This week's holiday picks: Pink Toast, parties & carriage rides

It's finally here: the week of Christmas. Busy? Make some time this week to get out of the house with family and friends. The upside? You're not entertaining, so you don't have to worry about a thing!

There's Christmas karaoke in Vermilion, a delicious holiday buffet at Kalahari, an all-ages Christmas show featuring Pink Toast and horse-drawn sleigh and carriage rides at the Hayes Presidential Center. If you haven't gotten a chance to see the beautiful trees at the State Theatre or the Festival of Lights at Sawmill Creek, what are you waiting for? Hop in the car and go!

Family Fun:

Holiday Buffet – Want to enjoy a nice buffet-style meal on Christmas Day without the hassle of cooking or cleanup? Then head to Kalahari with friends and family and enjoy some delicious food. Reservations are strongly encouraged (419.433.5543). See full event listing here.

Horse-drawn Sleigh / Carriage Rides – Recreate a scene straight from a Currier & Ives print as the Hayes Presidential Center hosts sleigh rides through the estate of 19th US President R.B. Hayes. Young and old alike will delight in these nostalgic horse-drawn tours through the 25-acre estate. See full event listing here.

Christmas of Yesteryear – This is a wonderful time to step into the Christmas of years gone by. The buildings at Historic Lyme Village are decorated according to various time periods for your enjoyment. Great for the whole family. See full event listing here.

A Very Pink Toast Xmas Show – This all-ages show will be one of the last at The Underground. Bands featured will be Pink Toast, Get Up Texas, H.A.I., Dylan Ross, All Dreams Arrest and more. There will be lots of free gifts! See full event listing here.

Repeating Events:

Festival of Trees, Santa Collection & Animated Windows – Take a walking tour inside the State Theatre to view breathtaking holiday-decorated trees and the World’s Largest Santa Collection. Afterwards, take a casual stroll through downtown Sandusky and view the 12 fully-animated windows depicting Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The splendor of New York City and Paris is right here for all to see! See full event listing here.

12 Shops of Christmas Treasure Walk – Main Street Vermilion has found a way to make that last-minute Christmas shopping fun! Pick up your card from local merchants, visit 12 shops during retail hours and turn in your card for a chance to win fabulous prizes. Cards can be picked up at the Main Street Vermilion office or Vermilion Chamber of Commerce. For more info, call Main Street Vermilion at 440.963.0772. Through Dec. 24. See full event listing here.

Hayes Train Special – The spirit of holidays past is revived in this operating model train display. The 12 x 24 foot, three-tier layout features eight G- and O-gauge trains. All of the train styles are important to the life of 195h US President R.B. Hayes. Visitors act as engineers lifting gates, flashing lights, sounding the whistle and more through a series of interactive buttons. A miniature Victorian village provides a picturesque setting through which the trains travel. Through Dec. 31; closed on Christmas. See full event listing here.

11th Annual Festival of Lights Display – The Firelands Festival of Lights display lights up the sky for the 11th year at Sawmill Creek Resort. Stop by to visit the fabulous lighting demonstration at least one evening during the holiday season! Santa will be available at the Candy Cane House each evening through Dec. 23. See full event listing here.

3rd Annual Criscione Christmas Light Show Spectacular – Bundle up the family and head to Ghostly Manor Thrill Center for this amazing light show! There are 7 songs that play for a total of 25 minutes, synchronized with over 75,000 lights. The music will be broadcast live on 99.7 FM so you can enjoy the show from the comfort of your car. The show is free, but the staff suggests you donate a non-perishable food item. All food will go to Victory Kitchen. See full event listing here.

Parties:

Christmas Karaoke – Need we say more? What better way to top off Christmas than singing Christmas tunes with a bunch of family and friends, ordering some food and supporting a local nonprofit organization? It gets better – there will be prizes raffled off, donated from Kalahari, K96 radio, Cavs Basketball and more! See full event listing here.

TNT Christmas Bash – Join TNT at Vicki’s Pub on Christmas Day from 8:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Enjoy drink specials, jello shots and more! See full event listing here.

Lyman Harbor’s Re-gifting Party – Who’s ever gotten a gift they don’t like? Bring it to Lyman’s party, where you can swap gifts with other re-gifters. Entertainment will be provided by The Womack Brothers Family Band. See full event listing here.

Christmas Party with The Breakfast Club – Come to Port Clinton for the huge party at Nick’s Roadhouse! Sponsored by Corona, the party will feature live entertainment from local favorites The Breakfast Club. See full event listing here.

Christmas Eve Party – Hosted by Soulstar, this Christmas party at the Crowbar will feature all sorts of great prizes. Drink specials galore! See full event listing here.