So the Oakland Temple is kind of a spectacle all year round, but with the holiday light display, it’s definitely worth a visit in December. Each night this month through December 31st also features free live musical performances in the visitor center at 7pm and 8pm. Concerts include gospel choirs, concert pianists, string ensembles and more. See the nightly schedule here.

Some other fun holiday spectacles to check out (I covered some of these last year):

• Holiday Caroling on Lake Merritt (12/17 – 12/19) – join a group tour or grab your friends and charter your own boat… I mean, sleigh.  Water sleigh that is.
  * Friday (4pm thru 8pm every hour on the hour).
  * Saturday & Sunday (2pm thru 8pm every hour on the hour)
  The 6pm rides are the ones open to individuals.
  Call 510-238-2196 for reservations.
• The Oakland Ballet’s 2010 Nutcracker (12/23, 12/24, 12/26) – check out the newly designed and choreographed Nutcracker ballet by the Graham Lustig (the company’s new artistic director) and his award-winning set designer collaborator Zack Brown.
  Just like last year, if you bring a non-perishable food item directly to the Paramount Theatre’s box office, you’ll receive a 20% discount on your tickets – a win-win as all donations go to support the Alameda County Community Food Bank!  Otherwise, expect a surcharge in the opposite direction if you prefer the “convenience” of Ticketmaster.
• Fairy Winterland (12/15 – 12/23) – “Each December, for just one week, Children’s Fairyland is transformed into a sparkling festival of holiday entertainment.
  Through songs and stories, arts and crafts, Fairy Winterland celebrates the winter holidays of many cultures: Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Diwali, and Chinese New Year. After sunset, we turn on our fairy lights and transform Fairyland into a twinkling, enchanting realm of wonder.”
• Downtown Oakland 1st Annual “Claus Crawl” (12/18, 6 – 9pm) – I’m sure this will be no Santacon, but it looks to be a fun ride nonetheless… put on your Santa suit or Santa hat and check in at these participating venues:
  * The Layover: 1517 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94612‎
  * Bar Three Fifty Five: 355 19th St, Oakland, CA 94612
  * 2022: 2022 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612
  * Ozumo Restaurant: 2251 Broadway Ave, Oakland, CA 94612
  * Picán Restaurant: 2295 Broadway Ave, Oakland, CA 94612
  Receive a holiday discounted beverage when you donate an unwrapped gift for the Family Giving Tree at any of the participating “Claus Crawl venues.” Details here.
• Oakland Zoolights (thru New Years, but closed 12/24-25) A good one for the kids… See my writeup from last year here.
• Holiday Tradition at Dunsmuir Hellman (12/17 – 12/19) – I have yet to visit this historic estate, but it sounds like fun with ice skating, carriage rides, mansion tours, a petting zoo, and more!  I wonder if you get to pet Santa’s elves…  Details here.
• Christmas Tree Lane – a hop skip & jump across the water in Alameda, this is the spectacle of lights in the East Bay.  Fun for xmas enthusiasts, photographers, and revellers of all shapes and sizes!  See my writeup from last year for info.

That’s all I got folks…

Let me know if you have any other fun Oakland-based plans for the holidays…  Cheers!