Photo: CATCO

In Kelly’s last post about giving the gift of a Columbus experience, she mentioned a handful of local favorites.

One she didn’t mention, however, is one I had the opportunity to check out: The Santaland Diaries , presented by the Contemporary American Theatre Company (a.k.a. CATCO).

Last Friday, CAPA Columbus gave away tickets from their Twitter account . I was among a few participants who won, which made my day; I was excited to see this show.

The Santaland Diaries is a story by humorist David Sedaris about his time spent as a Macy’s elf in New York City, when he was also a struggling writer. Jon Putnam, returning for his fourth year as this character, gives a stunningly convincing performance as David Sedaris.

Filled with off-color humor and observations on how strange and deranged people can be during the holiday season, The Santaland Diaries is perfect for anyone looking for laughs. And if you consider yourself a bit of Grinch, chances are good you’ll enjoy it, too.

While I was at the performance I forgot it was theater, as the setting and encouraged participation from the audience made me feel as though a good friend was recounting a horrifyingly hilarious life experience.

The show runs through December 27. For details and tickets, click here .

Stay tuned for more on holiday experiences in Columbus. Up next, Irene will be here to share her recommendation.

Wildlights

I’m typically a person who staunchly waits until after Thanksgiving to do any type of holiday of activity. I avoid gift buying, just say no to caroling and partake in no general merrymaking. All of this grinchiness changed last Thursday as I sat in the beautiful and ornate Ohio Theatre and watched Harry Connick Jr. perform his Christmas concert . The show was fantastic and a lot of fun. The regal setting in the Ohio Theatre couldn’t be beat for a night of jazz and the snow falling outside was an added bonus.

Smiling as Harry made his way through familiar tunes, I couldn’t help but to think of the other not-to-be missed activities around Columbus this season.

• I’ll definitely be making it to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for Wildlights (photo shown is by Rod Berry Photography ). Bundling up and sipping hot chocolate as you stroll through the light display is half the fun, so no fair picking a warm day to visit (besides it’s more crowded on the warmer days and way more crowded as you get closer to December 25).

• Although I usually avoid the malls this time of the year, I am really excited to visit Easton Town Center . They’ve gone out of their way to make shopping an experience. Beautiful decorations, carriage rides, pedicabs and photos with Santa are all featured. Also take note of 24 Days of Giving - if you’re caught feeding a meter, you might be rewarded with a gift card.

• The Holiday Hop in the Short North Arts District is always on my holiday must-do list. Not only is the Short North a great destination for one-of-a-kind gifts, it’s also a wonderful urban holiday experience complete with fantastic window displays and unbeatable people watching.

• For me the holiday season wouldn’t be complete without letting some of that inner snarkiness escape. For this purpose there is nothing better than a trip to CATCO’s Santaland Diaries . You can’t beat the works of David Sedaris for bringing out the levity in any situation and this one-man show leaves me in tears of laughter.

So I’ll be joining in the holiday spirit a little earlier than normal this year and I can’t wait to get started! What are your not-to-be-missed holiday outings or traditions?