A gingerbread house made by high schooler Devon Lizza. The windows are made of candied glass with a note stating that if you shine a light through the windows you can see furniture inside.

While awaiting Sunriver Resort’s light show, the wet snow pelted our faces and covered our hair as we huddled around the fire pit and clutched warm drinks.

Four children danced nearby with excited anticipation.

The cavorting kids triggered nostalgia for the years when the glee for winter break and Christmas were enough to inspire a jig despite a lack of music.

Among all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to fall into the stress of making sure everything is perfect, making sure the children are entertained and visiting family don’t drive you (or one other) crazy.

Central Oregon offers several Christmastime events that may cause the most Scrooge-like family member to dance under the Christmas lights.

Sunriver Resort’s Winter Traditions

Sunriver may be the most idyllic place to hang out during the holidays. The higher elevation means snow is more likely; the heavily forested area and the buildings of a small mountain town harken back to a Norman Rockwell painting.

Sunriver Resort has many events to keep that image alive.

Stepping into the woodsy lodge, Christmas decorations are tastefully displayed around the lobby.

Up a short set of stairs to the first hallway on the left starts their impressive Gingerbread Junction display. Dozens of gingerbread houses, schools, local landmarks, castles and natural wonders line the hallway up to the entrance of a separate room.

Each structure was created by schools, businesses or individuals, and visitors can vote for their favorite. The lodge’s exterior is Christmas-y, too, with lights strung around the entire property, including most of the trees.

Outside the Backyard, one of the resort’s restaurants, is the fire pit and patio where the lights begin to twinkle. At 5:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. every night, the lights on the trees and around the building undulate in sync with the music, some even change colors along with the lyrics.

The resort also boasts horse -drawn carriage rides throughout the holiday season. These must be booked in advance and cost $175. Each sleigh can accommodate four adults and two children under 55 pounds. Each ride lasts about 30 minutes.

The Village at Sunriver

If there is any last -minute shopping, or late shopping, the Village at Sunriver has an impressive variety of local shops to choose from, including Tumbleweed Toys, which also has a variety of adult strategy and board games; Goody’s Ice Cream, a Central Oregon classic, and some of the best carmel corn money can buy; and the original Sunriver Brewing Pub and the sole location to buy its house-made root beer (that made this root beer aficionado extremely happy).

At the far end of the Village is the large ice rink.

A large covered pavilion shelters the ice from most of the elements, but it’s open on all sides. The rink closes around mid-April, giving ample time for the next Michelle Kwan to test out the ice.

For those who are a far cry from an Olympic gold medalist, there are walkers for rent to help with balance.

Grimes Christmas Scene

The Grimes Christmas Scene, a collection of miniature displays including decorated villages, Nativity scenes and seasonal ornaments accumulated by Leatha Grimes since 1937, will be on display at the Crook County Fairgrounds.

The collection was handed over to Beth Grimes, Leatha’s daughter-in-law, in 1959 and has been under her watchful eye and growing ever since.

This is the 35th year the collection has been displayed for the public. The family started welcoming the public into their home to view the display in 1984 and went through a few different locations before ending up at its permanent home in 2011. Tucked in a small, musty building at the Crook County Fairgrounds. A portrait of Leatha Grimes welcomes visitors into the rooms filled with her and Beth’s Christmas collections.

Two rooms are packed full of displays, carefully laid out based on theme or category from Western towns, complete with a running train, seaside villages, snow-covered toboggan hills, delicate glass figurines, and Nativity scenes to movies and TV. Grimes has included a scavenger hunt where eagle-eyed visitors can try and spot everything from a bull rider to the elusive Coca-Cola cooler.

The display is open through Christmas Eve but can be viewed by appointment depending on Grimes’ availability.

The fairgrounds also hosts the Christmas in the Pines. Visitors can drive around to see the light display and the Crooked River Miniature Railroad.

Redmond Ice Skating Rink

Opened in 2011, the downtown Redmond ice rink remains a popular spot for families out for a brisk winter day of ice skating. The small rink is open afternoons, dependent on the weather, through February. Those wanting some quieter time on the ice can arrive after 10 a.m. and skate for free, though the rink is unmonitored and ungroomed. Skaters skate at their own risk.

The rental shop opens at 2 p.m. Friday and Sunday, 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. You can get fitted with a pair of blades and get on the ice fairly quickly from their small hut just outside the rink.

Local lights

While the above events bring excitement and activity that will surely fill hearts with that holiday spirit, there is one holiday tradition that sticks out in my mind.

Every year for the holidays, my family would load up in our SUV, pack a thermos of hot chocolate, pop in a Christmas CD and cruise around Bend looking at the lights on houses.

While the tradition has evolved, and now we turn on Spotify, I am still forever impressed by people’s grasp on exterior illumination. Here are a couple of neighborhoods and streets that caught my eye this year in Bend: Daniel Duke Way, Tango Creek Avenue, Hunters Circle and the Boyd Acres neighborhood, Morton Court, State Street and Idaho Avenue, Lolo Drive and Lemhi Pass in Northwest Crossing and Sugar Pine Drive.

Don’t take my word for it. Get out and explore the side streets of your city and enjoy the hard work individual homeowners devote to exterior illumination.

Honorable Mentions

For over 25 years, Central Oregon has been dazzled by the Starfest, the holiday light display at Eagle Crest. Visitors ride in a horse -drawn wagon through the mile-long display, after which they can munch on cookies and sip hot chocolate. Starfest typically runs Fridays and Saturdays after Thanksgiving through the weekend before Christmas.

This year’s Starfest has ended, but it is worth putting on your radar for next year.

In Bend, the Old Mill District hosts a Santaland where the big man himself can take requests throughout the season. St. Nick is rushing back to work at the North Pole on Monday in preparation for Christmas Eve, but he will be back next year.

The Old Mill also has caroling throughout the season.

The Pavilion ice rink in Bend is open daily through April.

Sunriver Resort

Where: 17600 Center Drive, Sunriver

Cost: Holiday lights show and gingerbread house viewing is free

$175 for sleigh ride

Contact: destinationhotels.com or 855-420-8206

For sleigh ride reservations book online or call 541-593-6995

Village at Sunriver:

Where: 57100 Beaver Drive, Sunriver

When: vary from store to store; ice skating hours: 3-8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 2 p.m.-5 p.m. and 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

Ice skating cost: $15 persons 13 and older

$10 kids

Children 4 and under are free with a paying adult

$5 skate assist plastic or metal walker

$3 discount if you have your own skates

Contact: sunrivervillagefun.com or 541-593-5948

Grimes Christmas Scene

Where: Crook County Fairgrounds, 1280 Main St., Prineville

When: 1-8 p.m. through Christmas Eve

Cost: donations accepted

Contact: grimeschristmasscene.com or 541-480-2456

Christmas in the Pines

Where: Crook County Fairgrounds, 1280 Main St., Prineville

When: 5:30-9 p.m. through Christmas

Contact: 541-460-1239

Redmond Ice Skating Rink

Where: Downtown Redmond Plaza on 7th Street between Deschutes and Evergreen avenues

When: 3-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 2-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2-9 p.m. Sunday; Open skate hours 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday

Cost: $5, includes skate rental, $1.25 with own skates, $15 families of up to six people

Contact: 541-548-7275 or raprd.org/ice-rink

Light displays around Oregon

Peacock Lane, Portland

Christmas in the Garden, the Oregon Gardens, Silverton

Shore Acres, Coos Bay

Zoo Lights, Oregon Zoo, Portland

Sea of Lights, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport

Lights in the Grotto, Portland

Winter Wonderland, Portland