December 3, 2001 Whale-lighting ceremony kicks off holiday events at the Seymour Center By Tim Stephens The holidays have arrived at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab, where the 87-foot blue whale skeleton is aglow with 900 feet of Christmas lights. A festive whale lighting ceremony on Sunday, December 2, capped the center's Jingle Shells Art and Book Festival and Holiday Sale, which featured local authors, artists, and craftspeople, as well as live music and refreshments. Long Marine Lab's whale skeleton has gotten into the holiday spirit. Photo: Peter Macht. "We plan to light up the whale every day starting at 3 p.m.," said center director Julie Barrett Heffington. The center's Ocean Discovery Shop will have extended holiday hours on Tuesday evenings (December 4, 11, and 18), remaining open until 7 p.m. Admission to the Seymour Center is free during the extended evening hours (5 to 7 p.m.) and all day on December 4. "Cheers! at the Crow's Nest," a holiday fundraising event for the Friends of Long Marine Lab, takes place at the Crow's Nest restaurant on Wednesday, December 5. The restaurant will donate 33 percent of the evening's proceeds to benefit the education programs at the Seymour Center during this annual holiday celebration. Heffington noted that the Seymour Center will be open to the public every day between Christmas and New Year's Eve, although the UCSC campus will be closed during this period. For more details, see the Seymour Center's events calendar. Return to Front Page