Halloween has passed, Thanksgiving is a week away, so it must be time for Christmas events to begin in the area.

Santa will be arriving here starting Friday.

• Santa will arrive at The Promenade mall at 6 p.m. Friday, for an evening including a meet-and-greet with reindeer, the Temecula Valley Players performing "Scrooge," the Vintage Singers, fireworks and the lighting of the holiday tree.

The free event kicks off Santa's stay at the mall, where photos can be taken with him through Dec. 24 in the lower-level Macy's wing.

For information, visit www.promenadeintemecula.com.

• Lake Elsinore Outlets will open its 2007 Christmas season with tree lighting ceremonies Saturday and Sunday.

Santa Claus and TV and radio personalities will be on hand to help ring in the season around a 60-foot White Fir tree. Festivities run from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, when stars of television's "General Hospital" will be in attendance.

A free lunch playdate with Santa will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 24 at the Outlets.

The outlets are also offering a North Pole Experience, featuring an igloo, snow, replicas of North Pole animals and pictures with Santa from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 23 to Dec. 24

The outlets are at 17600 Collier Ave. Lake Elsinore. For information, call 245-0087 or visit lakeelsinoreoutlet.com.

• Old Town Temecula's 11th annual holiday celebration will be held Nov. 23, with Santa Claus' arrival aboard a horse-drawn sleigh, followed by carolers, holiday lights and elves.

For information, call 694-6412.

• Santa will have breakfast with children and firefighters Dec. 15 at the ninth annual Breakfast with Santa at Fire Station No. 10 on Graham Avenue in Lake Elsinore.

Tickets are $4 and may be purchased through Dec. 12 at the Lake Community Center, 310 Graham Ave. For information, call 245-0442.

• The XO Thermix Dance Team boosters will host Santa Claus for breakfast and photos, and provide baby-sitting for parents who want to shop. Activities will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The dance studio is at 16005 Grand Ave. For information, call Lori Johnston at 544-8357.

Marine Corps League honors Temecula veteran

MURRIETA - Albert "Bud" Sue of Temecula, a veteran of World War II, was honored recently by the Marine Corps League, Murrieta/Temecula Post 1057.

Sue joined the Marines soon after high school in 1934, and served 27 years before retiring as a warrant officer III. His division landed in Guadalcanal in 1942 and suffered 2,225 casualties in the first few months. He then spent 18 months fighting on several Pacific Islands.

Sue spoke at the meeting as well as Navy Corpsman Joe Bindert, of Murrieta, who recently finished his second tour in Iraq.

Post 1057 meets on last Saturday of each month at Fire Station 75, 38900 Clinton Keith Road, Murrieta. For information, call Don Pechous at 600-0062 or Don Herpy at 678-2600.

Woman's club holds luau a fundraiser

MURRIETA - Murrieta residents Tracy and Mike La Paglia hosted the Annual Temecula Valley Woman's Club summer fundraiser recently.

Polynesian dancers performed poolside and club member Nancy Alcorn demonstrated a traditional Hawaiian hula dance.

A Hawaiian-style roasted pig was prepared and served by Randy Fitzpatrick.

The event supports the club's annual home tour, its main fundraiser, which will be Dec. 1 and 2 in Bear Creek.

For information on the Temecula Valley Woman's Club visit tvwc.com.

CLUB NEWS

Jewelry trends featured at luncheon

TEMECULA -- Jewelry trends for the holidays and a story of hope will be included at the luncheon meeting of the Temecula Valley Women's Connection at 11:30 a.m. today at Pat & Oscar's restaurant.

The speaker will be Karen Sawyer, a former franchise holder and teacher. Sally Ann Horton will demonstrate jewelry trends. The cost is $15, and reservations are necessary for lunch and child care.

Pat & Oscar's is at 29375 Rancho California Road. For information, call Christine at 677-8187 or email cw4cwc@verizon.net.

Bingo put on hold

WILDOMAR - Thursday night bingo at the Lake Elsinore Elks Lodge has been put on hiatus indefinitely because of a fire that destroyed the lodge last week.

The lodge is also seeking donations of tables and chairs to replace those lost.

The group has found a building to meet in until the lodge is rebuilt, but members have no place to sit. They need 45 tables and up to 350 chairs.

For information, call Rafael at 764-5631.

Library friends meet Thursday

LAKE ELSINORE - Ruth Atkins will discuss "The History of Lake Elsinore" when Friends of Lake Elsinore Library meet at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The meeting will be at the library, 600 W. Graham Ave. For information, call 674-4517.

Service club starts local chapter

TEMECULA - A chapter of Civitan International is forming in Temecula Valley and will hold an informational meeting Thursday in Old Town.

Civitan started in 1917 in Birmingham, Ala., and focuses on helping the developmentally disabled, including supporting groups such as Special Olympics. The meeting will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Mexico Chiquito restaurant, 41841 Moreno Road.

To RSVP, call (760) 931-2644 or e-mail butchkaskel@aol.com.

Boy Scouts plan pancake breakfast

LAKE ELSINORE -Boy Scout Troop 439 will hold its annual pancake breakfast fundraiser prior to the Unity in the Community parade Saturday. The downtown parade begins at 10 a.m.

Troop members will also collect donations to help their charter organization, Lake Elsinore Lodge No. 2591, in its rebuilding effort following the loss of the lodge in a fire.

The breakfast will be at Fire Station 10 on Graham Avenue. For information, call Larry Ryan at 674-5012.

Red Hatters to parade

LAKE ELSINORE - The Bodacious Beauties of Temecula Valley, Mad Hatters of Lake Elsinore and Blushing Hattitudes of Wildomar are inviting other members of the Red Hat Society to join them in the Unity in the Community Parade on Saturday.

Ladies are asked to gather between 7:30 and 8 a.m. at the corner of Graham Avenue and Lewis Street, in front of Elsinore Middle School.

Participants should wear parade clothes. They can ride on a float or walk.

For information or reservations, call Valerie Sund at 678-9455 or e-mail at machetejoe@msn.com

Book sale hosted by friends group

WILDOMAR - A paperback book sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Mission Trail Library.

Hosted by the Friends of the Mission Trail Library, the sale will be in the community room of the library, 34303 Mission Trail.

For information, call 678-9722.

Group plans art, photo exhibit

MENIFEE - The Oasis Fine Arts Group and The Photography Group will present its annual art exhibit Saturday.

The public is invited to view a variety of art works in oil, watercolor, mixed media and photography from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Oasis Clubhouse, 29100 Midway Summit Road.

For information, call Marianne Wucherpfennig at 672-6103.

Watershed manager to address group

SUN CITY - Celeste Cantu, general manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, will speak at the Saturday breakfast meeting of Riverside County United Communities.

Breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. and Cantu will speak at 9:30 a.m., at Boston Billie's restaurant, 26850 Cherry Hills Blvd. All are welcome.

For information, call Thelma Grant at 657-9319.

Art league to gather

TEMECULA - Fallbrook artist Karen Langer Baker will demonstrate the figure in composition using photographs when the Temecula Valley Art League meets at 7 p.m. Monday.

Rebecca Wresing of the Rose Society will also speak on the society's art competition for the March Rose Show.

The meeting will be at the Mary Phillips Senior Center, 41845 Sixth St. For information, call Mary Davis at 677-9633.

Art association hosts workshop

MURRIETA - Murrieta's Gem of the Valley Art Association will hold a painting workshop featuring artist and instructor Jack Ragland at 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The subject of the workshop will be a landscape and participants may work in oil, or water-soluble oil paints. The cost is $50.

The workshop will be at the Murrieta Community Center, 41717Juniper Ave. For reservations or information, call Rita Rau at 678-9660.

Veterans group helps with benefit forms

TEMECULA - Veterans of Foreign Wars members help veterans and their families by assisting in filling out forms and filing for programs including disability, rehabilitation, education, pension, death benefits and employment.

The assistance is offered from 10 a.m to 2:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at the Temecula Valley VFW Post 4089, 28075 Diaz Road.

For information, call 676-1541.

Women's Club plans benefit cruise

TEMECULA - The Temecula Valley Woman's Club is planning a trip to Mexico to benefit Michelle's Place, a breast cancer resource center.

"Fiesta at Sea" cruisers will set sail March 14 on Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas, returning March 17. Cabins begin at $329 per person.

For information and reservations, call 693-9880 or e-mail dmonsen@cruiseplanners.com.

Calendar sales benefit Habitat for Humanity

TEMECULA - The first Capture the Valley photography contest is over and the calendars are for sale, with half of the proceeds going to Inland Valley Habitat for Humanity.

The calendars sell for $12 and the winning photographers, whose works are featured in the calendar, are Jim Watters, Tambra Turano-Davis, Jeff Crace, Diane Gray, Gail Beardsley, Sammy Murmann, Yvonne Gaudet, Kathleen Anselmo, Colin Whaley, Mike Colombatto and Loren Scott.

To order, or for information, call 445-1215 or visit www.capturethevalley.com.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Meal proceeds to help family

MURRIETA - Chick-fil-A will donate proceeds from sales today to a family that lost its home in the recent fires.

Donations for meals purchased from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. will benefit the Kea family, whose mother is the vice principal of E. Hale Curran Elementary School.

Chick-fil-A is on Madison Avenue between Kalmia and Los Alamos. For information, call 696-1405.

Weekly peace rally Friday

MURRIETA - United Church of the Valley sponsors a peace rally from 4 to 5 p.m. every Friday at The Community House.

The Community House is at 24973 Washington Ave. For information, call Jean at 970-1361.

Linfield collects food for local pantry

TEMECULA - Linfield Christian School is collecting canned food through Friday, in an annual food drive to help replenish the local food pantry.

Middle and high school students are asked to leave their cans in their science classrooms.

For information, call Wilhe Augustine at 676-8111, Ext. 1460, or e-mail waugustine@linfield.com.

Punk, political forum for teens offered

RIVERSIDE - A teen-oriented punk music forum to encourage political awareness and community action, benefitting Planned Parenthood, will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Back to the Grind coffeehouse.

Entry to "Planned Parenthood Teen Lobby Day" costs $5. Bands include All or Nothing HC, Malice of Forethought, No Reform and Socialized Crucifixion.

Organizers include the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, Planned Parenthood, Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance, On the Rag Records and Inland Empire HardCore.

Back to the Grind is at 3575 University Ave. For information, call (909) 557-7982 or (951) 222-3126.

Workshop offers personalized bookmarks

TEMECULA - Artist Pam Benson will lead a workshop on making personalized bookmarks from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Temecula Valley Museum.

The museum is at 28314 Mercedes St. For information and to RSVP, call 694-6450.

Free workshop on composting offered

TEMECULA - A free workshop on backyard composting will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, teaching how to turn green kitchen and yard waste into a rich, fertilizing soil for gardens.

Volunteer master composters, trained by the county, will explain how to compost easily and efficiently. Low-cost compost bins will also be available to local residents.

The workshop will be at Grace Mellman Community Library, 41000 County Center Drive. For information, call Janet Moreland at 486-3200 or visit www.rivcowm.org.

Michelle's Place hosts new group for kids

MURRIETA - A support group for children who have a parent with cancer or have lost a parent to cancer begins Saturday at Michelle's Place.

Kids Konnected, with funding from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is providing a therapist to offer free support for children 4 to 18. The group will meet at 10 a.m. the third Saturday of each month at 41785 Elm St., Suite 305.

For information, call therapist Cary Terra at (619) 540-3630 or Michelle's Place at 304-1280.

Thanksgiving food handed out at park

SUN CITY - Members of Faith Baptist Church in Wildomar will hand out Thanksgiving groceries from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at E.L. "Pete" Peterson Park.

There will be activities and goodies for children, and church members have issued a special invitation for the deaf community, and say an interpreter and people who sign will be there.

The park is at 29621 Park City Ave., off Murrieta Road. For information, call Richard Bates at 796-2253. For information on the church's deaf ministry, call Roy Hensley at (760) 580-3562.