Save the Date: Christmas Ships to New Year’s Eve

Dec. 1: See a flotilla of light-adorned ships during the free Christmas Ships Parade from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Port of Camas-Washougal, 24 S. A St., Washougal. Watch outside from Marina Park or come at 5 p.m. to enjoy hot cider, cookies and caroling inside the warm port building, with an excellent view of the river. www.christmasships.org

Dec. 1-16: Choose your Christmas tree and meet Santa on the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, with a scenic trip through the wintry countryside. Trains run Dec. 1, 2, 8 and 9, with a Steam Winter Finale (no trees, just a scenic ride) on Dec. 15-16. Family packages are $80-$100 and include four passenger tickets and a tree. tickets.bycx.org

Dec. 2: Meet the living, breathing Comet and Vixen during the Reindeer Block Party in Uptown Village, 1-4 p.m., when streets will be closed at 22nd and Main so that visitors can shop from vendors, enjoy live music and kids’ crafts, and take photos with Santa. www.facebook.com/events/253489128623012

Dec. 5: Hello Vancouver, Vancouver’s live community talk show, is back with a holiday extravaganza from 7-9 p.m. featuring a Clark County Food & Farms panel, historian Pat Jollota’s true crime book, orchestra conductor Salvador Brotons and the band Lincoln’s Beard, plus holiday games and sing-a-longs at the Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St., Vancouver; free general admission, VIP tickets $25. hellovancouver.us

Dec. 6: Brighten your holiday with the Washougal Lighted Christmas Parade, 6-9 p.m. down Main Street. Enjoy holiday music while you oooh and aaah at all manner of light-bedecked vehicles, from firetrucks to motorcycles. Santa will be in the parade, too, passing out candy before the tree lighting in Reflection Plaza, 1703 Main St., Washougal, with free cookies, hot cider and coffee.

Dec. 7: Enjoy after-hours Christmas shopping at the Holiday Night Market, 5-9 p.m. at Union Chapel & Tandem Hall, 808 Main St., Vancouver. Browse among 85 local vendors selling handmade goods and products, plus live holiday music, seasonal food, drinks and more. Admission is free. www.nightmarketvancouver.com

Dec. 7: Get a festive dollop of small-town goodness during downtown Camas’ First Friday event, Hometown Holidays and Tree Lighting, 5-9 p.m. See the tree lighting (with fireworks), take photos with Santa, go on a hayrides, sip hot cocoa, visit local galleries and do a little holiday shopping. downtowncamas.com/event/hometown-holidays

Dec. 7-9, 21-24: Vancouver has two performances of “The Nutcracker” to choose from this year: the Danceworks show, Dec. 7-9 at Prairie High School, 11311 N.E. 119th St., Vancouver, for $10-$25; and Columbia Dance’s production, Dec. 21-24 at Royal Durst Theatre, 3101 Main St., Vancouver, for $10-$20. See websites for times and tickets. danceworksperformingarts.com or columbiadance.org

Dec. 8: Experience an 1840s-style Christmas at Fort Vancouver, 1001 E. Fifth St., Vancouver, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., featuring caroling by madrigal singers, free holiday wassail, games, music, demonstrations, dancing and Victorian-era crafts to make and take home. Admission is $7 or free for kids 15 and younger. www.nps.gov/fova

Dec. 8: Put on your Princess Leia buns and grab your lightsaber for “The Star Wars Holiday Special,” the 1978 made-for-TV special that’s become a cult classic. It’s showing for free at the Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St., Vancouver, at 3 and 6 p.m. www.kigginstheatre.com

Dec. 8-9: The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops Concert features selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” — complete with dancers — plus waltzes, polkas and Strauss marches. Performances are 3 p.m. Dec. 8 and 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at Skyview Concert Hall, 1300 N.W. 139th St., Vancouver. Tickets, $10 to $34, are available at vancouversymphony.org or 360-735-7278.

Dec. 9, 21: If you just can’t get enough of Handel’s “Messiah,” you’re in luck: The Bravo! Chorale and Northwest Chamber Orchestra will perform this holiday classic at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 426 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver; $30. Then you can enjoy the Vancouver USA Singers’ first-ever Sing-Along Messiah, 7-10 p.m. Dec. 21 at First Presbyterian Church, 4300 Main St., Vancouver; free. www.bravoconcerts.com or www.vancouverusasingers.org

Dec. 13-15: Magenta Rocks! Christmas Choir Concert features modern medleys, Christmas classics, and a visit with Santa at intermission, with three performances: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13-14 and 2 p.m. Dec. 15 at Magenta Theatre, 1108 Main St., Vancouver. Enter a raffle for great prizes from regional businesses. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. 360-635-4358 or www.magentatheater.com

Dec. 15: Don your ugliest sweater for the third annual Ugly Sweater Pub Crawl in Vancouver’s Uptown Village (along Main Street south of Fourth Plain) from 4-9 p.m. Find out which businesses are participating and where to get your map at www.facebook.com/uptownvillage.

Dec. 21-25: Lots of people believe that it isn’t really Christmas until you’ve seen “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.” You can do both at the historic Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St., Vancouver, every day from Dec. 21-25 (for the former) or Dec. 21-24 (for the latter). Tickets are $10 at the door or $7 in advance. For showtimes, see www.kigginstheatre.com.

Dec. 31: Ring in the new year starting at 8 p.m. at the Black & White New Year’s Eve Party at WareHouse ’23, 100 Columbia St., Vancouver. Enjoy a dinner and dessert buffet before dancing the night away to live music, ending with a champagne toast. Tickets are $30 to $125 for those ages 21 and older. www.tickettomato.com