Kid-Friendly Holiday Fun in the Napa Valley

November 25: Forget Black Friday, head to Yountville the day after Thanksgiving for the 23rd annual Festival of Lights. Sample food from the Valley's upscale gourmet restaurants, sip wine and enjoy entertainment, kids activities, carriage rides and even a visit with the big man of Christmas himself --- Mr. Claus!

November 26, 5PM: Join your family, friends and neighbors for Napa's Annual Christmas Parade. Since becoming an evening parade, Napans have figured out how to add lights to any entry, cars, horses even children. Santa wraps this one up and leads everyone to the Oxbow Public Market for free cookies and hot chocolate. Rain or Shine.

December 3, 7PM: Calistoga pays homage to its agricultural bread and butter with a parade of bedecked, bedazzled and lighted vehicles ranging from tractors to vintage fire engines. The ultimate small town experience, you'll see a full line of John Deeres, vintage and modern tractors, antique trucks human-powered vehicles and construction equipment bedecked with dazzling lights roll down Calistoga's scenic main street to celebrate the Christmas season Santa himself makes a special appearance (I've heard its the mayor in a Santa outfit!). This popular Napa Valley event, which gets bigger and better each year, is perfect for the whole family. If you’re headed up to the wine country around that time, it's worth working into your itinerary, especially if you have a child who is a big fan of vehicles! BE WARNED: December nights in Calistoga are very chilly! Dress warmly!!!

December 4, 12-3PM at Judd's Hill Winery. Come sip current vintages and library wines, enjoy our extravagant and enhanced latke bar, satisfy your sweet tooth with traditional jelly donuts and thrill to the sounds of Meshugga Beach Party, the greatest Jewish instrumental surf-rock band in the land!

The Santa Claus Express: The Napa Valley Wine Train undergoes a holiday metamorphosis each year and emerges as the "Santa Express." The staff does a great job of embracing their inner child and making this experience really special. Carolers and Christmas characters (including Santa himself!) mingle with the kids throughout the train cars as the valley’s gorgeous scenery moves by the train windows. The servers scurry around and make me think of the hot chocolate serving scene in the Polar Express. To say it's a fun experience is an understatement! http://winetrain.com/holiday/santa-trains