Towns and cities all across the country invite families to enjoy a wide variety of holiday activities this season, from fantastic light displays and festivals to Christmas pageants and First Night celebrations. Here are a few of our favorites:
Bethel, Maine Offers a Cornucopia of Holiday Events This Season
The town of Bethel, Maine, a community known for winter recreation, alpine and Nordic skiing, snowmobiling, sled dog trips, ice skating and ice climbing, celebrates the holiday season with events in from the cold.
On December 6th and 7th, the town hosts the Taste of Bethel. Come by to sample area restaurants varied cuisine, enjoy a theme wreath auction, and take wagon rides around the town common. Skiers can dress up as Santa onSaturday December 6 to earn three days of free skiing at Sunday River Ski Resort. The annual Messiah Sing-Along is held on December 7. The weekend of December 13 and 14 shops in Bethel offer complimentary refreshments and free gift-wrapping. The evening of December 13 is the Christmas Cantata at the Lock Mills Union Church. The Living Nativity pageant is performed on December 21 on the town common.
On New Year's Eve, the Bethel Historical Society presents its "New Year's Bethel" celebration with performances by the Old Grey Goose, State Street Jazz Band, Leland Faulkner Visual Family Theater, Maine humorist Norbert Twichell and comic artist Trickster Fox. Fireworks brighten the New Year's sky at The Bethel Inn & Country Club and Sunday River Ski Resort.
Lodging and activity packages are available through the Bethel Area Reservation Service at 1-800-442-5826 or on-line at www.bethelmaine.com.
Lake Lanier Islands® Celebrates Magical Nights Of Lights® 11th Anniversary
Rekindle an old tradition or create a new one at Lake Lanier Islands® 11th Annual Magical Nights of Lights® celebration. Known as the world's largest animated light extravaganza, the celebration begins Friday, November 14 and runs nightly through Tuesday, December 30, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Entry into Magical Nights of Lights is $25 per car, $35 per passenger van and $100 per bus, plus tax.
The celebration features a driving tour through more than six miles of giant, illuminated characters that comprise millions of twinkling lights. Children and adults are dazzled by the holiday splendor, including The Twelve Days of Christmas, Santa's Elves at Work, the North Pole Express, a virtual tunnel through Icicle Bridge, and a stroll down Candy Cane Lane.
After the driving tour, Santa's Workshop & Holiday Village is a must-see for everyone, complete with a bonfire for roasting marshmallows, delicious holiday fare, pony and amusement rides, and more. And what holiday spectacle would be complete without a visit with that jolly old elf? Kids of all ages can take a break from roasting marshmallows and riding ponies to have their photo taken and discuss their holiday wish lists with Santa himself. Some nominal charges do apply for the amusement rides, pony rides, and marshmallow roasting.
Families can turn the visit to Magical Nights of Lights into an overnight getaway at Lake Lanier Islands Emerald Pointe Resort®. The resort's 11th Anniversary Magical Nights of Lights Package includes gracious accommodations for a family of four; one vehicle pass through Magical Nights of Lights' six-miles of animated, twinkling light displays; a holiday ornament; free pony rides and amusement rides for two children at Santa's Workshop & Holiday Village; and Breakfast with Santa in the resort's Windows Restaurant. The package starts at $179 per night. This package is valid 11/14/03 to 12/30/03. This rate applies to a family of four and does not include tax or resort fee, is based on availability and cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. The breakfast with Santa available on Saturdays, Sundays and select weekdays through 12/24/03. A traditional breakfast buffet is available on other days.
For package more information or reservations, call (770) 945-8787. For more information on Magical Nights of Lights or Lake Lanier Islands, please call (770) 932-7200 or visit www.lakelanierislands.com
Solvang California Ushers In Its WINTERFEST Season
Every Year Solvang adapts its Danish Yule traditions into a charming European Christmas Village. Shops, bakeries, and inns glisten and glimmer with thousands of twinkling lights in this "Little Bit of Denmark" located 45 miles North of Santa Barbara, California.
WINTERFEST, the annual Holiday celebration held each year in the village, will present the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree in Solvang Park on Friday, December 5. Festivities begin at 6 PM.
The Christmas Parade will take place on Saturday, December 6 at 11 a.m., once again highlighted by the arrival of Santa Claus and a host of local participants. This year's Nativity pageant is slated for December 13 at the outdoor Festival Theater located on Second Street and once again will feature choir, costumes and live animals all brought to life through the vivid narration of "The Christmas Story" by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. There will be two performances at 5 PM and 7 PM offered free to the public on a "first come, first served" basis. This annual Holiday production will be directed by Marjorie Tayloe.
Other open houses and special events will be taking place in November and December. For more information and a Winterfest Program, call the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau at 800-468-6765 or 805-688-6144, or see the Winterfest Program at www.solvangusa.com.
Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown Celebrate the Holidays with Colonial Ambience and Revelry
In Virginia's Historic Triangle, celebrate the holidays with family and friends and enjoy heart-warming traditions the Colonial towns of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, where
America began, flourished and achieved independence. Give thanks in the Historic Triangle and visit the sites that tell the story of our nation's beginnings.
The quaint village of Yorktown ushers in the Historic Triangle's holiday season beginning Friday, December 5, with a Christmas Tree Lighting featuring the Fifes and Drums of York followed by a Lighted Boat Parade on the York River. A riverside bonfire and period tunes played by the Fifes and Drums of York Town will warm toes and hearts. Saturday, December 6, Yorktown opens its doors for the eleventh annual Yorktown Christmas Homes Tour. Ten historic properties bedecked in holiday finery will welcome visitors, and free period entertainment will fill the air with merriment along Yorktown's Main Street and at Grace Episcopal Church.
In Williamsburg the community of residents and visitors alike turns out for the annual Christmas parade Saturday, December 6, featuring 100 entries including floats, marching bands, and civic clubs. The weekend's festivities culminate Sunday, December 7, first with an open house at the Williamsburg Winery. Then, that evening Colonial Williamsburg illuminates the Historic Area of town with candlelight during the Grand Illumination, concluding with a dazzling fireworks display. Five outdoor stages will offer various forms of entertainment throughout the afternoon and evening.
At Colonial Williamsburg daily musical and dramatic programs highlight the season. During decorating workshops and walking tours, visitors enjoy the lavish natural decorations donning the doorways of Colonial Williamsburg's houses and stores. In Yorktown see the festive decorations of the Historic Houses owned by the National Park Service. The James River Plantations of Berkeley and Shirley invite you to experience elegant teas, progressive luncheons and dinners, decorating workshops and more.
From December 19-31, families can enjoy "A Colonial Christmas" at the Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center and learn how the early settlers spent this time of year, the hardships they endured during the 17th century and the holiday preparations of the 18th century.
Shop from now through Christmas Eve in Merchants Square, a re-created 19th-century shopping village, and hear the enchanting sounds of the season with musical entertainment and a variety of holiday festivities including visits from Santa Claus. The quaint and charming village of Yorktown offers shoppers unique gifts, arts, antiques and reproductions. Prime Outlets at Williamsburg, Patriot Plaza Premium Outlets and the Williamsburg Outlet Mall offer find brand-name holiday treasures at discount prices in more than 150 factory outlet stores. The Williamsburg Pottery offers 200 acres of crafts, ornaments, imports and more. The Williamsburg Candle Factory has hundreds of candles and accessories to brighten your home. Make time to dine whether you prefer a leisurely five-course meal or a buffet extravaganza, the Williamsburg area offers dining for all tastes.
Families can ring in the New Year with Williamsburg's First Night, an alcohol-free celebration designed to delight visitors of all ages. Enjoy a variety of music, dancing, theater and food at various locations at Colonial Williamsburg and at the College of William and Mary. More than 10,000 hotel rooms provide lodging for everyone, from four-star resorts and cozy bed & breakfasts to full-service hotels and economical motels.
For complete vacation planning information, visit our web site www.VisitWilliamsburg.com or call toll-free 1-800-368-6511.
The Town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Invites Families to Celebrate the Holiday Season
The little town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania celebrates the Christmas holidays in a big way. From now through the end of December, families can enjoy a wide variety of holiday events, including:
Christkindlmarkt - This European-style holiday market is unique to the town of Bethlehem. Christkindlmarkt offers ethnic foods, music, crafts and special events throughout the season. Located under two large heated tents, the market is the only site on the East Coast where the famous German crafts of Käthe Wohlfahrt are sold. This year, the Christkindlmarkt also welcomes the von Trapp children, who will be performing 10 shows throughout the season. For more information visit http://www.christkindlmarkt.org.
Moravian Putz - Only in the Lehigh Valley can visitors experience this inimitable Moravian tradition, where the story of the birth of Jesus is told in miniature with lights and narration.
Bethlehem by Night Tours - Visitors are invited to take a tour of the city, seeing its majestic lights from both near and far. In the city's historic district, a single white light shines in every window. This is characteristic of this area The multi-ethnic workforce of Bethlehem Steel once dominated the culture of the city's southside. This area pays homage to its industrial roots with a blanket of multicolored lights and decorations.
Live Christmas Pageant - This Christmas pageant features live people, live animals and live music to celebrate the holiday season.
Walking Tours - Walking tours are offered twice daily throughout Bethlehem's Historic District. A guide in authentic Moravian garb tells the city's story while guiding visitors through the streets, their tour illuminated by a hand-held lantern. Horse-drawn carriage rides are also offered.
Candlelight Concerts - Different seasonal sounds are featured each weekend for your family's enjoyment.
Holiday Shopping - Bethlehem's shopping district is transformed into a holiday treat during the season, where lights and decorations are abundant and holiday music is heard through the streets. Highlighted is the Moravian Book Shop, the oldest continually operating book shop in the world (1745).
Other holiday activities in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania include:
Lights in the Parkway - A 1.3-mile driving tour through illuminated displays on Allentown's Lehigh Parkway.
Gingerbread Festival - The Crayola FACTORY® in Easton holds its yearly festival with gingerbread competitions, family activities and more. This year is also the 100th birthday of Crayola, which makes it a great time for you and your family to visit the factory and take a tour.
Koziar's Christmas Village - One-half million lights adorn buildings and landscape at this seasonal attraction. This family tradition began in 1948 in Bernville, when the Koziars started decorating their house just for their four children. All of the neighbors loved their decorations and started referring to it as the "Christmas House". Each year, Mr. Koziar added new decorations and light displays to his original design. Soon, hundreds of lights became thousands and thousands, and new features were added. Eventually, the "Christmas House" became known as Koziar's Christmas Village. In addition to the fantastic light display, there are many shops to visit including an old-fashioned bakery shop, the Bavarian shoppe filled with unusual nutcrackers, and Santa's toy shop. For more information, call Koziar's Christmas Village at (610) 488-1110.
Huntsville Botanical Garden Announces 'Galaxy of Lights 2003'
Huntsville Botanical Garden's Galaxy of Lights is a magnificent mile-long holiday light extravaganza featuring larger-than-life animated light displays. Special exhibits include nursery rhymes, a holiday village, dinosaurs, wild animals, a magical twinkling icicle forest, garden scenes, a patriotic display featuring red, white, and blue 'fireworks'. New this year, an outrageous animated snowball fight where the losing snowman dissolves into a pile of snowflakes, and Santa soaring into the night sky in a hot air balloon. Now in its 8th year, Galaxy is a family treat and tradition, and the biggest holiday attraction in North Alabama.
Join the tradition and enjoy the holiday light extravaganza by driving through the winter wonderland in your own car. The dates for this event are now through New Year's Eve, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. each night. The cost is $12 per car ($1 discount for donated canned food, paper product, pet food, children's book, warm coat, or Toy for Tots). A $2 discount is available for drive-through tickets purchased at the Garden in advance.
Galaxy of Lights has been recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Event, and by the North Alabama Tourism Association with their PEAK Award for Event of the Year, 2003. The 110-acre garden is located at 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, visit the organization's website at www.hsvbg.org or call (256) 830-4447.
