this makes the week's "best bets" with diana nollen from the gazette and hop bets dec 1 2016 fire & ice festival saturday, dec. 3 holiday flair will be swirling in the air through downtown cedar rapids, with saturday's annual fire & ice festival. affiliated events begin even earlier, with the lighting of christmas trees around the city core, "miracle on 34th street" film at 6 p.m. friday at mikulas celebration at 6:30 p.m. friday in czech village. on saturday, activities include a very cherry holiday open house at the cherry building in newbo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; merry tubachristmas concert at 2 p.m. in the cedar rapids public library; not so silent night caroling competition at 4 p.m. and the tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m., both in greene square; followed by the holiday delight post-parade party at hazzard county at 7 p.m. fire & ice festival 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. saturday downtown cedar rapids; free admission, cedarrapids.org/events/fire -ice https: emanuel ax tuesday, dec. 6 emanuel ax will soon get to play the steinway grand piano he helped select for the new hancher hancher, he wi