WildLights are calling: Woodland Park Zoo’s display of thousands of sparkling lights opens Friday, complete with a faux-snowball fight, carolers and reindeer. It’s open from 5:30 to 8:30 nightly, Friday through Jan. 4 (closed Dec. 24 and 25). The zoo is at 5500 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle. Tickets are $6.50 to $9.75; ages 2 and younger free. For information, call 206-548-2500 or go to www.zoo.org.
See St. Nick: Santa pays special attention to the good little boys and girls in Snohomish, with a special arrival Friday at the Avenue A Gazebo. Santa cruises east from Avenue D down First Street about 3 p.m., then stays for photos until 7. A tree-lighting is set for 5.
Santa is a busy guy: Edmonds’ annual tree-lighting ceremony is Saturday, featuring Santa, carolers and snacks. Festivities are at 4:30 p.m. at Fifth Avenue N. and Bell Street.
‘Heavy mellow’: Grammy-nominated pianist and composer David Lanz and his wife, vocalist Kristin Amarie, are set to perform their soothing sounds at 8 p.m. Friday at the Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave. The duo will perform music from their new record, “Forever Christmas.” Tickets are $25. Call 425-258-6766. Read more about the show.
Benefit concert: Also at Historic Everett Theatre, more than 30 musicians will join for a two-hour holiday concert, “A Rocking Country Christmas,” at 6 p.m. Sunday; tickets are $20 to $100 and are available here. Proceeds will go to help the family of 4-year-old Elijah Cole Maurer, who is fighting cancer.
Some inspiration: The Everett Philharmonic presents “Imagine: The Sounds of the Season,” a holiday family concert that’s a great way to introduce kids to musical instruments. The show is at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Everett Civic Auditorium, 2415 Colby Ave. $20 for an individual ticket; $40 for a family of four. Read more in our story.
Hear the blues: The 2014 Snohomish Blues Invasion, with more than 30 acts, is 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday in six venues on Historic First Street in downtown Snohomish. Cost is $10 at the door of each place. Proceeds help the society send two entrants to represent the state at the world’s largest gathering of blues bands, the International Blues Challenge, in January in Memphis. More information at wablues.org.
A Christmas classic See the Edmonds Driftwood Players’ production of “Miracle on 34th Street” Friday through Dec. 21 at Wade James Theater, 950 Main St., Edmonds. For ticket information, go to www.driftwoodplayers.com or call 425-774-9600. A special mailbox outside the theater is collecting letters to Santa.
For something completely different: “Dickens’ Christmas Carol: A Traveling Travesty in Two Tumultuous Acts” runs Friday through Sunday and again next weekend at the Red Curtain Art Center, 1410 Grove St., Marysville. Directed by Sue Weingarten, it’s a fast-paced British farce. See www.redcurtainfoundation.org for details.
Happy homecoming: “A Christmas Story: The Musical” returns home for Christmas, playing now through Dec. 31. After premiering at the 5th in 2010, this hit went to Broadway and toured nationally. The show stars real-life husband and wife Dane Stokinger and Jessica Skerritt as The Old Man and Mother, alongside Mark Jeffrey James Weber as Ralphie and Everett’s own Brandon Oke as Randy. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 1:30 and 7 p.m. Sundays at the theater, 1308 Fifth Ave., Seattle. For tickets, starting at $29, go to www.5thavenue.org or call 206-625-1900.
Shop local: Black Friday is followed by Small Business Saturday, when shoppers across the country head out to support local businesses. Everett is among the local cities where businesses are participating. Peruse a map and a list of downtown Everett businesses here.
Singalong: The hills are alive at the “Sing-A-Long Sound of Music” at noon Saturday at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N. A host leads the audience through a vocal warm-up and guides you through how to use an interactive fun pack to join the show. For added fun, dress up as anything or anyone represented in the classic film. Tickets are $15 and $20. More info here.
Watch the Apple Cup: No need to stay on your couch for the Apple Cup. Watch the game Saturday night at the Gleneagle Golf Course in Arlington. The Marysville Pilchuck High School Class of 1981 is hosting a benefit there for the school’s freshman class, which recently endured the tragic shooting at the school. Tickets are $15 and include all-you-can-eat tacos, a free raffle and $2 beer specials. More info in the HeraldNet calendar.
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