Santa's reindeeer ride the waves during a Christmas Ships Fleet parade on the Columbia River (photo by Cheryl Landes) The 2021 schedule for the Christmas Ships Fleet in Portland is posted for the Columbia and Willamette River fleets. The fleets will sail December 3-21. Routes vary, so check the pages linked below for more information … Continue reading 2021 Portland Christmas Ships Fleet parade schedule
Image by Goran Horvat from Pixabay One of my traditions during the holidays is to catch a performance of the Commonwealth Ballet's version of The Nutcracker during my trips to New England. With large gatherings restricted this year due to COVID-19, the Commonwealth Ballet could not hold live performances this year, so they created a … Continue reading Stream the Commonwealth Ballet’s “The Nutcracker en Masque” for free through January 31
The giant globe at the Festival of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts Editor's note: The Festival of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine was cancelled in 2020 due to safety concerns from COVID-19. While it's uncertain yet whether the festival can return this year, I'm posting photos from a … Continue reading Festival of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts
Decorations on one of the Christmas trees inside Gillette Castle in East Haddam, Connecticut Photos by Cheryl Landes In November and December, volunteers decorate the Gillette Castle inside and out for the holidays. The 24-room mansion overlooking the Connecticut River Valley resembles a medieval-style castle. It's the former home of William Gillette (1853-1937), an actor … Continue reading Christmas at the Gillette Castle
Angels made from folder paper at the International Crèche Museum in Attleboro, Massachusetts Photos by Cheryl Landes I'd never heard of any museum that extensively collected Nativity scenes until I discovered the International Crèche Museum in Attleboro, Massachusetts. I found it during a trip to the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette to … Continue reading See the largest collection of Nativity scenes in New England
The National Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette decorated for the holidays in Attleboro, Massachusetts Photos by Cheryl Landes For more than 65 years, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, Massachusetts, has delighted visitors with its Christmas Celebration of Lights. Displays with more than 400,000 lights are spread across 10 … Continue reading La Salette Christmas Celebration of Lights tells a powerful story
Image credit: The Kilroy Stars See the Kilroy Stars, four star sculptures created by Burning Man artists based in Oakland, California, at four locations on the West Coast through January 31. These stars are at highly visible locations in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The stars have more than 30,000 LED lights … Continue reading The Kilroy Stars shine on the West Coast until January 31
Redmond Lights celebrates light, art, and culture for one more weekend in Redmond, Washington. Follow the festive lights by car or foot from Downtown Park, 16101 NE Redmond Way, to Redmond Town Center 16101 NE Redmond Way. Enjoy the displays in business windows and pick up commemorative blinker lights. Follow the lights on foot or … Continue reading Last weekend of the season for Redmond Lights
Gingerbread people in front of a gingerbread house at a previous Nature's Coastal Holiday in Brookings, Oregon (photo by Cheryl Landes) Nature's Coastal Holiday has been a holiday tradition at Azalea Park in Brookings for more than 20 years. This year, because of restrictions on large gatherings from COVID, the event was cancelled. But that … Continue reading See festive lights in Brookings through December 31
A poinsettia arch and other displays at Fantasy Lights in Spanaway, Washington (photo by Cheryl Landes) Updated January 1, 2021 See penguins slide off a giant igloo. Reindeer jump across the road, high above the traffic. Santa, his elves, and reindeer sail a ship with Rudolph at the helm. A peacock shows off its colorful … Continue reading Fantasy Lights continues through January 3 in Spanaway, Washington
