Here are some of the best ways to celebrate a Whatcom holiday season

Fairhaven’s holiday Winterfest ends this year with a new event that organizers hope will become an annual celebration – a Fa La La caroling competion.

“Really the competition is more of a competition in fun,” said Scott Ward of the Historic Fairhaven Association in an October interview.

Carols – which originally described a song or dance of joy – predate the Christmas holiday and were first sung by pagans several thousand years ago during the winter solstice, according to the website whychristmas.com and other sources.

Early Christians kept those pagan traditions, and they evolved over time from traveling minstrels to the caroling groups popular in Victorian England.

About 16 percent of Americans say they still go caroling, according to a 2013 survey on Christmas attitudes by the Pew Research Center.

Some 36 percent of people said they went caroling as children, according to a Dec. 21, 2014, story in USA Today.

“It’s an effort to keep up the festivities through Christmas,” Ward said. “It felt like it was a really great way to give a close to Winterfest.”

Ward said he hopes to see families enter, along with specialty instrumental groups such as ukuleles or actors in Victorian costume.

“Our goal is to make it something that’s a full sense of community,” he said. “ It’ll be interesting to see who shows up. We want you to be as creative as you can.”

The Fairhaven Fa La La Caroling competition is 3-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 at the Village Green.

Winterfest in Fairhaven features Father Christmas in the gazebo at Harris Avenue and 10th Street and at other locations around the historic shopping district through Dec. 22.

Santa’s Mailbox is at the Village Green and Santa may respond to some of the letters, if contact information is provided.

Saturday seasonal activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, a holiday market and entertainment by Bellingham Circus Guild, Bellingham Showstoppers, Opus Performing Arts and Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth.

Find other information about the celebration at fairhavenwinterfest.com.

Seasonal events around Whatcom County

Holiday Port Festival: Along with the Old Fashioned Christmas, the Holiday Port Festival is one of Bellingham’s most iconic and beloved events.

A three-day festival features performances by local choirs, bands and dancers – plus a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

But the highlight is the annual gingerbread house competition, which offers quaint, whimsical and sometimes spectacular creations.

Designs sometimes feature local and regional activities and architecture, such as the Space Needle in Seattle or the Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall galleries.

Hours are 4-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8-9 at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 355 Harris Ave. in Fairhaven.

Admission is free.

Details: portofbellingham.com, 360-676-2500, or on the event’s Facebook page.

Deck the Old City Hall: Whatcom Museum’s annual Deck the Old City Hall, featuring decorated trees, will be on display from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from Nov. 23 to Dec. 30 in the Rotunda Room of the Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St. Admission is by donation, and proceeds are used to support museum exhibitions and programming.

Details: whatcommuseum.org; 360-778-8930.

Let’s make presents: Library branches throughout the Whatcom County Library System feature one-hour Let’s Make Presents programs for children to make simple gifts such as bookmarks and other personalized presents throughout December. These free programs are geared toward children from kindergarten to fifth grade, and all materials are provided.

Details: Search under “events” at wcls.org or check your local library branch.

Movies, crafts, Note of Thanks: Bellingham Public Library offers its annual free Note of Thanks workshop to craft a card or message expressing gratitude for gifts received during the holiday season or for any occasion, from 1-3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27. All supplies will be provided.

A free drop-in winter crafts project for ages 4-12 is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, in the lecture room. All supplies will be provided.

Winter movie matinees, featuring new releases, are 2-4 p.m. on Dec. 17-18, Dec. 20-21, Dec. 26 and Dec. 28 in the lecture room. All ages are welcome. Call 360-778-7200 for movie titles.

Details: Check the library’s online calendar or call the children’s section at 360-778-7200. The library is at 210 Central Ave. in downtown Bellingham.

Stories for the season: Bellingham Storytellers Guild is planning a “Ladders to the Moon” multicultural event to celebrate the winter solstice and seasonal holidays, said the Storyteller’s Doug Banner.

“It’s a real nice mix of music and stories of the times,” Banner said in a July interview.

Performances are on the third Friday of the month. The Storytellers are moving to a new performance venue, and the location hasn’t been finalized.

Details: Check the group’s Facebook page.

Commercial Street Night Market: A special winter solstice edition of the Night Market is free from 6-10 p.m. Dec. 21 in the 1300 block of Commercial Street, between West Holly and West Magnolia streets. It features food, artisan vendors and entertainment.

This story was originally published November 22, 2018 at 7:00 AM.