A look at the lights

COEUR d'ALENE - Allison Weed's face lit up.

The 5-year-old was thinking about her favorite part of last year's holiday cruise from the The Coeur d'Alene Resort docks to visit Santa at the North Pole.

"I got picked by him," she said, with a great, big smile.

The little girl was likely hoping she would hear the holiday icon once again read her name from the "nice list."

She stood Tuesday with her older sister, Katie, 8, and brother, Alex, 11, on the bow of a cruise boat headed once again across Lake Coeur d'Alene for a lakeside meeting with St. Nick.

The Weed children, of Coeur d'Alene, were among several dozen happy kids and adults on this year's inaugural Fantasy Cruise to the North Pole.

The 40-minute journey across the lake is considered the best way to view The Resort's Holiday Light Show. With 1.5 million sparkling lights, it is the largest on-water holiday light display in the nation.

"It is so very special when Santa reads the names of each of the children," said Jerry Jaeger, president and co-owner of Hagadone Hospitality.

Many of the display lights have been changed this year to LEDs, Jaeger said, making them even brighter and more eco-friendly.

One of the highlights of the show is the lighting of the World's Largest Living Christmas tree. Featuring 30,000 LED lights, it is 161-feet tall, more than twice the height of the tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City.

A new display features the Three Wise Men following a star shining brightly in the sky above the tree.

Each year, the cruise boats pull up close to the shore across the lake from The Resort, where Santa greets them from his workshop, waving and speaking to those onboard.

Santa has a new structure this year, constructed farther out on a dock above the water, allowing the cruise boats to bring eager children even closer for their visit with their holiday hero.

All the better to listen for their names, and to watch Santa and his helper, Pepper Mintsticks, do a little song and dance for them - the "Reindeer Hokey Pokey."

For little Pepper Paisley, Tuesday's cruise was likely the first of many.

As the 1-year-old boarded the ship with her parents, Erin Mahoney and Joe Paisley, her eyes popped open, wide with wonder as she was greeted by a pair of sparkly, jingling elves.

The child's eyes stayed fixed on the collection of costumed characters - a red-nosed reindeer, a ginger-bread man, a polar bear, snowman, a toy soldier, a moose - aboard the ship. The characters danced, waved, gave holiday high-fives and received lots of hugs from happy kids, and a few adults.

When the boats returned to The Resort, the cruisers had a chance to watch a preview of the newest attraction, the "GI Holiday Jukebox" song and dance stage show.

A tribute to the USO Tours of World War II, the live show features popular tunes from the 1940s and Christmas favorites, all performed in the swinging style of the big band era. The four performers add the bright and often bouncy harmonies of popular singing groups from that period.

The show is produced this year by Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre.

"We are so fortunate to have one of the best theater programs in the country right here," Jaeger said.

Three of the GI Jukebox shows are already sold out.

The show runs Wednesday through Sunday nights at 7:30 p.m. beginning Friday through Dec. 23. A 3 p.m. matinee show will run each Sunday.

Tickets are $25 for premier seating; $20 for standard seating and $18 for children ages 6 to 12.

To purchase GI Jukebox tickets in advance, call (208) 769-7780 or order online, http://www.cdasummertheatre.com/tickets.html

If you go

The Fantasy Cruise to the North Pole departs nightly from The Coeur d'Alene Resort docks from Friday through Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m., and running through the evening.

Kids 12 and younger cruise for free, adults are $16.95 and seniors (65+) are $15.95.

Reservations are required.

To contact the Holiday Light Show Center, call (208) 664-7268 or (800) 688-5253