White Christmases aren’t just for dreamers. Just as North Lake Tahoe begins to glisten with early season snow, resorts and restaurants are decking the halls to create the perfect holiday. Squaw Valley’s Squalidays keeps the holiday spirit alive through the month of December as the Village and surrounding base area glisten with tinkling lights beneath a grand towering tree during the Festival of Lights. A Holiday Torchlight Parade down the Mountain Run welcomes Christmas on the Dec. 24 and guided full moon snowshoe tours on the Dec. 29-30. Squaw Valley rings in the New Year with a number of parties, including the Fresh Tracks New Year’s Eve Party with live music and house DJs. Across the snow-covered Olympic Valley, the Resort at Squaw Creek celebrates with a Magical Memories holiday celebration. The festivities begin Nov. 23 with lodging specials and family- oriented activities then kicks into high gear Nov. 27 when the resort becomes a fully illuminated winter wonderland at the Gingerbread Village Unveiling and Grand Tree Lighting Ceremony. The gathering will feature American figure skater and Olympic-gold medalist Peggy Fleming as well as live music, carolers, visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, ice-skating with Buddy Bear and complimentary hot chocolate and s’mores under the stars. Activities such as breakfast with Santa, live après ski music, children’s holiday crafts, winter wonderland stories, snowman-making contests and elf tuck-ins continue through New Years Day, when warm- blooded brave souls welcome 2010 by diving into one of the resort’s (temporarily) unheated pools for the Polar Bear Plunge. Noel Nights set the Village at Northstar a-twinkling Dec. 3, 10 and 17. The festive evenings include s’mores toasted under cool winter skies and enjoyed by the fireside, free ice-skating, hot cocoa, carolers and photos with Santa Claus. Tahoe City celebrates with a Town Tree Lighting Dec.r 4 at Heritage Plaza, followed by a Family Winter Wonderland with refreshments and pictures with Old St. Nick in front of the lake Dec. 5. Guests enjoy free sledding and a visit from a toy-bearing Santa at the Rotary Santa Sled Day Dec. 13 at Granlibakken Resort. Kings Beach gets into the festive winter spirit with a Tree Lighting Ceremony and annual Holiday Fair Dec. 5 at the North Tahoe Event Center. The man in red makes yet another appearance at Diamond Peak Ski Resort in Incline Village Dec. 23-25. Live music also abounds during the holidays in North Lake Tahoe and the Crystal Bay Club in Crystal Bay will get you toe tapping and finger snapping, in addition to its blackjack dealing and slot cranking. Slated for December is Moonalice Feat Dec. 4, Hot Buttered Rum & Split Lip Rayfield Dec. 5, blues great Sherman Robertson Dec. 10 and The Subdudes rockin’ in the New Year Dec. 31.