Christmas Near the Beach

On December 15 the lights, sounds and joys of Christmas will fill the air as Expressions of Joy (EOJ) Productions* hosts the sixth annual “Christmas Near the Beach.” The event will run from 5:30-9:30 p.m. and, this year, is being held at the Arts Park located inside Young Circle of Hollywood. This event is held to bring the South Florida community together to celebrate the wonder of Christmas through music and dance. Tom Walker, President of EOJ, emphasizes “We will have the opportunity to present dozens of artists to the South Florida stage in a single event celebrating one of our favorite seasons. Many of these artists are rarely seen outside the walls of their churches and the community misses a lot.”

In 2007, Denna McDaniel partnered with her local church to found and direct “Christmas on the Beach” at the Hollywood Beach Theater. In 2010 she brought the event to EOJ, and now this multi-cultural extravaganza has outgrown its traditional venue and is moving to the Arts Park for 2012 as “Christmas near the Beach” (CNTB). The vision of CNTB is to help bridge the gap between the church and the community—to bring the sacred to the secular so that Christ may be made known. McDaniel says, “We are tying the gospel and the community together in this event… our heart’s cry is for revival. We want the Lord to build it.” And expectations are great this year as over three thousand people are anticipated to attend.

Along with the big crowds will be outstanding entertainment to match. This year, CNTB is featuring bands, vocalists, dancers and even St. Nick. Watch for the jolly man in red to arrive in a Hollywood Fire Rescue truck! Photo opportunities for children will be available later in the night. In performance will be recording artist Austin Adamec, as well as the Angel Tones Steel Drum Band. And stay tuned for a special surprise to appear during Adamec’s set. Also, EOJ Academy will be presenting a mini-ballet of the Christmas Story. “Our goal is to bring biblical themes to the South Florida audience and to model a biblical worldview for the artists we touch,” says Walker.

It will be a night of rejoicing and fun as everyone celebrates the holiday season. It will also be an opportunity to share the gospel. Adamec shares, “As my song ‘Christmas On The Beachside’ says, ‘Jesus is the reason no matter what the season!’ So let’s leave our comfort zones this Christmas and set the world on fire with the love of Jesus!” Admission is free so bring your family and invite your friends to this exciting Christmas spectacular!

For more information on CNTB please visit their website at: christmasnearthebeach.com.

*EOJ Productions is a division of EOJ (along with EOJ Academy and EOJ Education) which is specifically dedicated to community arts outreach. For more information please visit: expressionsofjoy.org

Finley can be reached at: [email protected].

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