Snow and Lights Brighten the Desert

Arizona

Tempe celebrates the holidays with several desert-defying events. Thousands of sparkling lights will brighten the historic downtown area from Nov. 27 to Jan. 3. An outdoor ice skating rink will be open daily, and there will be an arts and crafts festival Dec. 3 to 5. On Dec. 11, 15 tons of snow will “fall” on downtown. For more information, contact the Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau, 51 W. 3rd St., Suite 105, Tempe, AZ 85281; telephone (800) 283-6734.

New York

Niagara Falls’ Festival of Lights continues through Jan. 1 with more than 25,000 lights decorating the trees along the pedestrian mall, plus 50,000 more in Lackey Plaza’s evergreens. Outdoor displays will be lighted 5 to 11 p.m. daily, and the American and Horseshoe falls will be lighted 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily. On New Year’s Eve, a fireworks show will use the falls as a backdrop. For more information, contact the Niagara Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, 345 3rd St., Suite 500, Niagara Falls, NY 14303; tel. (716) 285-9141.

Massachusetts

Both parts of the Boston Tea Party, the debates and the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor, will be reenacted Dec. 12. The debates will take place at their original site, the Old South Meeting House; reenactors wearing Colonial costumes will prep visitors to become either royalist or patriot participants. Then the fired-up crowd will head to Congress Street Bridge for the dumping of tea. For more information, contact the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St., Boston, MA 02108; tel. (617) 482-6439.

Virginia

The holiday season at Colonial Williamsburg will begin with the Grand Illumination from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5. Thousands of visitors will gather for the low-key candle lighting in Historic Area buildings. Buildings will be adorned with historically accurate decorations. Contact Colonial Williamsburg, P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776; tel. (800) HISTORY (447- 8679).

Britain

The city of Rochester, in Kent, will celebrate a Dickensian Christmas on Dec. 4 and 5. Bell ringers, singers, horse-drawn carriages and characters from Dickens’ books will roam the streets. For more information, contact the British Tourist Authority, 551 Fifth Ave., Suite 701, New York, NY 10176-0799; tel. (800) 462-2748.

Mexico

The Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe is Dec. 12 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Tepeyac Hill on the north side of Mexico City. On this site in 1531, Juan Diego was said to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary and received a cloak emblazoned with her image as proof. The cloak is on display in the new basilica. The day is a mix of the pious, as people make their way to the shrine on their knees, and the commercial (plenty of street vendors). Contact the Mexican Government Tourism Office, Mexican Consulate, 2401 W. 6th St., 5th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90057; tel. (213) 351-2069.

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