“Freshly-cut Christmas trees smelling of stars and snow and pine resin – inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintry night.” ~ John J. Geddes

Yes, it is the season, and it seems as though it arrived so much quicker than ever before. Prescott, being Arizona’s Christmas City, is definitely the place to be in order to experience the spirit of Christmas in the best way possible.

It started on Saturday with the Holiday Light Parade & Bonfire, and it was spectacular! Next up … Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. will be the 40th Annual Christmas Parade, followed by the 68th Annual Courthouse Lighting at 6 pm.

The accompaniment for the lighting will be none other than Poderosa Grove, which is an event not to be missed. And of course, Acker Night will be held on Dec. 9, for which the calendar is available at ackernight.com.

So dress warmly, grab the kids, the parents, aunts and uncles, strangers off the street, and be there for all the festivities.

I will definitely be going to see Road One South who, together with the Rivera Girls, will inaugurate the old post office building on Goodwin Street with their performance. This will be an all-around phenomenal stop for Acker Night.

Shenanigans for this weekend, you ask? Jersey Lilly’s hosts the Cassandra Long Band on both nights from 8 p.m. to midnight, and Little Larry Solo on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. The Cassandra Long Band hails from LA, and features a wide variety of rock’n’roll, so it’s a must-see for me.

Another must-see happens on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Whiskey River Tavern … the Dirty Halos Duo will be entertaining inside (so as to keep your ass(ets) warm).

I will definitely have to stop at the Bird Cage Saloon to see The Bayou Bandits holding court both nights from 7 to 11. This is a southern rock band from Phoenix who really brings it, and you don’t want to miss this show.

The Windsock Lounge keeps it happening with Funk Frequency (Disco galore) on Friday, and Wheelhouse (playing a lil’ bit o’ everything) on Saturday, time is 6 to 9 on both nights. On Sunday you can catch the Well Dressed Wolves from 2 to 6 p.m. (always a treat).

The Back Alley Wine Bar opens up their stage to the Aragon Bros on Friday night (6:30 to 9:30), and The Ping Brothers on Saturday (6:30 to 9:30 p.m.).

Sunday will be Sunday Funday with Doug Ping & The Back Alley Cats from 3 to 6 p.m.

The band Groovetrain appears at the Point Bar and Lounge on Saturday from 8 to 11 p.m., and this is always worth stopping in for.

If you’re more in a two-stepping kind of mood, Matt’s Saloon is the place to be, with Hillbilly Deluxe taking to the stage on both nights from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Take in some awesome jazz from the 1920s with King Copper on Friday night from 7 to 10 at the Raven Café, followed by Stephy Leigh & the Lullaby League with The Cross-Eyed Possum on Saturday night (7 to 10).

Also, don’t forget to get your tickets for the Arizona Philharmonic for Saturday at 3 p.m. for PAZ, Jacome Flamenco, a Flamenco Christmas Celebration. This promises to be a very special delight, and tickets can be gotten at azphil.org.

Last, but not least, I would like to throw out a reminder that the Christmas Angel trees are up and running, so please take a minute to pay it forward, by going online, finding an Angel tree near you, taking one of the tags, shopping for the items specified and returning the gifts to the volunteers. This is a phenomenal way to make Christmas a bit happier for a child or a senior, who would otherwise go without. Sharing is caring, so be a Carebear and extend a helping hand.

Thank you all for your kind emails … I love hearing from you, so keep on keeping in touch with me at PrescottHotSpot@gmail.com with suggestions, questions and whatever comes to mind. Now let us all get into the holiday spirit, be kind to each other, and dance as though nobody is watching.

Ciao until next week … behave!