The Holidays!

Celebrate Desert Style

Joan McKenna Arts & Entertainment

The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies / Ned Redway

The weather outside is anything but frightful, and Jack Frost may not be nipping at your noses, but the desert is alive with holiday spirit.

Downtown Palm Springs sparkles Dec. 1 during the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS PARADE, beginning at 5:45 p.m. See brilliantly lit floats, big rigs, marching bands, celebrities, Santa, and more. www.psfestivaloflights.com

For more light action, drive over to Granvia Valmonte in Palm Springs in the evenings through the holiday season. Kenny Irwin Jr. turns on his celebrated HOLIDAY LIGHTING DISPLAY at his estate in the Movie Colony neighborhood. See it through Jan. 9, 2013.

Celebrate the holidays with CHRISTMAS AT THE POPS! on Dec. 2 and revel in such favorites as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “White Christmas,” “O Holy Night,” and more. pdc.csusb.edu

SPARKLE: AN ALL-STAR HOLIDAY CONCERT, benefiting Desert AIDS Project, adds to the season’s bling on Dec. 5, as does the DESERT WINDS FREEDOM BAND’S HOLIDAY SHOW on Dec. 9, both at Annenberg Theater. www.psmuseum.org

Through Dec. 12, Palm Desert’s El Paseo comes alive with CHRISTMAS TREE LANE, a 10-day silent auction of more than a dozen celebrity-themed Christmas trees benefiting ACT for MS. www.actforms.org

The Living Desert’s WILDLIGHTS HOLIDAY FESTIVAL features more than 750,000 twinkling lights, music, games, Santa’s Corner, a trackless train, and a holiday-themed wildlife show. See the desert transformed into a veritable winter wonderland. The event runs 6-9 p.m. most nights through Dec. 31. www.livingdesert.org.

Throughout the month, THE FABULOUS PALM SPRINGS FOLLIES puts on a holiday spectacular — complete with dancing penguins, a Hanukkah bear, candy-cane girls, and snowflakes. www.psfollies.com