THAT SOLVANG SPARKLE, the quintessential twinkle we often associate with one of the country's most Christmas-tastic towns, takes on a more atmospheric glow around the end of October. You might even describe it as the kind of glow that emits from a jack o'lantern, the flickering of a small candle inside a gourd. That's because the Danish village pauses each year to find its Halloween spirit, and it doesn't look far. That's because the Solvang Festival Theater regularly puts on a production that summons some of the spookiness of the occasion, while outside a Street Fest welcomes revelers in costume. The 2017 production is on for Monday, Oct. 30 and Tuesday, Oct. 31 and its name? Beware...
"THE CURSE OF SKULL MOUNTAIN": Prepare to face "(t)wo terror-ific nights through abandoned gold and silvermines, a miner camp, the Old West town, and more." The production gets a bit kid-friendlier earlier on each evening, from 6 to 6:30, so keep that in mind if you have tots in tow. An adult ticket is $11, a ticket for a child ages 13 and under is $9, but do arrive with a bit of extra cash as food will be for sale at the Street Fest outside. If you do prefer Solvang's sparkle to that pumpkin-y glow, hang tight:
JULEFEST... is jingling this way, with its the popular tree lighting starting the celebrations off on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017.