Excelsior is hosting local and professional talent this weekend for an inspirational holiday concert.

"Be Inspired, A Holiday Concert for the Community" begins 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Excelsior Elementary School auditorium. The school is at 441 County Road 19, Excelsior.

The concert will feature the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir. The group's music ranges from inspirational spiritual music to contemporary gospel tunes and was founded in 1990 by Robert Robinson, who has performed twice with the Minnesota Orchestra in recent years during the orchestra's Fourth of July performances in Excelsior.

Also performing during the 90-minute concert will be the Minnetonka High School Chamber Choir, members of the Minnetonka Community Theater, performing three songs from "Scrooge, the Musical" and the husband-and-wife duo of Terese and Jerry Elsbernd.

The concert is a departure from the pageant that the South Lake-Excelsior Chamber of Commerce has hosted in years past.

"We decided to move away from the pageant concept," said Linda Murrell, the chamber's executive director.

With the passing of Jimmy Hutmaker in October 2007, it was determined the time had come to change the focus of the annual holiday gathering. "This year we shook it up a lot," Murrell said.

Hutmaker, known as "Mr. Jimmy" and the city's roving ambassador, performed during the annual pageant. "He was like the crowning jewel in that 90-minute pageant," Murrell noted.

Donations for the Intercongregation Communities Association will be collected prior to the concert, during which free ice cream will be provided by Tommy's Tonka Trolley of Excelsior, beginning 3:15 p.m.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Student tickets are $5 in advance and $6 at the door. Advance tickets are available at Excelsior Bay Books, 36 Water St., 318 Caf/, 318 Water St., and Taglio, 284 Water St., through Friday. Tickets are also available by calling the chamber at 952-474-6461.

Holiday matinee

The Excelsior Fire District's 37th annual free holiday matinee will begin 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 at Excelsior Dock Cinema, 26 Water St.

A presentation of "Kung Fu Panda" will be followed by a visit from Santa Claus and Sparky the Fire Dog, arriving via fire truck at 11:15 a.m.

Donations to the ICA food shelf, including health and beauty items, will be collected prior to the movie. The doors open at 8:45 a.m.

Local authors and a reading of children's Christmas classics will be the focal point of activities nearby at Excelsior Bay Books, 36 Water St.

Old Log Theater director Don Stolz will read Christmas classics at 11 a.m.

Following Stolz, several authors are scheduled for in-store appearances. At noon Wally Reutiman, author of "Murder at Christmas Lake," and Jeff Morlock, author of "Ripples on the Water," will appear. "Thai Die" author Monica Ferris will appear at 1 p.m. and "The Boreal Owl Murder" author Jan Dunlap" will appear at 2:30 p.m.

This article was posted here on Nov. 28. It will appear also in the Dec. 4 print edition of the Excelsior-Shorewood Sun-Sailor.

A presentation of "Kung Fu Panda" will be followed by a visit from Santa Claus and Sparky the Fire Dog, arriving via fire truck at 11:15 a.m.

Donations to the ICA food shelf, including health and beauty items, will be collected prior to the movie. The doors open at 8:45 a.m.

Local authors and a reading of children's Christmas classics will be the focal point of activities nearby at Excelsior Bay Books, 36 Water St.

Old Log Theater director Don Stolz will read Christmas classics at 11 a.m.

Following Stolz, several authors are scheduled for in-store appearances. At noon Wally Reutiman, author of "Murder at Christmas Lake," and Jeff Morlock, author of "Ripples on the Water," will appear. "Thai Die" author Monica Ferris will appear at 1 p.m. and "The Boreal Owl Murder" author Jan Dunlap" will appear at 2:30 p.m.

This article was posted here on Nov. 28. It will appear also in the Dec. 4 print edition of the Excelsior-Shorewood Sun-Sailor.