The magic of the season is alive at local celebrations

During the holidays, it can only be a good thing to break from the hectic shopping, wrapping and running errands to enjoy the wealth of seasonal attractions taking place on Long Island. Here are two prime examples, a candlelight celebration in Bethpage and a village’s winter fest in Farmingdale, of fun times to be had, right now.

Candlelight Evenings, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 1303 Round Swamp Road. Dec. 21-23 and Dec. 27-29.
Enjoy holidays as they were in the past at this quaint and seasonally decorated village, composed of dozens of historic structures from 1730 to 1875. Each night at 5:15 p.m., a candlelight procession opens the festivities and continues through the evening with chestnuts roasting on an open fire, hot mulled cider and visits with Santa Claus. Listen to live music as you stroll through the village, check out the train display and, if you any last-minute shopping to do, visit the vendors who will be selling their wares on-site. New this year is the Twelve Days of Christmas Scavenger Hunt, which I think is a must-do part of this magical evening. 516-572-8401. obvrnassau.com.

Winter Wonderland, Farmingdale Village Green, Main Street. Dec. 26-31.
Bundle up and head to the Village Green, where you can experience nightly entertainment, like live music by the local party rock band, The Electric Dudes; a performance by the BroadHollow Theater of Elmont; and three Husky dogs from Plainview, The Husky Brothers. And, there will be a New Year’s Eve countdown celebration at 9 p.m., on Dec. 31. Though the ice-skating is sold-out, you can still enjoy this wintery scene, reminiscent of a New York City holiday. 516-314-0050. farmingdalevillage.com.