Photos by Derek Redd Santa celebrates with children in attendance after flipping the switch to begin Oglebay Park’s 39th Festival of Lights this past Thursday night. The holiday light extravaganza will run nightly through Jan. 7.

WHEELING — It seems like November just arrived, but it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Ohio Valley.

This past week, holiday celebrations kicked off in a big way locally with the ceremonial flip of the switch to turn on Oglebay’s 39th Festival of Lights season, the opening of Oglebay Institute’s Festival of Trees and Holiday Arts Show and Sale at the Stifel Fine Arts Center, and a special tour stop in Wheeling of the 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree — from West Virginia’s own Monongahela National Forest en route to Washington, D.C., for delivery this coming Friday.

With stores stocked to the brim with Christmas decor and holiday shopping selections, there’s little doubt that from here on out that the season has officially arrived.

This week, festivities continue when the city of Wheeling hosts Winter on the Plaza beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15; the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce holds the Main Street Bank Fantasy in Lights Parade on Friday night, Nov. 17; and the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual St. Clairsville Light Up Night on Saturday evening, Nov. 18.