Thursday Travel Ticker: Put these holiday markets on your list

Started in 1993, Grand Central Terminal’s Holiday Fair in New York has become a significant draw for tourists and locals. It opens Nov. 14 for six weeks . . . . Vancouver also stages a Christmas market, starting Nov. 24. It runs through Dec. 24 . . . . When will L.A. stage a Christmas market? . . . . Two of the holiday events worth noting in busy Paso Robles: the Christmas Light Parade on Dec. 3 and the Victorian Showcase on Dec. 10. For details, click here. . . . Quirky press release of the day: Actor Tim Matheson will be the celebrity grand marshal for “Hot Springs’ [Ark.] First Ever Ninth Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade” . . . . Carneros region wineries, 45 minutes north of San Francisco, open their doors for a weekend of food and wine pairings, live music and holiday activities, Nov. 19 and 20. Tickets are $39 in advance and $45 at the door. For info, call (800) 366-2806 . . . . The Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge continues its Fall Flight Festival the next three Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy wildlife-themed talks and wildlife crafts for kids . . . . Santa Barbara’s Four Seasons is offering a free night if you stay two consecutive nights or longer in one of its higher room categories . . . . SBE, Sam Nazarian’s hospitality company, has launched SBEPreferred Friends, a loyalty program that will reward hotel, restaurant, entertainment and spa use . . . . Travel stat of the day: Four to five guns turn up at checkpoints on a typical day, the Transportation Security Administration’s chief told a Senate hearing Wednesday. The TSA says more than 900 guns have been recovered at checkpoints this year.