Lighten Up Check Out Lighted Farm Machinery In Sunnyside

Looking for some old-fashioned holiday celebrations? Some suggestions:

The third annual Western Christmas Parade in Toppenish is at 5 p.m. next Sunday . The parade features horses and riders, buckboard and Conestoga wagons, trolleys and fancy carriages; all entries are lighted. Visitors also can take a lighted tour of the city’s well-known Western murals.

The parade is followed by a chili feed and Christmas caroling around the bonfire. For information, call (509) 865-3262.

The annual Lighted Farm Implement Parade in Sunnyside is at 6:30 p.m. on Friday , featuring both antique and modern commercial farm equipment, adorned with lights and Christmas decorations. For more information, call (509) 837-5939.

Spokane Valley Jaycees are sponsoring a day trip to Leavenworth next Saturday for the mountain community’s annual tree lighting festival. The cost is $45 per couple, or $25 for an individual. For information, call David at 533-0162 or Ronda at 838-6844.

Short takes: Bits and pieces from around the Northwest:

A new bonsai garden has opened in the town of Gorst, Wash., on the Kitsap Peninsula. It features artistically shaped trees from across North America, many of them thousands of years old. For information, call (360) 373-8260.

The 24th annual Dickens Dinner, at the Captain Whidbey Inn in Coupeville on Whidbey Island, will be Thursday, Dec. 7. The seven-course feast, modeled on those described in Dickens novels, includes roast goose, oxtail soup, duck liver terrine and - of course - plum pudding. The cost is $75 per person, which includes wine, and reservations are necessary. Call (800) 366-4097.

Yellowstone adventure: A Montana company is offering cross-country skiing trips through Yellowstone National Park this winter, guided by naturalists and nordic instructors.

The trip, which begins and ends in Bozeman, is designed “for virtually anyone with nordic or alpine experience.” The cost is $1,900 per person, which includes all meals and accommodations; trips are offered in January and February.

The same company also offers trips to Glacier National Park in Montana and a ski and dogsled visit to Wyoming. For information, call (800) 445-2995 or (406) 586-1311.

Seattle’s hot: The annual Hot Spots Survey conducted by the American Society of Travel Agents lists Seattle as seventh on its list of most popular U.S. autumn destinations. Washington achieved the same ranking for states, tied with Colorado.

Gold! Tourists can follow in the footsteps of gold rush pioneers in Southeast Alaska with help from the 1996 Inside Passage Travel Planner.

The free planner includes sample itineraries, a visitor service directory, and photos. Call (800) 423-0568.

Packaged fish: Packages are available for autumn and spring fishing trips in the vicinity of Ashland, Ore., Packages include fly-fishing equipment, professional guide service, a box lunch for day trips, and transport to and from the river.

Four bed and breakfasts are participating in the packages, which include lodging. For more information call: Coolidge House (800) 655-5522; Chanticleer Inn (800) 898-1950; Peerless Hotel (800) 460-8758; or Cowslip’s Belle (800) 888-6819.

, DataTimes MEMO: Send information about travel opportunities around the Pacific Northwest to: Travel Editor, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.