Almost Time for Messiah Sing-Along @ Kennedy Center

Well, maybe this year it won't be snowing?

D.C. residents' holiday rituals can include everything from frenetic Black Friday shopping to a trip to the White House Christmas tree. But for some of us with a high tolerance for cold, the traditions include standing in line for hours to get free tickets to the Kennedy Center's Messiah Sing-Along.

As we told you last year, much like those folks who lined up the night before to be the first ones into Best Buy to get cheap flat screen TVs last week, people camp out with lawn chairs and blankets to ensure a ticket for the event. The KC doesn't go as far as to encourage that extreme, but they do recommend getting in line around 7 a.m. for the 10 a.m. ticket give-away this Saturday - and yes, the line is outside the Foggy Bottom building.

This year's event will star The Metropolitan Chorus, with members of a number of neighborhood choirs and the Kennedy Center Opera orchestra joining in for the festivities.The event seems to get scheduled earlier every year, which is good news for those of us who have missed the event due to its former proximity to the Christmas holiday. The concert will be Sunday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m., the day following the ticket giveaway.

For more details, visit the Kennedy Center Web site.