ARLINGTON – The Santa Lucia Festival of Lights is scheduled for Dec. 12 at the West Mountain Inn and other inns and bed & breakfast establishments in Arlington.

Holiday open houses at local hospitality businesses will be from 1 to 4 p.m. and the Santa Lucia pageant begins at 5 p.m. at the St. James Church in Arlington.

A chicken-and-biscuit supper and visit from Santa will follow at 6 p.m. at the Federated Church of East Arlington. All events are free to the public although a free-will offering or donation to the Arlington Area Food Shelf is requested.

Originally a small celebration at the West Mountain Inn, the festival has grown to a community-wide event over the past two decades.

As part of the celebration, the historic inns along the Battenkill in Arlington and Sunderland invite all of their neighbors and area guests to the annual open house, which will include refreshments.

Participating inns are the Arlington Inn, Country Willows Bed and Breakfast Inn, Deming House, Hill Farm Inn, Inn on Covered Bridge Green, Ira Allen House and the West Mountain Inn. A visitor map and schedule of events will be available at all of the inns.

The pageant is an annual tradition set around the story of Santa Lucia and includes carol singing, readings and pageant participation by local residents.

For more information about the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights, call Amie Emmons of the West Mountain Inn at 375-6516 or send an e-mail to amie@sover.net.