Guest Author - Kimberly Misra

Looking for something different to do for the holidays? Here’s a round-up of some holiday events happening across the United States.

New England: Newport, Rhode Island. If you haven’t yet toured the historic mansions of Newport, Christmas could be the perfect opportunity. From November to January (check website for exact dates), The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House show off their holiday finery with decorated trees, fresh evergreens, poinsettias, and more. Several holiday evenings will feature live music. In addition, several weekends have been set aside as “open house” weekends where you can tour the mansions while listening to live holiday music. For younger children, Santa Claus visits the mansions for three Sundays in December. Check out the website for full details: http://www.newportmansions.org

Southern States: Orlando Florida. Disney World is hosting several events, including Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas (select dates during the season), featuring a parade, Cinderella’s castle decked out with lights, cookies and cocoa and manufactured snow. At Epcot, the World Showcase will highlight holiday traditions from around the world, a Mickey Mouse tree lighting, and a fireworks show. Disney’s Animal Kingdom will have a daily parade with a holiday theme, plus carolers. http://www.wdwmagic.com/xmas.htm

Midwest: The popular St. Louis Zoo is hosting several breakfast or dinner with Santa dates this December. The meal is catered and costumed characters will visit tables during the meal. Families will receive a complimentary photo with Santa himself. If you attend the dinner with Santa, be sure to take time afterwards to stroll the zoo grounds and enjoy the Christmas lights display with lit up trees, singing bullfrogs, live music, and storytelling. Check out the zoo’s calendar for more details: http://www.stlzoo.org/events/calendarofevents/

Southwest: If you’re interested in visiting the Grand Canyon this holiday season, stop off in the town of Williams, Arizona, the self-proclaimed “Gateway to the Grand Canyon”. Your family can take a ride on the Polar Express (watch the movie or read the book first for full impact). Trains depart on December weekends from Williams Depot, with hot chocolate, cookies, and a reading of “The Polar Express” to entertain children en-route to the “North Pole”, where Santa will board the train with a gift for each child. Kids are also encouraged to bring along a small, unwrapped gift for a child in need. Packages including hotel and dinner are available, see website for details: http://www.thetrain.com/

Pacific: Go back to the time of Dickens in San Francisco. On December weekends, San Francisco’s Cow Palace Exhibition Halls are transformed into a Victorian Christmas spectacular, The Great Dickens Christmas Fair. Your family can enjoy unique shops, stroll through recreated street scenes complete with the piney scent of Christmas trees and carolers, have hot tea and scones, enjoy live entertainment, play parlor games, and meet characters out of “A Christmas Carol”. http://www.dickensfair.com/