longmont for additional tips.

Volunteer to Teach English
Intercambio Uniting Communities is looking for volunteers to teach English to adult immigrants one-on-one and in group settings in and around Longmont. NO teaching experience or Spanish language ability is necessary. The commitment is approximately four hours per week. Attend a volunteer information session at 1715 Iron Horse Drive from 4 to 5 pm on Wednesday, January 16, to learn more. Visit Intercambio.org to see the full schedule of upcoming information sessions or contact Intercambio at 303-996-0275 or Volunteer@Intercambio.org.

Take a Sustainability Step for Your Holidays
Reduce food waste during the holidays by encouraging guests to take home leftovers in reusable containers and stick to your shopping list when you go to the store. For more recommendations, review the Holiday Recycling Guide and explore the Tips & Tricks blog at LongmontColorado.gov/WasteServices. And visit the Sustainability table at the Longmont Lights Santa’s Workshop from 5 to 7:30 pm on December 7 to make your own reusable wrapping paper.