ing in kid-friendly activities. Santa will be present
for photo opportunities, so don your best
portrait-ready duds. Tickets $5. History Park,
635 Phelan Ave., San Jose. 408/287-2290.
THE CALTRAIN HOLIDAY TRAIN. Dec. 3–4,
times vary. Commutes are infused with a dash
of magic as an ordinary train transforms into a
festive spectacle. The holiday makes its way up
and down the Peninsula bedecked with more
than 60,000 glittering lights. Bring a new, unwrapped
Great Dickens Christmas Fair
86 South Bay Accent
toy to donate to the Toys for Tots program.
Free. Visit caltrain.com for train schedule.
800/660-4287.
SANTA CRUZ HOLIDAY LIGHTS TRAIN.
Dec. 2–3, 9–10, 16–23, times vary. Board vintage
train cars adorned with thousands of colorful
lights and roll through the streets of Santa
Cruz as passengers sing holiday carols and sip
hot cider, and Santa visits with the little ones.
Tickets $25–$31. Roaring Camp Railroads, 5401
Graham Hill Road, Felton. 831/335-4484.
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY.
Through Dec. 17. Mary Bennet still
feels like the odd sister out as she spends the
holidays with her newly married sisters. Revisit
your favorite characters from Jane Austen’s
“Pride and Prejudice” as they come together
for Christmas at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy.
Tickets $23–$39. City Lights Theater, 529 S.
Second St., San Jose. 408/295-4200.
CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK. Through Dec.
31, 9 a.m. to midnight. Each year, Plaza de Cesar
Chavez is transformed into a wintry fantasy
land with more than 40 animated exhibits, mu-
33rd
ANNUAL
Holiday
Guide
sical acts, dazzling lights and a 60-foot community
giving tree. Enjoy carnival rides, ice skating
and seasonal treats. Free. Plaza de Cesar
Chavez, Market St., San Jose. 408/200-3800.
COMMUNITY TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION.
Dec. 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Enjoy live holiday
music, refreshments, Christmas tree lights
and the arrival of Santa Claus. Bring your own
camera to take pictures of the wee ones with
Santa. Guests are encouraged to bring a can
of food to benefit the Community Services
Agency. Free. Civic Center Plaza, 500 Castro
St., Mountain View. 650/903-6331.
WILLOW GLEN HOLIDAY BUBBLY WALK.
Dec. 2, 2 to 5 p.m. Stroll and sip bubbly as you
shop for gifts along Lincoln Avenue in downtown
Willow Glen. Tasting sites along the avenue
will be set up with sparkling wine and
fizzy nonalcoholic beverages. Tickets $45–$60.
Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street, San Jose.
408/298-2100.
HOLIDAY SOIREE. Dec. 5, 6 to 9 p.m. Don’t
miss the Santana Row Holiday Soiree, a benefit
for Second Harvest Food Bank. Enjoy wine tasting
inside Santana Row shops, carolers, holiday
sweet treats, hunky Santa photos and much
more. Tickets $40. Santana Row Park, 377 Santana
Row, San Jose. 408/551-4611.
EVENTS Festive
AND VICTORIAN HOLIDAY PARTY
Through Dec. 17, times vary. Embark on a nostalgic holiday journey into the past at this jolly
jaunt into a Dickensian tableau. The festive fete features hundreds of costumed players in
an immersive environment of theatrically lit pubs, raucous dance halls and bustling town
squares. Tickets $14–$30. Cow Palace Exhibition Halls. 2600 Geneva Ave., San Francisco.
800/510-1558.
A Christmas
Carol
TOP: KEVIN BERNE