Published: November 12, 2008 10:08 am      

Sights & Sounds Gala to feature pianist Dennis

Sights & Sounds of Christmas Gala organizers are urging residents to reserve their tickets now for what they promise will be an entertaining ebony-and-ivory event.

The annual gala will be held Dec. 3 at the new San Marcos Conference Center at Embassy Suites Hotel, benefiting Sights & Sounds of Christmas.

It begins at 6 p.m. on the eve of the Sights & Sounds festival.

A seated dinner, featuring holiday cuisine, will be followed by the featured entertainment of local award winning pianist Cameron Dennis.

Dennis is a senior at San Marcos High School, where he is also a member of the marching band. He has received national and international awards for his success in piano competitions, including being chosen to perform at Carnegie Hall two years in a row.

Dennis has participated in numerous competitions and was the recipient of the Pre-Collegiate Award for Talent at a competition in Sicily. Last fall he performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Tickets to the gala are $45 each and table sponsorships for eight guests are available for $450 or for 10 guests at $550. Tickets are by reservation only and are not available at the door.

The presenting sponsor, Time Warner Cable, underwrites all expenses for the gala. Contact Donna Hill, gala chair, at 805-2502 to request an invitation, for reservations or more information.

Proceeds from the holiday gala benefit the Sights & Sounds of Christmas, a three-day festival beginning on Dec. 4 on the banks of the San Marcos River.

The 22nd annual festival features thousands of holiday lights, food for all tastes, rides and crafts for children, angel choirs, historic Bethlehem animals and visits and photos with Jolly St. Nick himself.

More information on the Sights & Sounds of Christmas festival is available at www.sights-n-sounds.org.