There will be no residential trash, curbside recycling or brush collection Dec. 24-25 and Jan 1. In addition, the following facilities will be closed: ● City Hall ● Heritage Aquatic Center ● Hunter Ferrell Landfill ● Irving Animal Care Campus ● Irving Arts Center ● Libraries ● Recreation centers
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IRVING
CITY
CITY OF IRVING.ORG
DECEMBER 2019 / VOL 26 / NO 12
PAID
AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CITY OF IRVING
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE
Check out tips to brighten the season, including the Christmas Tree Roundup, cooking oil recycling, fire safety tips and the designated Exchange Zone.
IRVING, TX PERMIT NO. 883
The North Lake Natatorium will be closed Dec. 22-Jan. 5. All other city offices and services will resume normal business hours Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. ■
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RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER
City Holiday/No Trash Collection
CityofIrving.org A N O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E C I T Y O F I R V I N G
BRING HOLIDAY CHEER TO A SHELTER ANIMAL Irving Animal Services (IAS) wants to bring the holiday magic to the Irving Animal Care Campus (IACC). This year, animal lovers can give joy to a shelter animal during this IAS December event.
Celebrate the Season with Irving’s Holiday Happenings The city’s holiday festivities are in full swing. The lights at Centennial Park, the Police and Fire Blue Christmas events and the Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting let residents enjoy a variety of classic holiday traditions. Lights at Centennial Park This year’s display is open to the public from dusk to 10 p.m. Dec. 7-25, weather permitting. The free light display affords a leisurely stroll through one of the jewels of Irving’s Heritage District, Centennial Park at 444 W. Second St. The park is decorated with 60,000 lights on the fences, trees and bridge. Walkways are lighted on each side to keep pathways visible for visitors after dark. On-duty employees wear uniforms day and night, clearly identifying them as city staff, so that visitors can ask any questions they have about the decorations. Portable restrooms are available. No bike riding through the display. For more information, contact Parks and Recreation at (972) 721-2501. Chili Cook-off The Police and Fire Blue Christmas organization’s ninth annual chili cook-off will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at Heritage Park, 217 S. Main St. The contestant fee is $25 for the chili competition. Chili enthusiasts can taste entries for $10. The event will feature various family friendly attractions and Santa Claus will make an appearance. All event proceeds benefit Irving children and families in
need during Christmas. For more information, visit IrvingPoliceandFireBlueChristmas.org. Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting The Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting begins at 5 p.m. Dec. 7 with a parade through the Heritage District. New this year: lights! Parade-goers can expect a lit-up procession of floats traveling through the historic Heritage District in downtown Irving. Immediately following the parade, the tree lighting ceremony and fireworks show will take place outside City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd. Free hot chocolate will be available for attendees of the tree lighting, while supplies last. This year’s theme is Santa’s Workshop in the North Pole. Parade participants are tasked with designing floats around the theme. Santa Claus will make his debut at the end of the parade officially marking the start of the holiday season. Parking and admission to the event are free. Food and beverage vendors will be on-site for purchase. For more information, visit IrvingEvents.org. Pancake Breakfast The Police and Fire Blue Christmas organization’s annual Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast will be served from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 14 at Plymouth Park Baptist Church, 1714 N. Story Road. Irving firemen will serve pancakes, bacon, sausage and various beverages to adults for $10 and $5 for ages 10 and younger. Santa Claus will arrive in a fire truck. Visit IrvingPoliceandFireBlueChristmas.org for more information. ■
Irving Animal Shelter’s Comfort and Joy Drive This year, consider gifting comfort and joy to a shelter animal. During December, Irving Animal Services (IAS) will accept donations for its Comfort and Joy Drive at the Irving Animal Care Campus (IACC), 4140 Valley View Lane.
The animal shelter hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Adoptions must be processed 30 minutes prior to closing. For more adoption information and a list of adoptable pets visit CityofIrving.org/2086/Adopt. ■
BLUE CHRISTMAS TOY AND FOOD DRIVE The annual Blue Christmas toy and food drive returns for the holiday season. Donations of new, unwrapped toys and nonperishable food items can be dropped off at any Irving Fire Station through Dec. 31. Those planning to donate items, and cannot make it by a fire station, can drop them off from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10 at Walmart, 4100 W. Airport Freeway. Visit IrvingPoliceandFireBlueChristmas.org for more information. ■
JOIN IRVING MAYOR AT THE 2020 STATE OF THE CITY
Items on every IAS pet’s wish list include: ● Large blankets ● Toys ● Treats ● Canned food
Join the Irving business community from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 16 for the 2020 State of the City held at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd. It will feature Mayor Rick Stopfer talking about IrvingLas Colinas’s successes during 2019.
Residents and organizations are encouraged to grab a Comfort and Joy Drive tag before shopping. Tags are available at the IACC-decorated tree located in the lobby or online at CityofIrving.org/Comfort-andJoy-Drive. Shopping on Amazon? Residents also can select items on the IAS Amazon Wish list to donate to the shelter. Items purchased from the wish list will be delivered to the shelter. To view the wish list, visit the Popular Links bar at CityofIrving.org/Animal-Services.
Home for the Holidays This holiday season, cozy up with a lovable companion from the Irving Animal Care Campus, 4140 Valley View Lane. All pets are free to adopt Dec. 17-21 during the IACC’s “Home for the Holidays” adoption event.
Donations will be accepted from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The last day of the donation drive is Jan. 2. Visit CityofIrving.org/Animal-Services or call (972) 721-2256 for more information. ■
This event is open to the public. Individual tickets are available to Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce members for $95 each and $105 for nonmembers. To reserve a seat, call (214) 217-8484 or visit Local.IrvingChamber.com/Events. ■