Looking for something smooth to take the edge off the beginning of the holiday season?

Then head over to Incline Village this weekend for the annual Holiday Jazz Festival at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe.

The two-night affair, which has been a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for the past decade, features a trio of smooth jazz and R&B artists, a pre-concert wine tasting reception and decent, albeit somewhat limited, skiing and snowboarding at such nearby resorts as Northstar, Squaw Valley and Mt. Rose.

The Holiday Jazz Festival kicks off with five-time gold and platinum-selling vocalist and drummer Jeffrey Osborne and guests taking the stage on Friday night. Saturday night features pianist and composer David Benoit combing his smooth jazz talents with saxophonist Euge Groove in the Hyatt’s “intimate” 650-seat ballroom.

“We generally do well with these concerts, with the majority of the patrons coming up from the Bay Area and Sacramento,” Hyatt spokesperson Nate Hardesty said. “We’ve been selling them out most years, but there definitely will be tickets available right up to the final hour.”

Tickets for each performance, which begin at 8 pm and go “until about 11-11:30 or as long as the bands want to play,” said Hardesty,  go for $65, with a VIP option that sells for $95 and includes a Rodney Strong wine tasting event just prior to the show.

The Hyatt is offering a selection of packages for concert-goers who wish to stay at the property:  One-night packages, which include two VIP tickets for either the Friday or the Saturday performance, the wine tasting and a deluxe room accommodation, is $399. The two-night package, with two shows and two wine tastings, goes for $699. Contact (775) 832-1234 for reservations and/or further information.

For the more budget minded check out overnight accommodations at such nearby properties as  Ferrari’s Crown Resort in Kings Beach ($69-$115 per night for a standard king or queen bedroom) or Rustic Cottages in Tahoe Vista ($74-$104 per night).