Just as we were starting to get used to 2016, the entire year has flown by and it’s time to start thinking about 2017. But even though the new year is right around the corner, there is still plenty of time to have some fun with all of the great events that our friends at the Activity Center have planned for the month of December.  

You might be looking for your favorite regular events like the Shabbat Dinner Club, Coffee and Canvas, the Free Beginners Tennis Clinic, or you might be more interested in once-a-year festivities like our annual New Year’s Eve party. Either way, we’ve got you covered with a packed calendar this month! 

Social Events 

We will kick off the holiday season with a festive holiday party at Skyview Restaurant from 6 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday, December 13. The party will feature a fabulous menu that starts with an Artisan Cheese and Fruit Display and ends with some amazing seasonal desserts. There will also be live music provided by our good friend Charlie De.

The Shabbat Dinner Club will be getting together on Friday, December 23 in the Garden Room at The Grille where the doors will be opening at 5:30 pm and dinner will be served at 6:15 pm. This month, diners will have the option of choosing from Chicken Piccata or Stuffed Tilapia Bercy.

The biggest party of the year will be the New Year’s Eve Celebration in the Hampton Room on December 31. This is a formal affair where black ties are optional, but the fun is mandatory! The evening will feature a fabulous dinner of Prime Rib and Napa Chicken, as well as professional DJs, a live band, and a live feed of “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” in Times Square.  

Arts & Education Activities 

The speaker series will be back on Monday, December 5 at 1 pm in the Activity Center. This month, our guests will be B.J. Darvis from the UF/Citrus Cooperative Extension and Steven Davis who is the Citrus County Florida Yards and Neighbors Coordinator. Our guests will be discussing how to maintain your yards using Florida-friendly landscaping techniques.

Local artist Vanessa Fuller-Brown is at the Activity Center on Tuesday, December 6 for another installment of Coffee & Canvas. This month, the class will be working on replicating Georgia O’Keeffe’s “White Calla Lilies on Red.” If you have never been to a Coffee & Canvas event before, this is a great time of year to start. For just $60, members will be provided will all the supplies they need to recreate this classic painting.  

Golf & Tennis 

Vendors representing Ping, Callaway, Wilson, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, and Taylor Made will all be on hand for Demo Day at the Skyview Driving Range on Saturday, December 3 from 9:30 am to 3 pm. This is a great opportunity for golfers of all skill levels to try out some of the latest and greatest equipment, and even preorder some items that haven’t hit the market yet!

You can learn how to really put those new clubs to use by attending any of the Free Golf Clinics that are planned for the month of December. Golf Pro Wayne Larson will be instructing beginner golfers on December 5, 6, and 7. Then intermediate golfers will be invited to attend on December 13, 20, and 27. All clinics start at 11 am.  

Ready to put those new golf skills to work? Skyview will be hosting their Husband & Wife Championship on Monday, December 5. Then they will be having their annual Cross Country Golf Tournament, which is an absolute blast to participate in, on Friday, December 16.

The Oaks Course will be hosting the St. Nick Open on Saturday, December 10. This shotgun start tournament benefits Toys for Tots, and everyone attending is invited to bring an unwrapped toy to donate.

Dinner Specials 

As if you weren’t already going to have too much food to eat over the holiday season, there are also some amazing dinner specials lined up at each of our restaurants this month. Sunday Brunch will be back at Skyview Restaurant on December 18, and then you won’t want to miss out on their Brazilian Steakhouse Night on December 27.

The Tiki Bar will be hosting a Caribbean Christmas Buffet on Thursday, December 15 from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The island-style menu will feature Coconut Garlic Shrimp, West Indian-Style Chicken with Sauce Cien, Curried Goat, and lots of Caribbean sides. There will be live music from Steel of the Night.  

The Grille is having “A Taste of Asia” on December 6 that will give you the opportunity to try a wide range of Asian cuisine. They will also be hosting a fabulous New Year’s Eve dinner with entree selections of Blackened Scallops, Prime Rib, Surf & Turf, Stuffed Chicken, Ahi Tuna, and more!

Should you happen to find some time for yourself this month, you might want to make an appointment at BellaVita Spa, where the specials this month include a Cinnamon Enzyme Exfoliation Treatment, a Cranberry Spa Pedicure, and a Holiday Escape Massage. Any of those three choices would be an excellent way to finish out a wonderful year here at the Villages of Citrus Hills!