2017 marked the 32nd year of IPL Yuletide Celebration performances, and I was curious to finally find out why people are so excited about this event that they attend year after year. Tickets to the show sell out fast, so I was prepared this time and was able to snag decent end-of-row seats by purchasing tickets in September for the December 9th performance.

Upon walking in, it was fun to be greeted by a bevy of costumed characters – most notable were the characters from popular holiday movies Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster and Olaf. I was even lucky enough to witness a cute little dance circle formed by a couple of the characters before the show!

As far as food and drinks for sale during the show, pickings were pretty slim. There were Christmas cookies, milk and bottled water all readily available on both floors of the venue for around $3 a piece. There was also a bar on the first floor, along with a separate table selling several varieties of wine, beer, and soft drinks.

Most people attending were dressed in business casual or cocktail attire, though there were a few people dressed more casually as well. If you have a dressy holiday outfit, this is a great place to get another wear out of it and not feel out of place.

Sandi Patty did an excellent job both hosting and performing in this year’s Yuletide Celebration. Besides all the great music, my personal favorites of the night were the aerialist and the tap-dancer/drummer duo. There were even a few times throughout when “snow” started falling from the ceiling — so festive! And, as many times as I’ve been in this theater, on this latest visit it struck me how beautiful and well-planned of a venue it is. Not a bad seat in the house.

All in all, the Yuletide Celebration was a very entertaining event. I don’t think it’s something I’d keep attending on a yearly basis, but I’d highly recommend it as a fun family-friendly holiday activity.