It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as preparations get into full swing for festive weeekends on north Whidbey.

The Greening of Coupeville on Saturday, Dec. 3, will bring a parade, tree lighting and other activities to the historical waterfront town.

Meantime, the Festival of Trees will be open Dec. 3 in Oak Harbor. There are lots of tickets left for the Teddy Bear breakfast and the public can admire the trees freely on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s kind of a winter wonderland,” said Peggy Stanford, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Whidbey Island.

The Festival of Trees is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

This is the seventh year for the festival. The event raises about $95,000 for the organization that matches children and adults through a mentorship program. The agency does the homework and followup to ensure children are matched with competent adults to help them with academics, building positive self-images and having fun.

Last year, the agency matched about 400 youngsters with adults, and will handle about the same this year, Stanford said.

Unfortunately, there are never enough volunteers or money to go around. About 170 youngsters are on a waiting list, she said. Festival proceeds pay for extensive background checks on adult volunteers and for research to ensure successful matches.

The formal banquet and auction Friday night is sold out, but there are plenty of seats available for the Teddy Bear Breakfast on Saturday morning at the Elks Lodge in Oak Harbor.

A Teddy Bear Parade and live entertainment are part of the fun for children. And door prizes given out throughout two seatings of the breakfast are likely to delight adults.

The display of 14 decorated trees, wreaths and swags will be open Saturday afternoon, a good time for the elderly and the disabled to visit.

“It’s a nice calm setting,” Stanford said.

The action is likely to be livelier in Coupeville Saturday afternoon when the holiday parade travels through town. Festivities move to the city park for lighting of a Christmas tree, then lighted boats will glide across the water and shops will stay open until 8 p.m.

The following weekend, Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, the Greening of Oak Harbor will take place. Harborside shops will be decorated and part of Pioneer Way will resemble a Dickensian village, where costumed characters will mingle with the crowd.

Santa will get the merriment started at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, when he leads a parade into Oak Harbor in a pirate boat. There will be plenty of treats, hot cider and carolers as folks stroll the city’s shopping areas.