Holiday
now-Dec. 31

Holiday Lights of Niagara, 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, Oppenheim Park, Niagara Falls Boulevard, Wheatfield. On Fridays and Saturdays from 6-8 p.m. there will be free children's crafts, photos with Santa or Gingerbread people and Santa's Secret Shop. The cost per vehicle is $8. Call 285-8461, Ext. 109, for more information. Nov. 30

Holiday Tree Lighting, 6 p.m., Clarence Town Park, 10405 Main St., Clarence. Clarence Hollow Association's Annual Tree Lighting. Call 759-2345 or visit www.clarencehollow.org for more information. Nov. 30-Dec. 17

A Big Band Christmas, The Colored Musicians Club and the In Concert Quartet team up to swing your holiday favorites. Cabaret in the Square Theatre, 4476 Main St., Snyder. Call 839-3949 or visit www.oconnellandcompany.com for more information. Dec. 1

Hertel Holiday Walk, 5-9 p.m., along Hertel Avenue in Buffalo. Presented by the Hertel-North Buffalo Business Association. Dec. 1-3 Artists in Buffalo Holiday Open Studios, sixth annual event, 5-9 p.m. Dec. 1, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3, galleries in the Elmwood Village, Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo. For a map, call 881-2199. www.artistsinbuffalo.org Dec. 2

Breakfast with Santa, 9 a.m.-noon, Jemiolo's South, 4190 N. Buffalo St., Orchard Park. Call Orchard Park Recreation at 662-6450 or visit www.orchardparkny.org for more information.

Spirit of Christmas, noon-2 p.m., Southgate Plaza, 950 Union Road, West Seneca. Strolling carolers and sleigh rides. Call 674-5050 or visit www.southgateplaza.com for more information.

Santa on the Carrousel, noon- 4 p.m., Herschell Carrousel Museum, 180 Thompson St., North Tonawanda. Ride the carrousel with Santa. Call 693-1885 or visit www.carrouselmuseum.org for more information.

Hertel Holiday Walk, noon-5 p.m., along Hertel Avenue in Buffalo. Presented by the Hertel-North Buffalo Business Association. Amherst Museum's Holiday Celebration, 6:30-11 p.m., Amherst Museum, 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road, Amherst. Annual fund-raiser featuring dinner, cash bar, music and dancing. Hosted by Don Postles and Mary Beth Wrobel of WIVB-Channel 4. Call 689-1440 or visit www.amhmuseum.org for more information.

Handel's Messiah, 7:30 p.m., Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, Main and Center, East Aurora. Hear the Community Advent Chorale, including soloists and Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Gregory White, perform this holiday classic. Freewill offerings will be accepted. Dec. 2-3 Nutcracker: A Holiday Tradition, The American Academy of Ballet dance to Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky's score of the Nutcracker at UB's Center for the Arts, North Campus, Amherst, at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Call 852-5000 or visit www.ubcfa.org for more information.

Nutcracker, The Lockport City Ballet in conjunction with the Classical Ballet of Western New York, dances the Nutcracker at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 at the Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda. Call 692-2413 or visit www.rivieratheatre.org for more information. Santa & His Reindeer visit the Big Red Caboose, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Niagara Hobby & Craft Mart, 3366 Union Road, Cheektowaga. Free gifts and photo for every child. Call 681-1666 or visit http://niagarahobby.com for more information.

Yuletide in the Country, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Fairgrounds in Hamburg. Shop at 200 booths of North American artisans at this unique craft show. Discount tickets available through Friday, Dec. 1 at www.tickets.com or at all Tops Markets. Dec. 3

Ringing in the Holidays, 7 p.m., Amherst Middle School, 55 Kings Highway, Snyder. The Amherst Symphony Orchestra plays Fauré, Khachaturian, Mozart, Prokofiev, Strauss and Tchaikovsky under the direction of Steve Thomas. The evening will feature soprano Sara Abrahamian.