By Karen Lorentz Making memorable mountain vacations entails doing lots of fun things in addition to skiing and riding. Here’s a starter list of activities sure to make your holiday extra special, provide après-ski fun, or entertain the non-skiers in a family or group. Adventurous and scenic rides Want a different view of the ski…

Thursday Dec. 22 Open Swim ** 8 a.m. Enjoy the warm water at Mitchell Therapy Pool at Vermont Achievement Center, 88 Park St., Rutland: 8-9 a.m.; 5-7 p.m. Call for more times & info, 802-773-7187. Commit to Quit ** 9 a.m. Rutland’s stop smoking program at 1 Commons St., Rutland (Rutland Regional Behavioral Health Group…

Dec. 24, 26-Jan. 1—WOODSTOCK—Discover the traditions of a late 19th century Vermont Christmas with a visit to the Billings Farm & Museum this holiday season. Christmas at the Billings Farm will be featured Dec. 24-Jan. 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (excluding Christmas Day). Tour the authentically decorated farmhouse, visit the dairy farm for interactive programs including…

Friday, Dec. 23 at 10 a.m.—RUTLAND—Rutland Recreation Department will once again be hosting its annual Skate with Santa event at Giorgetti Arena on Friday, Dec. 23, 10 a.m.-12 noon. Kids age 10 and under, plus their caregivers, can skate with Santa. Santa will be on the ice from 10:30-11:30 a.m., and then kids have opportunities…

Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m.—LUDLOW—FOLA (Friends of Ludlow Auditorium) will offer a bonus for the holiday season by streaming the hit Broadway musical “She Loves Me” during the Christmas week on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium. This musical is a charming story of two co-workers in a…

Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m.—LUDLOW—Okemo Mountain Resort hosts its annual evening of fire and lights on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Enjoy a pyrotechnics show at 7:30 p.m. in the Okemo Clock Tower base area, following an amazing torchlight parade of skiers and riders traversing Okemo’s Open Slope trail. Kids can participate in their own special light…

Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 5 p.m.—RUTLAND—The Homeless Prevention Center holds its 17th annual candlelight vigil on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 5 p.m. in Depot Park, off Merchants Row, Rutland. Join for a short reading to help remember the human faces of homelessness. Come stand in solidarity with our poorest neighbors. Hot cocoa and hot cider will…

By Julia Purdy After the Gospel, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is probably the best known story of Christmas in the English language. Since 1900, the entertainment industry alone has produced at least 50 versions for film and TV. We enjoy the “Carol” for its feel-good message and cornucopia of special effects, as Dickens himself…

Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 8 p.m.—KILLINGTON—On Wednesday, Dec. 28, Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience will appear in concert at the Pickle Barrel Nightclub in Killington. The show is open to anyone 21 years of age and older. Billed as “an unrivaled celebration of pop music’s one true king,” this group’s power-packed performance of…

‘Tis the season for ice skating! Local arenas have open ice times available to the general public. In Rutland, Giorgetti Arena has a warming room with concessions, skate rentals and sharpening. It is located at 2 Oak Street Extension (rutlandrec.com). Or, Castleton University’s Spartan Arena, located just behind the Diamond Run Mall off Route 7…

Baking cookies is a holiday tradition for many families. Come the holiday season, many homes are filled with the inviting scents of vanilla, cinnamon and melting chocolate. Baking cookies can be a social occasion in which family members and friends gather to create recipes passed down through generations. Or baking can be a solitary venture…

As holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, retailers who use apps and mobile responsive websites to reach more customers may benefit by making a concerted effort to reach older shoppers. According to Nielsen’s Mobile Measurement, 26 percent of the more than 100 million mobile shoppers are 55 and older, while an additional 40 percent…

Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 11 a.m.—RUTLAND—Julie Redington for Rutland Area Food and Farm Link’s “Everyday Chef” program presents a workshop, Festive Salads and No-Bake Cookies, on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Redington will hold an all-ages workshop for families to prepare a fun, kid friendly, festive salad with all kinds of yummy ingredients. Participants…

Saturday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m.—RUTLAND—The premiere grown-ups playdate to benefit the Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum will take place on Saturday, Jan. 14, 7-11 p.m. hosted by Stonehedge Indoor Golf. This event is a 21-and-over party for all the grown-ups that just want to play. The cost for the event is $40 per person which includes…

New curlers welcome WOODSTOCK—The Upper Valley Curling Club will resume play in two locations this January after taking a short holiday break. On Saturday evenings at 6 p.m. beginning Jan. 7 club members will play at the Barwood Arena in Hartford, and on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. beginning Jan. 8 they will play at…