Christmas arrives early again this year in Spokane, with various events, light displays and more

Nov. 23—Thanksgiving may have been yesterday, but Christmas already has arrived in Spokane.

A number of festive events are planned in the coming weeks, including Coeur d'Alene's annual lighting ceremony and parade on Friday night, the Numerica Tree Lighting Ceremony in Riverfront Park on Saturday evening and a cornucopia of other performances, shopping opportunities and events.

Many holiday events and activities have already begun but continue in the weeks to come, such as the Winter Glow Spectacular in Liberty Lake's Orchard Park, which runs through New Years, and Santa's annual appearance at River Park Square, which began Tuesday and runs through Christmas Eve.

Here are a few of the events to look forward to through next weekend:

Friday

The 31st annual lighting ceremony in Coeur d'Alene begins at 5 p.m. with a parade winding through town and over 1.5 million holiday lights set to shimmer over the lake.

The lighting ceremony begins at 6 p.m., followed at 6:15 p.m. with a fireworks show over the lake presented by the Hagadone Corp.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be performing "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve" at the Spokane Arena at 7 p.m.

The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, which provides emergency short-term care for infants and children under 7 years old, will be kicking off its annual Santa Express fundraiser at the Spokane Valley Mall. At the holiday gift shopping event, children create a shopping list for their loved ones, and a "Christmas elf" helps them pick out and wrap gifts from a chosen selection. Proceeds go to support the nursery.

The opening performance of "A Sherlock Carol" will be held at the Spokane Civic Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Repeat performances at varying times will be held Thursday-Sunday until Dec. 17.

Saturday

Festivities for the annual Numerica Tree Lighting Ceremony in Riverfront Park will begin at 4 p.m. with various performances and free hot cocoa, with the actual tree lighting scheduled at 6 p.m.

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane will host its fourth annual Holiday Kick-off Celebration from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with carolers, festive lights and holiday treats.

The Davenport Grand Hotel will unveil the annual display of restored Crescent Department Store holiday window displays at 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday

Spokane Symphony Associates is presenting its annual Christmas Tree Elegance fundraiser, a 13-day raffle for extravagantly decorated Christmas trees and other prizes hosted at the Historic Davenport.

Northern Quest Resort and Casino will host Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland, a themed acrobatic performance, at 7:30 p.m. on both Nov. 28 and 29.

Thursday

The Nutcracker with State Street Ballet will be performed at the Fox from Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 3. A sensory-friendly performance designed for people on the autism spectrum will be held on Nov. 29.

Friday, Dec. 1

Unity Spiritual Center Spokane will host a Ringing in the Holidays Concert at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 2

Cheney High School's annual Holiday Extravaganza Arts and Craft Fair will be hosted at the school from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Hygge Holiday Market at Bellwether Brewing Co. in Spokane will open at 2 p.m. and features jewelry, ornaments and more from local artists.

The Coeur d'Alene Public Library will host a Holiday Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring the handmade work of local vendors.

The Corbin Art Center will host a family-friendly event with cookies, arts stations, hot cocoa and pictures with Santa from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Coeur d'Alene Symphony will perform classic holiday tunes with Chorale Coeur d'Alene at the Schuler Performing Arts Center starting at 7:30 p.m.