ENCHANTED HOLIDAY GETAWAY

AN ENCHANTED HOLIDAY GETAWAY IN THE AURORA AREA

By the Aurora Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Photo provided by Fox Valley Park District

Home to miles of magical holiday light displays, the Aurora Area is an outstanding holiday destination for shopping, dining and entertainment with family and friends.

Naughty or nice? Whichever way you choose your holiday entertainment, Paramount Theatre has an option for you. The award-winning Broadway Series kicks off its 10th annual season with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” a beloved musical transformed into a mesmerizing new production that brings a reimagined take on the classic children’s story that has enchanted audiences for generations. Across Galena Boulevard at the newly renovated Copley Theatre, Paramount’s annual presentation of “The Second City Holiday Revue” delivers a heaping serving of seasonal satire with “It’s A Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Life,” a side-splitting, song-filled holiday spectacular. For tickets and more information about upcoming shows at Paramount Theatre and Copley Theatre, visit www. paramountaurora.com.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS MAKE SPIRITS BRIGHT

Feel the symphony of sight and sound at Let It Shine, a drive-through light show new this holiday season to Fox Valley Mall in Aurora. Be immersed in a wonderland of over a million individual lights, all synchronized to festive holiday classics. At Phillips Park, the Rotary Club of Aurora’s Festival of Lights is a holiday tradition for locals and visitors alike, and one of the largest free outdoor holiday light displays in northern Illinois. Spot animated marvels like the 20-foottall “singing” Christmas tree and see Santa’s toy factory in action! With over 80 displays over 2 magical miles, the Holiday Lights at Mooseheart are another fantastic journey for friends and family to enjoy, with a creative array of holiday lights arranged along a winding drive. The Aurora Area CVB offers schedules and more details about how to take a driving tour of holiday lights in the region at www.enjoyaurora.com/holidaylights.

TAKE A STEP BACK IN TIME AT THESE HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS

All aboard the Holiday Express at Blackberry Farm, a magical experience just like visiting the North Pole! Blackberry Farm transforms into a winter wonderland for the holiday season amid thousands of twinkling lights and festive decorations. Take a ride on the Holiday Express train, a scenic tour around Blackberry Farm’s scenic Lake Gregory, and enjoy a wagon ride around the property. For more information about the Holiday Express at Blackberry Farm, visit www.blackberryfarm.info/holidayexpress. A family tradition since 1949, Christmas at Abbey Farms is “the most wonderful time of the year!” Join in the tradition of hunting for Christmas trees, picking out a handmade fir wreath and visit with Santa inside the Nagel Farmstand Emporium, where you can also find Abbey Farms’ famous apple cider donuts and tasty hot chocolate. Learn more about the farm’s holiday activities at www.abbeyfarms.org/ christmas-joy. The iconic Edith Farnsworth House will be dressed up for the holidays in midcentury color and kitsch for Holiday House Tours. Take a drive through the snowy countryside to this unique attraction in Plano, and enjoy a last look at Edith Farnsworth Reconsidered, a refurnishing of the house to reflect the spirit and sensibilities of its original owner, Dr. Edith Farnsworth.

 Learn more about holiday activities, events and shopping at www. enjoyaurora.com.