Winter Getaway Guide - Celebrate

Holiday Events Calendar | Adventure | Shop | Celebrate | Relax

Telluride, CO

Telluride, CO photo courtesy Tony Demin/Telluride ski resort

Grouse Mountain, Vancouver, BC

Santa Fe, NM

Noel Night - Kick off the holidays with a stroll through the shops on Colorado Avenue and in Mountain Village, where you'll find carolers, delicious bites and lots of holiday cheer. As the sky grows dark, the tree-lighting ceremony takes place in the heart of town. December 5, 2007; telluridevisitorguide.com.

Telluride Choral Society Chamber and Renaissance Singers - At "Handel, Handel, Handel!" the Telluride Choral Society Chamber and Renaissance Singers will present seasonal music, including selections from the Handel Oratorios, at St. Patrick's Church. December 13-December 16, 2007, 7:30 p.m.; telluride choralsociety.org.

Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade - As night falls on Christmas Eve, Telluride's snowy slopes light up in an unforgettable holiday scene as nearly 100 Telluride Ski Area employees ski down Coonskin to Telluride Trail and into town with glowing torches, creating a spectacular trail of light. December 24, 2007, 6:30 p.m.; (970) 728-7400.

Sheridan Arts Foundation Holiday Concert Series - Built by Telluride miners in 1913 as a vaudeville theater and cultural center, the intimate 240-seat Sheridan Opera House hosts nightly performances by artists like blues singer/songwriter Otis Taylor. December 27-January 29, 2008; (970) 728-6363, sheridanoperahouse.com.

Santa Fe, NM

Christmas at the Palace - Located in the center of town at the Palace of the Governors, this multicultural celebration of Christmas traditions includes carols, story-telling, Matachine dancers, cider and cookies, and, of course, Santa and his elves. December 14, 2007, 12:00 p.m.

A Yuletide Festival at The Lensic, Santa Fe's Performing Arts Center - At this year's festival, the Santa Fe Symphony will present Berlin's "White Christmas," Silvestri's "Suite from the Polar Express," Herbert's "March of the Toy Soldiers" and many more classic holiday pieces. December 16, 2007, 4:00 p.m.; ticketssantafe.com.

Las Posadas - This traditional Spanish play is a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph's search for a room on Christmas Eve. The performance begins at the Palace of the Governors and winds around the Plaza. The procession is open to the public. December 16, 2007, 5:30 p.m.; (505) 476-5100.

Farolitos on Canyon Road & Acequia Madre - On Christmas Eve, these parallel streets are aglow with thousands of farolitos (also known as luminaria). Cider is served and carols are sung as revelers stroll up and down the streets. Begins at twilight.

Christmas Eve Noche Buena Service - This midnight Mass of the Rooster at the St. Francis Cathedral celebrates a folk story that tells of the animals in the manger who were so dismayed that no humans had come to see the Christ child that an old rooster flew to a high point and announced the coming of the Messiah. December 24, 2007; (505) 982-5619.  

Vancouver, BC, Canada

Heritage Christmas at the Burnaby Village Museum - At "A Christmas to Remember," a storybook Christmas is brought to life at the Burnaby Village Museum with displays inspired by children's stories of the 1920s to 1950s. November 24-January 1, 2008; (604) 293-6500, city.burnaby.bc.ca.

Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain - Just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, Grouse Mountain is a favorite among locals for its great winter snow sports. During the holidays, little ones can visit Santa's Workshop and meet reindeer, or the whole family can take a sleigh ride through the alpine forest. Don't miss skating on the 8,000-square-foot mountaintop Ice Skating Pond. Late November-December 24, 2007; (604) 984-0661, grousemountain.com/.

Carol Ships ‘Parade of Lights' - This holiday tradition that began more than 45 years ago with one boat has grown to more than 80 boats decked out with more than 150,000 lights. Head to the shore for viewing parties complete with bonfires and caroling. December 2007; (604) 878-8999, carolships.org.

"Bright Nights" in Stanley Park - More than one million twinkling lights transform Stanley Park into a winter wonderland during this 20-year holiday tradition. Families come to sip hot chocolate, listen to choirs and bands, and ride the train that winds through the forest past Santa's workshop and an international village. November 30-January 3, 2008; (604) 257-8531,vancouver.ca/parks/events.

Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Gardens - To see one of the most spectacular displays of holiday lights, head to VanDusen Gardens, where, during the month of December, the central acres are transformed into a holiday wonderland filled with seasonal displays and more than 20,000 twinkling lights. December 7-January 1, 2008; (604) 878-9274; vandusengarden.org.