‘Tis the season! After a very rough 2020, we have finally reached the end of the year and can look forward to 2021 at last! We hope you’re excited as we are to move on to something else this year.
We’re pleased to report that December in Ocala is jam-packed with community goodness. Here’s just some of the fun events to put you in the holiday spirit:
A Christmas Carol at the Ocala Civic Theatre
November 19th to December 20th
Don’t miss this production, it ends December 20th!
The Nutcracker at the Reilly Arts Center
November 30th
Fantastic Christmas ballet!
Story Telling: THE POLAR EXPRESS at the Jenkins Open Air Amphitheater
December 2nd
The children’s favorite is read by actors and performed by dancers live on stage!
Tennessee Christmas at the Orange Blossom Opry
December 4th, 7:00 p.m.
Music, comedy and southern charm to start your holiday season off right!
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park
December 5th, 10:00 a.m.
Join others in remembering the fallen of Pearl Harbor on the 79th anniversary of the battle that brought the United States into the second World War.
Ocala Christmas Parade on Silver Springs Boulevard
December 5th, 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Join the parade welcoming Santa back to Ocala!
Reindeer Run 5K at CenterState Bank
December 12th, 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Don't forget the annual run to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, now in its 41st year! The Reindeer Run is a Boys and Girls Club of Marion County event, and Pals Ocala Auto Repair is a major sponsor for this event. Please join us and be sure to say hello! :-)
Santa Paws at Citizens Circle
December 16th, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Want a picture of your pet with Santa Claus? ($10 donation benefiting the Marion County Humane Society is required!)
Holiday Movie Series: ELF at Tuscawilla Oak Grove
December 18th, 7:00 p.m.
The hilarious Will Ferrell film is showing for free (free cocoa too!)
That’s all for the December events... The Winter Solstice is on the 21st, and of course Christmas is on the 25th and New Years is on the 31st. With the cold coming in, it’s time to ask: have you given any thought to winterizing your car? That sounds a little silly in Ocala, of course, but there are steps we should take, even when in the warmest end of Florida and thinking of doing some driving for the holidays:
Know the lay of the land. Use traffic update sites like localconditions.com to alert you about weather and danger, just as you would in hurricane season.
Have an emergency kit. If you’re driving up I-75, it’s always a good idea to have a few basic things in your car: a first-aid kit, a tire inflator, a working spare tire, and a good flashlight.
Take northern driving seriously. If you’re planning on heading up north for family vacations, even Atlanta is too far north to not know what you’re getting into. The blizzard of 2010 completely buried Atlanta’s northern roads and made driving dangerous. So if you’re heading up there, know when traffic crests along the route, where you’ll make your pit stops, and so on.
And that’s just about your preparedness. Your car needs attention of its own. Get your car inspected. Don’t begin a trip without knowing just what issues your car faces, even in good weather:
Tires - they need to be checked for wear and proper inflation
Antifreeze - your coolant/antifreeze should be topped up.
Battery - check for corrosion, or any weakness from the hot summer we’ve had, if it hasn’t been checked in recent months
Oil Filter - if you have less than 1,000 miles before your next oil change needs doing and you plan on driving more than 1,000 miles, that means it’s time to change the oil now!
We hope you’ll all play it safe this year for the holidays, and we hope you’ll stop in to Pals Ocala Auto Repair for any auto repair needs you have, and we’re inviting you to still get service before the holidays if you need it! Schedule an appointment online. As always, we’ll take very good care of you and your vehicle as we continue to support the best local non-profits within our community. We are conveniently located at 2821 SW College Road, Ocala, FL, 34474. Here’s wishing you a wonderful holiday!