Snow is falling at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, where skiers and boarders enjoyed a Thanksgiving weekend opening and are now ready to hit the slopes all season long. Enjoy lots of great events coming up, including a chance to Ski with Santa! On Wednesday, Dec. 23, catch up with Santa and Mrs. Claus on the slopes as they hand out candy to good girls and boys, plus festive carolers will be in the village in the afternoon.
    On Christmas Eve, Santa leads a balloon parade to the village from the top of the Basin Express chairlift. Afterwards, Santa will be in the Selkirk Lodge for photos and to hear last-minute Christmas wishes from children young and old. Enjoy cookies and hot chocolate while Mrs. Claus reads "The Night Before Christmas" and other holiday favorites around the fire in the Selkirk Lodge lobby.
    The holidays are such a great time to stay at Schweitzer ... check out the Grandest Christmas Ever package for a memorable getaway!

   Skip the superstores this year, and enjoy the charm of downtown Sandpoint where retailers greet you at the door and help you find one-of-a-kind gifts that everyone will love.
   Holiday gift-giving is even more fun with a flurry of great shopping events, starting with the Women's Shopping Night featuring late-night downtown shopping and goodies galore Friday, Dec. 4. Enjoy in-store events, plus complimentary gift wrapping, and refreshments.
   More shopping events on Saturday, Dec. 5, include the Free First Saturday and Holiday Shopping at the Bonner County History Museum, 611 S. Ella. - this might just be your perfect go-to place for unique, local-themed gifts, with free admission from 10 a.m. 'til 2 p.m.; the POAC Christmas Arts & Crafts Sale, 302 N. First Ave., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., where shoppers will find art, photography, rustic signs, and more; the Sandpoint Waldorf School Christmas Faire, 2007 Sandpoint West Dr., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. includes children's crafts, a puppet show, local artisan booths and food; and finally the ArtWorks Gallery Holiday Reception, 214 N. First Ave., from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with wine, food, dessert, a chance to meet artists, plus a discount.

    The holidays are all about making memories, so put a sleigh ride through the wintry forests of northern Idaho at the top of your to-do list! Western Pleasure Guest Ranch hosts sleigh rides Mondays through Saturdays on the hour, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (no rides Dec. 24-25). To complete your nostalgic winter experience, come into the lodge afterwards and warm up in front of a crackling fire while enjoying hot drinks and fresh popped popcorn. And if you are looking for a Christmas tree, Western Pleasure also offers festive sleigh rides out to their tree lot.

    In case you didn't know, Sandpoint is a great place to party on New Year's Eve. That's because we have fabulous venues for epic celebrations, starting with the New Year's Eve Parties at Schweitzer. There's the all-ages tubing party, the 'tween party for kids (ages 6 to 11), and the rockin' Stella New Year's Eve celebration for partygoers 21 and older. The Stella party is held at the Lakeview Lodge and features live music with The Rub - North Idaho's favorite party band - plus drink specials, free late-night snacks, party favors and a special cider toast at midnight. Tickets always sell out, so purchase ahead of time in the Activity Center.
    And in downtown Sandpoint, the 2nd Annual New Year's Eve Ball at The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., benefits Angels over Sandpoint. The London Souls perform, whose reinterpretation of classic hard-hitting rock and roll formulae recalls elements of British rock pioneers Cream and Led Zeppelin, all the while extending to bouncing funk and soul.

    All of us here at the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We appreciate your support in 2015, and look forward to a prosperous 2016!