And the list goes on! If gathering around the home hearth isn’t on your client’s “must” list for this year, keep reading for holiday happenings here and around the world…
A Historical Holiday in Virginia
Visit Williamsburg has rounded up a whole heap of “holiday happenings” in Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, where your clients and their families can peep the past and learn about the traditions that kept our forefathers warm back in the day (with a nice serving of Santa to go alongside it all, of course).
December 1 marks the official Yorktown Christmas Tree Lighting at Victory Walk and Riverfront Landing, and it’s all tinsel and carols from then on. The Holiday Boat Boat Parade kicks off caroling around beach bonfires, musical performances and complimentary hot cider; weekends mean Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination lights, decor, musical performances and fireworks; local historic inns, hotels and estates put on their best Christmas gear; Yorktown and Williamsburg lay out their traditional Christmas markets with gifts, Santa sightings, Christmas music and much more; and daily holiday entertainment extends all the way through January 8 with Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Of note: History will come alive during the Christmastide in Virginia at Jamestown Settlement, where the area’s 17th- and 18th-century holiday traditions will be fully displayed.
For more information, visit visitwilliamsburg.com.
Snow King Resort: A Holiday Playground
Snow King Resort, located at the base of Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is no stranger to holiday fun: This year, your clients can expect scenic sleigh rides through the National Elk Refuge, Santa sightings, the requisite s’mores roasting and cookie decorations, holiday-themed scavenger hunts, and much more, guaranteeing fun for the entire family. This includes mom, who will want to indulge her weary self after holiday shopping with a Cranberry Pomegranate Sugar Scrub followed by a Mango Enzyme Body Wrap at the 9,000 sq. ft. Grand View Spa—and that’s just a taste of the many treats dad can put in her virtual Christmas stocking.
(Photo by David Stubbs)
Ski buffs will love the fact that the resort is of the ski-in, ski-out variety with direct access to the chairlifts and gondola at Snow King Mountain—no parking needed. Then there’s cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, show-shoeing and the convenient partnership with Ski Butlers, which provides rental and delivery of skis, in-room fittings, delivery, pick-up and other goodies. And did we mention Snow King Mountain offers the Cowboy Coaster, King Tubes and the only nighttime skiing in Jackson Hole?
For more information, visit snowking.com.
Holidays by Marriott 
Marriott International has no shortage of fun holiday happenings in the Caribbean and Latin America for you to book this season, starting with The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman and its Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner and annual Gingerbread House Decorating Workshop, not to mention the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner. In Puerto Rico, the Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort & Casino is ready to welcome them with a Christmas Market Craft Bazaar (select weekends in December) and their traditional Letters to Santa activity, while the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino has holiday dinners on tap both on Christmas Eve and New Year’s, live holiday entertainment and a New Year’s Day Brunch. 
Colombia’s Santa Marta Marriott Resort Playa Dormida will take your clients Back to the 20s with their Great Gatsby-themed New Year’s Eve party. In Honduras, Aloft San Pedro Sula will host its New Year’s Eve party on the rooftop. In Peru, the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco has Christmas Eve dinner with live music, the Sheraton Lima Historic Center has festive Tea Time events with holiday bites and cocktails in December, as well as Christmas and New Year’s Day brunch, while Tambo del Inka and Hotel Paracas, both Luxury Collection resorts, have special Christmas Eve and New Year dinners, respectively.
For more information, visit marriott.com.
The Kessler Collection’s Christmas Markets & Holiday Fun
Southern hospitality with a European twist reaches peak perfection at The Kessler Collection properties in Savannah, GA; Greenville, SC; and Mountain Brook, AL, during the holidays with their annual Christmas Markets, boat parade of lights, Santa sightings and more. 
The fourth annual Savannah Christmas Market kicks off on Nov. 16 in the Plant Riverside District, a European-style extravaganza, including a tree-lighting ceremony. Look for live music, entertainment, kids activities, pics with Santa, the boat parade in the Savannah harbor and more through Monday, Jan. 1. In South Carolina, the Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville will host the second annual Greenville Christmas Market, chock-full of vendors, holiday eats, libations and time with Mr. Claus. This is the first year of the hotel’s “12 Days of Cocktail” event at the Spirit & Bower bar, with a different Xmas-themed cocktail for each day starting on Dec. 12. And in Mountain Brook, AL, don’t miss Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook’s Pre-Curated Holiday Celebration on Dec. 11, with preset menu options, DJ-driven dancing, a Cool Shot 360-degree video booth and holiday decor a-plenty,
For more information, visit kesslercollection.com.
Boyne Mountain Resort Glams Up for the Holidays
Boyne Falls, Michigan, is the quintessential winter wonderland, and Boyne Mountain Resort makes the most of its ludicrously lovely landscape with a fabulous holiday light display that drapes SkyBridge Michigan with holiday cheer. The world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge hung between the peaks of McLouth and Disciples Ridge, this unique focal point serves as the backdrop for all kinds of fun on-property winter activities, from sno-go biking to horseback riding, MoonBiketours, tubing, ice skating, skiing and snowboarding. The season starts with WreathFest up North on Nov. 11, Holiday Week starts on Dec. 19, and then it’s all about Christmas Eve Dinner with Santa and the SkyBridge Showshow Supper.
For more information, visit boynemountain.com.
Experience Scottsdale for the Holidays
There’s a lot to be said for snow during the holidays, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with sunny days and an average temp of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This is high season for Scottsdale, and with good reason: The desert shows off its best side during the holidays, with plenty to do both indoors and out.
From Nov. 17 all the way through Jan. 6, your clients can head over to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess with their families to enjoy their transformation into a holiday headquarters. The Christmas at the Princess is one of the city’s most iconic happenings, a wonderland of 6.5 million LED lights that light up the Desert Ice Rink, S’mores Land, the Princess Express Train and The Village. This year, the resort is debuting Aurora Ice, an ice lounge that shines with the colors of the Northern Lights.
Another winter extravaganza can be enjoyed at the Salt River Fields with Enchant, a new light maze that includes an ice-skating trail, live entertainment and a visit from the Claus couple (Nov. 24 – Dec. 31). On select dates from Nov. 24 – Dec. 30, the Desert Botanical Garden welcomes guests to live performances and entertainment to the soft glow of hundreds of hand-lit luminaries. The famous Noches de Las Luminarias also include festive snacks and singing processions, plus a piñata experience for the kids. From Nov. 25 – Dec. 31, Old Town Scottsdale puts on a show with Scottsdazzle, a holiday spectacular with a Sing-Along and Tree Lighting Ceremony (Nov. 25), a reception at Wilde Meyer Gallery on Dec. 7 and a Sparkle & Spin bicycle scavenger hunt on Dec. 10 and 17.
Scottsdale Quarter, one of the town’s favorite outdoor malls, has a Santa Social, with a tree-lighting ceremony, a holiday feature film and a visit from the bearded man himself. On select dates the first three weeks of December, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North lowers the temperature to North Pole degrees with a Breakfast with Santa for the kiddos and a Cryotherapy Energizing Facial and matching pedicure for the adults. Wine and cheer are on tap at The SHOPS at Gainey Village with their 8th annual Holiday Wine and Dine event on Dec. 7, and on Dec. 9-10 visitors can enjoy holiday music from around the world at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) during their ‘Tis the Seasons: Holidays at MIM live music and festive-themed activities event. And, of course, the kids on your client list will love the Phoenix Zoo and JoyRidesAZ offer, with Zoolights’ 100-ft-long light tunnel, Glow Garden and America’s largest digital tree (Nov. 22 – Jan. 14, and the Holiday Light Tour via electric cart through Old Town’s nine districts (Nov. 25 – Dec. 23).
For more information, visit experiencescottsdale.com.
