Gaylord Palms Hosts Parrandas Night at ICE!

A New Tradition for Florida's Latino Community

Kissimmee, Fla.—( November 3, 2008 ) In Puerto Rico, and throughout Florida's Latino community, groups of family and friends gather for parrandas, to celebrate the holidays through music and camaraderie. This increasingly popular activity is often called the Puerto Rican version of Christmas caroling.

As a salute to this holiday activity, Gaylord Palms Hotel has created a new tradition — the second-annual Parrandas Night at ICE! This after-hours exclusive event will be held from 10pm until 1am on Dec. 6, 2008.

Tickets for the event, for sale in advance, include an opportunity to see the amazing ICE! attraction, hand carved from two million pounds of ice, followed by a parrandas after-party.

After visiting ICE!, guests will have an opportunity to warm up with a cup of café con leche while listening to live Christmas music from some of Orlando's top Puerto Rican musicians. Traditional Latin holiday desserts will be available for purchase, like arroz con dulce (rice cooked with spices, sugar, milk, and coconut milk), tembleque (a custard made with cornstarch, sugar, and coconut milk), and pudin de pan (a holiday favorite made with bread and custard). A cash bar will available, complete with coquito (a drink like eggnog that includes coconut cream) and other holiday drinks.

Tickets to the event are $20 for adults and $15 for children. A portion of the ticket's proceeds will benefit the new scholarship fund for the Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce.

Gaylord Palms Hotel, the "headquarters hotel" for the Christmas season in Orlando, features Best of Florida Christmas celebration, featuring live entertainment, unique attractions and holiday activities for the Christmas season.

"As we continue to expand our Best of Florida Christmas event, we have worked to include new traditions that reflect the diverse culture and people of the Sunshine State," said Kemp Gallineau, general manager. "Parrandas Night at ICE! is an exciting way for us to salute Florida's Latino population."

The 9-degree ICE! attraction is hand carved by a team of 40 artisans from Harbin, China. Since its inception, ICE! has garnered national recognition from the Today show, HGTV, USA Today, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Southern Living, and Travel + Leisure. In 2003, the attraction was featured in a fantasy wedding on TLC's "A Wedding Story."

For more information about Parrandas Night at ICE!, call (407) 586-0019 or visit www.gaylordpalms.com/parrandas. To learn more about other holiday events in Central Florida, visit www.ChristmasInOrlando.com.

ICE! is open daily during the holiday season and is accessible on the Exhibit Hall level at Gaylord Palms, located at 6000 W. Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee.

 

About Gaylord Palms
Gaylord Palms Hotel & Convention Center has gained the attention of the meeting and convention industry by providing world-class convention and leisure-focused amenities — all in one place. The award-winning Gaylord Palms is a Gaylord Hotels-branded property owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.gaylordpalms.com or www.gaylordentertainment.com.

 

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Media Contact: Keith Salwoski, (407) 586-0315, ksalwoski@gaylordhotels.com