Calendar

Near

Macy's puts new spin on Holidazzle

More than 500,000 spectators are expected to turn out for Macy's Holidazzle in Minneapolis, Minn.

Now in its 16th year, the event will feature parades on Thursdays through Sundays through Dec. 23. As the new title sponsor, Macy's will bring a few new elements to the Holidazzle parades this season, including a new full-size float to complement the auditorium show, in-store lighted displays, new Macy's Super Star costumes and Hot Seats for Macy's shoppers. The 30-minute procession starts at 12th Street, moves down Nicollet Mall and ends at Fourth Street in downtown Minneapolis. (391 miles from O'Hare, (612) 376-7669, www.macysholidazzle.com)

See sculpture outdoors in Kenosha

Niemi Sculpture Gallery, the only outdoor sculpture gallery in Kenosha, Wis., will host its Seventh Annual Holiday Sculpture Walk on Dec. 1 and 2. An ongoing exhibit with more than 150 sculptures featuring more than 30 artists from throughout the U.S. will include works ranging from tabletop to monumental, and styles from abstract to realism. There will be a bonfire and hot cocoa. (49 miles from O'Hare, (800) 654-7309, www.kenoshacvb.com, (262) 857-3456, www.kenoshacvb.com)

Step back into the 19th century

Experience a mid-19th-century celebration of Christmas by the earliest settlers of Greenbush, Wis., Dec. 8 and 9 during A Wade House Christmas. Wade House, an 1860s stagecoach inn, tells the story of frontier entrepreneur Sylvanus Wade and his family during the Civil War years. In addition to the inn, the historic site includes the Wesley Jung Carriage Museum, which houses the state's largest collection of antique carriages and working wagons. During the event, Yankee and German traditions of the season will be observed with hands-on activities for young and old, stories and horse-drawn wagon rides. (137 miles from O'Hare, (920) 526-3271, www.wisconsinhistory.org/wadehouse)

Visit Santa's Hoosier home

Santa Claus, Ind., where the local post office sells a special picture postmark cancellation stamp, seems a likely spot for a holiday celebration. On Dec. 8 and 9, the Christmas in Santa Claus Festival draws visitors to a pancake breakfast with Santa, a Christmas Craft Show, a Christmas parade, tours of Santa's Candy Castle, a Festival of Lights in Christmas Lake Village and the opportunity to travel back in time at the Santa Claus Museum.

Can't make it that weekend? Detour 20 miles to Rockport, Ind., for Rockport Christmas on Dec. 1. It features breakfast with Santa, Christmas at the Library, a parade, concert and craft show in the vintage county courthouse.

(379 miles from O'Hare, (888) 444-9252, www.legendaryplaces.org)

Get a taste of inns and Christmas

Sixteen inns in Galena, Ill., will host appetizers, salads, entrees and dessert with each guest dining at four different bed-and-breakfasts. A Taste of Christmas on Dec. 8 is organized by the Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers of Galena. (148 miles from O'Hare, (815) 777-3883, www.bestofgalena.com, www.galena.org)

Take a sleigh ride in a historic setting

Enjoy the holiday traditions of Manitowoc County during A Holiday in History at Pinecrest Historical Village in Manitowoc, Wis., Dec. 8 and 9. Tour stove-heated, decorated buildings, enjoy holiday music, sleigh rides, a tree auction and great food, including a Saturday brunch. (159 miles from O'Hare, (920) 684-4445, www.mchistsoc.org)

Make merry in Manistee, Mich.

Jingling bells fill the air in the Victorian Port City of Manistee, Mich., during the Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend Dec. 6-9. Period costumes and horse-drawn parade units will be much in evidence along with a theatrical production at the historic Ramsdell Theatre, Festival of Trees, tours of historic buildings and fresh roasted chestnuts. (282 miles from O'Hare, (800) 288-2286, www.manisteecountychamber.com/VCSP.HTML)

Tour private homes in Marshall, Mich.

The Marshall Historical Society in Marshall, Mich., will present the 28th annual Candlelight Walk on Dec. 8 and 9. Walk on a guided tour to five private homes decorated for the holiday season. Tickets are limited to keep this a very intimate experience. (197 miles from O'Hare, (800) 877-5163, www.marshallhistoricalsociety.org)

Far

Monterey goes cowboy this month

Pack those chaps and spurs for the Ninth Annual Monterey Cowboy Poetry and Musical Festival, Dec. 7-9 in Monterey, Calif. You'll have a wranglin' good time with some of the nation's top balladeers and cowboy and cowgirl poets. The weekend also includes a Western art and gear sale, a Western hoedown and cowboy church service. ((800) 722-9652, www.montereycowboy.com)

Events abound in Bethlehem, Pa.

Bethlehem, Pa., has long been known as the Christmas City because of the many events it hosts during the holiday season.

Among them are Bethlehem by Night Bus Tours through Dec. 30, except Dec. 24 and 25. View

holiday decorations in the historic district with glistening white lights, Moravian stars and 18th-century buildings lit with window candles, and on the South Side, which showcases multi-colored lights marking the city's ethnic diversity. Included will be a view of the Lehigh Valley from the top of South Mountain and the 81-foot-tall Star of Bethlehem. A guide in period dress will narrate.

Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem features aisles of handmade works by the nation's finest artisans, live holiday music and German and Austrian food. New for 2007, Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem will be open daily through Dec. 31 and will include a holiday-themed liquid fireworks show every 30 minutes, a self-guided walking tour, expanded children's rides and visits to Bethlehem's Colonial Industrial Quarter, a collection of historic 18th-century buildings that retell the rich history of Bethlehem and the Moravians who christened the city on Christmas Eve 1741.

Christmas City Follies VIII on Thursdays through Saturdays, Nov. 28 through Dec. 23, wraps music, wit, silliness and dazzling performances into a variety act package.

The Christmas Community Putz, Nov. 23 through Dec. 23 and Dec. 26-31, is a cherished Moravian tradition begun in 1937. It retells the story of Christ's birth through music, narration, lights and small, antique German figurines.

Cirque des Amis Dec. 28-31 is a high-flying circus of acrobatic thrills with music, magic, juggling and comedy.

Holiday Carriage Rides through the historic district will be available Thursday through Sunday through Dec. 30 (except Dec. 24 and 25).

Moravian Music Christmas Concerts are scheduled Nov. 29 through Dec. 2, Dec. 6-9 and 13-16 at the 200-year-old Central Moravian Church. Each concert showcases carols and traditional Moravian Christmas hymns sung by soloists and ensembles and it includes a historical interpretation of the founding of Bethlehem.

Old Bethlehem Historic Walking Tours, through Dec. 30, except Dec. 24 and 25, spotlight Bethlehem's most influential and historic landmarks.

First Night Bethlehem on Dec. 31 features music showcasing 30 performers, fireworks and fun in a family-friendly, nonalcoholic New Year's Eve celebration at more than 15 venues.

((610) 332-1300, www.christmascity.org)

• Event details are subject to change; contact organizers for updated information.