Charleston

The Charleston Rural Fire Protection District is hosting a Christmas display with toy trains from 6 to 10 p.m., Monday through Sunday, until Christmas Eve, located at the district's main station at 92342 Cape Arago Highway.

There will be seven tracks of trains running in a lighted village of more than 160 houses. Admission is free to the public.

For information, those interested can call 888-3268 or visit the Web site at www.charlestonfire.net.

Shore Acres

The 19th-annual Holiday Lights at Shore Acres State Park opened on Thanksgiving evening and will continue through Jan. 1, 2006.

The walk-through display with its beautiful lighted formal gardens continues to attract thousands of visitors each season. The garden house, beautifully decorated in a traditional holiday theme, has friendly volunteer hosts from many organizations, businesses and the Friends of Shore Acres serving hot cider, cookies, punch and coffee from 4 to 10 p.m. every night including Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve and New Years. Choirs, carolers and bands will offer entertainment in the performance pavilion.

This year's display also features the addition of low-energy lights, more garden landscape lighting, 20 large Christmas trees decorated by various organizations and businesses, and dozens of lighted sculptures including the Shore Acres herons, life-size whales, an animated sea lion display, an undersea garden, flowers, garden bugs and butterflies, a leaping frog in the pond and many others.

Holiday gifts and raffle tickets for the “Ultimate Bed and Breakfast” are available in the Friends' Information and Gift Center. The bed and breakfast is an overnight stay for two adults in the Garden House on New Years Eve with a special catered breakfast the next morning. Tickets are $10 each (only 200 will be sold) with the drawing to be held at 9 p.m. Christmas Day. The ticket holder does not need to be present to win.

Shore Acres State Park is 13 miles southwest of Coos Bay/North Bend. Admission is a parking fee of $3 per vehicle or a current Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Annual Parking Permit or Coastal Passport or current campground receipt. The Friends welcome donations for refreshments and for continuing the event the following year.

For more information, those interested can call Shirley or David Bridgham at 756-5401; Shore Acres State Park at 888-3732; or Bay Area Chamber of Commerce at (800) 824-8486 or 269-0215.

North Bend

The SHAMA House is offering Christmas gift wrapping at Pony Village Mall. The organization is seeking volunteers to assist with wrapping.

Gift wrapping is scheduled from noon to to 8 p.m. through Thursday and from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday.

For more information, those interested can call 756-2057.

Coos Bay

The First United Methodist Church Choir of Coos Bay will perform its Christmas Cantata at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at the church, located at 123 Ocean Blvd.

The theme of this year's music is “Celebrations from other Lands,” with Mike Campbell and Adele Hustis narrating.

The public is invited to attend.