Whether heading out of town to visit family for the holidays or seizing the time off from school and work to see the sights, there are plenty of performances, parades and spectacular light shows to put you in the holiday mood over the next two months.

Here's a selection of what you'll find in the eastern United States:

THEME PARKS

Universal Orlando: A new holiday concert series at Universal Studios will add Mannheim Steamroller (Dec. 5), Chris Isaak (Dec. 12) and Natalie Cole (Dec. 19) to the park's holiday activities. Each concert starts after the park's live re-runs of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. At Islands of Adventure, a live stage show will tell the story of Dr. Seuss' Grinchmas. 407- 363-8000; www.universalorlando.com.

Disney World: A new Christmas stage show becomes a part of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, a separate-admission event on 19 evenings at the Magic Kingdom Nov. 10-Dec. 18. Epcot's traditional Candlelight Processional will feature Whoopi Goldberg, Vanessa Williams, Anika Noni Rose and Isabella Rossellini among the celebrity narrators Nov. 27-Dec. 30. Millions of lights and animated displays will glow at the Osborne Family display at Disney's Hollywood Studios Nov. 10-Jan. 4. 407-824-4321; www.disneyworld.com.

Sea World: The park's Wild Arctic exhibit transforms into Santa Town and the Polar Express Experience takes guests to the North Pole. A new ice-skating show will be introduced and Shamu the orca will star in a Christmas program. 888-800-5447; www.seaworld.com.

Busch Gardens: Christmas on Ice will play at the Stanleyville Theater, holiday gospel and spiritual songs will be performed at the Marrakesh Theater and the Desert Grill will feature a live show with music, dance, humor and Santa. 888-800- 5447; www.buschgardens.com/bgt2.

New Year's Eve: All theme parks put on special parties and fireworks.

ICE SCULPTURES

Orlando's Gaylord Palms Hotel again will stage its spectacular ICE! attraction -- nearly 2 million pounds of ice carved into nine holiday scenes, including a 13 ½-foot tall Santa, an ice castle, icy slides, a carousel and the signature life-size Nativity scene. Gaylord has similar ICE! displays at its hotels in Nashville, Tenn., Grapevine, Texas, and Washington, D.C. 407-586-4423; www.gaylordpalms.com/ice.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

President Barack Obama will light the national Christmas tree on the White House Ellipse in a televised ceremony Dec. 3. When the climate cools enough, outdoor ice skating will start at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden on the Mall.

A Christmas Carol takes the stage at the newly renovated Ford's Theatre Nov. 23-Jan. 3. Handel's Messiah is given at the National Cathedral Dec. 4-6, and the Nutcracker Suite plays at the Warner Theatre Dec. 10-27. Visitors also have the opportunity to see the much-anticipated exhibition at the National Geographic Museum of China's terra cotta warriors, which runs Nov. 19-March 31. 202- 789-7000; www.washington.org.

NEW YORK CITY

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on Nov. 26, featuring giant balloons, marching bands and performing groups, has a new route this year down Seventh Avenue rather than Broadway.

Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree will be lit Dec. 2, and the Rockettes will do their thing in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Nov. 13-Dec. 30.

On New Year's Eve, you can join thousands gathering in pedestrian-only Times Square to watch the crystal-ball drop into 2010. 212-484-1200; www.nycgo.com.

PHILADELPHIA

Charles Dickens' great-great grandson, Gerald Charles Dickens, will do a one-man performance of A Christmas Carol at Byers Choice Dec. 11 and 12. Nearby Longwood Gardens is decked out with thousands of lights, carolers, sing-alongs and ice skating Nov. 26-Jan. 10. On Christmas Day you can watch a reenactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware.

Costumed folks strut down Broad Street in the world-famous Mummer's Parade on New Year's Day. 800-537-7676; www.gophila.com.

ASHEVILLE, N.C.

Downtown will be lit with multi-media projections, and fireworks keyed to Christmas music will light the sky Dec. 5, 12 and 19 as Asheville hosts its Seasonal Sizzle.

Biltmore Village becomes a quaint Victorian village Dec. 4-6 with concerts, carriage rides, vocalists and storytellers. Biltmore House, the largest private home in the nation, will again stage one of the largest holiday displays in the Southeast Nov. 6-Jan.3, with 100 decorated Christmas trees, 25,000 ornaments, 30,000 lights in the house and 150,000 more around the estate.

Grove Park Inn hosts its annual National Gingerbread House Competition and Display Nov. 18-Jan. 3. 800-280-0005; www.ashevilleseasonalsizzle.com.

WILLIAMSBURG

A Grand Illumination, featuring fife and drum corps, 18th century music, costumed performers, candlelit public buildings and fireworks, opens the season in Colonial Williamsburg on Dec. 6. December events include illuminations of historic buildings, caroling, tree lighting and firing of Christmas guns.

Nearby Yorktown also lights up with dozens of holiday activities. 757- 229-1000; www.colonialwilliamsburg.com.

ATLANTA

Two million twinkling lights, family-friendly live shows, roaming carolers and holiday films are among attractions at Stone Mountain Christmas Nov. 14-Dec. 30.

Thousands take holiday rides through Jan. 3 on Macy's Pink Pig at Lenox Square, a tradition that spans four generations. You can enjoy outdoor ice skating at Centennial Olympic Park Nov. 14-Jan. 31. 404-521-6600; www.atlanta.net.

NEW ORLEANS

On the shores of the Mississippi River near New Orleans, hundreds of spectators watch as 100 18-foot-high bonfires are lit to guide Papa Noel on Christmas Eve. (Some also are lit on weekends in early December.)

In town, 31 restaurants serve special prix fixe Reveillon dinners, a French tradition that showcases traditional Creole specialties and seasonal fare, and free concerts are given at St. Louis Cathedral. 800- 672-6124, www.neworleanscvb.com.