Sopris Sun Staff Report

It takes six miles of wire, 682 rolls/strands and 30,000 individual lights to officially light up Carbondale. Throw in privately owned lights and what do you get?

Light Up Carbondale, as the 2013 First Friday close out on Dec. 6.

Organized by the Carbondale Recreation Department, and the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities, the evening shapes up like this, according to press releases.

Youngsters can visit with Santa and give him their wish lists in the warmth of the Third Street Center’s Round Room at two different times. The first time frame will be from 3 to 4 p.m. and is reserved for children up to age 5. Santa returns to the Round Room from 6:30 until 8 p.m. for the older kids.

In between those times, Santa will take to his sleigh and really get around. His first sleigh stop will be at the tall spruce tree at Main Street and Weant Boulevard near the Forest Service building at around 5:15 p.m. Crystal River Elementary School’s Choir Carolers will be riding Santa’s sleigh and belting out  “Oh Christmas Tree.” When everyone is in the spirit, Santa will actually light the tree.

Santa’s reindeer couldn’t make the long trip from the North Pole, so the local biking community will lead his sleigh from the Third Street Center to Main Street then back again in the Parade of Bike Lights. Bikes will be decked out in LED lights (riders with helmets can start prepping their bikes at the Third Street Center at 4 p.m.) This parade will head down Main Street at 5:30 p.m. to Fourth Street Plaza with the CRES carolers singing their repertoire from atop Santa’s sleigh. When Santa reaches the plaza the holiday spirit is expected to reach its crescendo and St. Nick will magically illuminate all the lights on Main Street. After that, at Fourth Street Plaza, there’ll be cookies, hot chocolate, marsh mellow roasting at the bonfire and sing-along caroling.

At 6 p.m. the Parade of Bike Lights continues with Santa in tow to the Third Street Center. Santa’s sleigh (technically it’s a flatbed truck with lights and holiday music) will be making free shuttle loops from the Third St. Center to Fourth Street Plaza while he’s taking orders inside the Third Street Center.

In other First Friday action:

• CCAH’s Deck the Walls show and sale continues at the R2 Gallery. Artists and artisans include: Sweet Rubies chocolates (Rochelle Norwood), ornaments (David Powers and Jill Scher), mushroom-dyed scarves (Michelle Dockins), ceramic (Angus Graham and Diane Kenney), prayer malas (Alexa Webster), woodwork (Brad Reed Nelson’s Board by Design), soaps and lotions (Queen of the Meadow and Laine Fabijianic), and handmade jewelry (Mary Cervantes, Susie Kaldis, Sondie Reiff and Terry Muldoon).

• Whimsical Women of the West takes over the Third Street Center’s Calaway Room until 8 p.m. (fiber art, jewelry, clothing, vintage collectables, fine art, photography, folk art, pottery, free goodies).

• The Carbondale Clay Center’s annual Cup Auction takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the east end of Main Street. “Each year our cup auction gains more momentum and popularity, and has become very well attended, drawing many discriminating collectors and supporters to the Clay Center for this one night only auction opportunity,” said a Clay Center spokeswoman. More than 200 cups, created by local and national artists, are offered. Other holiday wares will be available at the ArtStream trailer in the Clay Center’s front yard.

• The Crystal Theatre in the historic Dinkel Building presents “All is Lost” (PG-13) at 7:30 p.m. Staring Robert Redford, “All is Lost” is a survival-at-sea story with no dialogue. “The camera rocks with the creaks, cracks and other sounds of encroaching disequilibrium, while an actor in his element anchors your gaze and gives the performance of his life,” writes David Edelstein in New York Magazine. Earlier in the evening, at 5:30 p.m., it’s “Enough Said” (PG-13) with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener and Toni Collete. “With heartfelt performances, intelligent writing and subtle humor, this is easily one of the most perceptive and engaging movies of the year,” writes Claudia Puig in USA Today.

• Marcel (Majid) Kahhak will be painting live from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at his studio and school in the Dinkel Building. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

As usual, stores, galleries and shops will be open late and live music should be easy to find.