The Temecula Valley Woman's Club will host its 23rd annual Holiday Home Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The tour will go through four homes in Bear Creek. An open-air holiday marketplace, featuring more than 50 artisans and craftsmen selling their wares, will be located at Murrieta Valley High School. Parking is available at the marketplace and a shuttle will take participants into Bear Creek.

The first home is a Mediterranean, featuring a collection of Fostoria Depression Glass and two artworks by glass artist James Nowak. The kitchen has three ovens, a warming drawer, double freezer/refrigerator and two dishwashers. There is also a temperature-controlled wine room.

The second home has a large circular foyer, featuring a tile floor with a large center medallion. A wrought iron staircase leads to the upper level, where an exterior bridge provides access to a casitas. A second staircase leads to the master suite, which has a view of the golf course.

The third home is Spanish Colonial Revival-style. It has a large front courtyard with a built-in barbecue and fireplace. The backyard has a golf course view with a pool, waterfall wall, barbecue and fire pit. There's also a bowling alley, bar and workout room.

Home four is contemporary French and tucked into the hillside. Highlights include interesting collections throughout, a granite wet bar and a wine cellar with a stone spiral staircase.

Advance tickets are $30 and may be ordered by calling 302-1370 or online at www.tvwc.com. On event days, tickets will cost $35 at the Holiday Marketplace, 42200 Nighthawk Way.

Proceeds from the Home Tour will benefit local charities, help fund college scholarships for area teens and provide support for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex research. The club is helping support a database at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital that will log key information about the disorder, which causes tumors to grow in vital organs. The data will be used to provide insight to the disorder and hopefully lead to a cure.

An Opening Night Home Tour Gala is slated for 6:30 p.m. Friday, offering wine, hors d'oeuvres and entertainment at the Bear Creek clubhouse. A tour of the homes is included. Tickets are $125. For reservations, call 302-1370.

Also, Murrieta United Methodist Church will be collecting food items from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Marketplace. Canned goods such as meats, spaghetti sauce, fruit and vegetables, as well as cereal and pasta, are especially needed.

Rotary Club of Temecula provides Thanksgiving for local families

TEMECULA - The Rotary Club of Temecula has provided dinner baskets to needy families during the Thanksgiving holidays for more than 10 years. This year, members provided meals for more than 110 families throughout Southwest Riverside County.

Families were found through agencies such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest County, Habitat for Humanity and S.A.F.E. The baskets included a turkey, a pie and all the fixings.

The club will be reaching out to families for the Christmas holidays as well, and expects to assist more families in December.

For information, visit www.temecularotary.com.

Golf carts to parade

SUN CITY - Residents of Sun City will take to the streets in their golf carts at 3 p.m. Saturday for the inaugural Christmas Golf Cart Parade.

Besides the parade of festively decorated carts, there will be a potluck dinner and a collection for Toys for Tots.

Organizer and grand marshal David Bernhardt said about 100 carts are expected to participate.

A firetruck will lead the parade and Smoky Bear and Santa Claus will make appearances.

The parade will start at the Sun City Civic Association lawn bowling facility and end at North Town Hall, where the dinner will be held.

The parade will travel north on Sun City Boulevard, turn left on Chambers Avenue to Murrieta Road to Ridgemoor Road, Waverly Drive, Potomac Drive and Desert Hills Road. Bernhardt said he expects it will take about 45 minutes to complete the route.

Admission to the potluck is an unwrapped toy and a dish of food to share. Toys will also be collected along the route

North Town Hall is at 26601 Cherry Hills Blvd. For information, call Bernhardt at 672-8032.

CLUB NEWS

Murrieta Referral Network meets weekly

MURRIETA - The Murrieta Referral Network is a group of professionals who meet weekly to exchange referrals and help one another become successful in business.

The group meets from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Richie's Diner, 40651 Murrieta Hot Springs Road.

For information, call Jim Willis at 833-6451 or e-mail jwillis@repmtg.com.

Conversation brewing at coffee shop

MURRIETA - Conversation Cafe, a national movement to encourage conversations, meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at It's a Grind Coffee.

The cafe provides hosts who facilitate conversations, with topics ranging from movies to values. Murrieta hosts are Laura Piening and Patricia Allen.

The shop is at 24520 Village Walk Place. For information, call 677-7750 or e-mail valleytalks@yahoo.com.

Christmas house tour benefits women's group

SUN CITY - The Sun City PEO chapter will host a tour of an elaborately decorated home beginning Friday, with proceeds helping the group assist women to enhance their lives through learning.

The open house, which is for adults only, will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m Friday, Saturday and Dec. 7 and 8 at 38653 Carmel Road.

The house has 25 decorated trees and is filled with music and motion. Donations of $5 are requested.

For information, call Margaret Hepworth at 679-4842.

Mystery author to speak

MURRIETA - Award-winning mystery novelist Jacqueline Winspear will speak at 10 a.m. Friday at the Murrieta Public Library, courtesy of the Friends of the Murrieta Library.

Winspear is the creator of the Maisie Dobbs series.

The library is at 8 Town Square, off Kalmia Avenue. For information, call Eleanor Newhard at 600-0773.

Computer users to get demonstration

TEMECULA - Painter Essentials 3 with the Wacom Tablet will be demonstrated when the Temecula Valley Computer Users Group meets at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Karl Wester will work on the Corel program, which contains tools for turning photographs into art. He will also demonstrate Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008.

The group meets at the Temecula Public library, 30600 Pauba Road. For information, call Jack at 699-9563.

Artists hold open house

MURRIETA - Murals, fine art, stenciling, faux and graphic arts will be on display Saturday and Sunday at an open house hosted by the Artist in Residence group.

Artwork by Stan Carpenter, Barbara Sheehan and Marla Halen will be featured from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the home of Stan and Kathryn Carpenter, 41076 Arron Court, Murrieta.

For information, call 304-0596.

Elks to hold memorial service

LAKE ELSINORE - Elks members will hold their annual memorial service for departed members at 2 p.m. Sunday at Trevi Entertainment Center.

The ritual will include lighting of candles for each member who has died, with emphasis on those who have died in the past year.

Trevi is at 32250 Mission Trail. For information, call 674-6804.

Volunteer firefighters host monthly breakfast

QUAIL VALLEY - The Quail Valley Volunteer Fire Department will sponsor its monthly pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday.

The breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, juice, milk and coffee. The cost is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and younger.

The money will go to the volunteer station, which covers Quail Valley and portions of Canyon Lake and Menifee.

The breakfast will be at the Fire Hall, 23980 La Bertha Lane. For information, call 244-5997.

Chess Club meets Sunday

MURRIETA - The Temecula Valley Chess Club will meet from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at Cloud 9 Coffee.

Participants are asked to bring a chess board.

The meeting will be at 25395 Madison Ave. For information, call 491-9053 or e-mail petersurowski@yahoo.com.

Woman's Club hosts new members

SUN CITY - The Menifee Valley Woman's Club will host 14 new members, a record for the group, at a brunch Monday at a private home.

Potential members are welcome at the brunch, which will begin at 10 a.m.

For information, call 246-4213.

Newcomers plan monthly social

TEMECULA - The Temecula Valley Newcomers Club will host a free coffee social for new and prospective members at 11 a.m. Monday.

The club offers activities such as bridge, lunch groups, book clubs, pinochle, dominos and day trips.

For reservations and location, call Jill at 678-4401.

Artists called for annual show

LAKE ELSINORE - Monday is the deadline for artists to register for the Gem of the Valley Art Association's Fall Open Juried Art Show.

Show hours will be 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 6 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Lake Elsinore Library, 600 W. Graham Ave.

The club will hold its monthly meeting at 2 p.m. Monday at the Murrieta Senior Center. Each meeting features a members' art show and demonstrator of the month. Monday's meeting will be a potluck holiday celebration with the announcement of the winner of the Artist of the Year award.

For information on the art show or the meeting, call Rita Rau at 678-9660.

Roundtable to host year in review

TEMECULA - The past year will be reviewed at the Dec. 6 lunch meeting of the Professional Women's Roundtable, and children from Oak Grove School will sing holiday songs.

Director Kim Goodnough will lead a review of the moments that inspired members as professionals, mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and friends, and look at the year to come. The group will meet from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sizzler restaurant, 27717 Jefferson Ave.

For information, call 672-1666 or 852-4288 or visit www.PWRonline.org.

High Hopes holds annual dinner dance

TEMECULA - High Hopes, a social recreation program for those with development disabilities, will hold its annual holiday dinner and dance from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Temecula Community Center.

The event will include performances by the High Hopes Dance Class and the High Hopes Choir. The cost is $1 for residents and $2 for others.

The center is at 28816 Pujol St. Reservations are required by calling Geoffrey Gaier at 694-6469.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Annual Christmas tree lighting set

TEMECULA - The 10th annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be 7 p.m. Thursday at the Temecula Duck Pond.

Santa will attend and holiday music will be sung by The Rising Stars of the Temecula Music Academy.

The pond is at the corner of Rancho California and Ynez roads. For information, call 694-6480.

Holiday craft fair set for Saturday

TEMECULA - The city's annual Holiday Craft Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Temecula Community Center.

Craft kits will be sold for $1 and children can create holiday gifts.

The workshop center is at 28816 Pujol St. For information, call 694-6469.

Candlelight tribute upcoming

TEMECULA - "Remembering Those We've Loved and Lost," the eighth annual Community Candlelight tribute, will be at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at The Promenade mall.

The event is for anyone who wishes to remember someone they've lost.

For information, call 461-6337 or e-mail lmejia@murrieta.org.

Christmas music fundraiser planned

MURRIETA - Student musicians will perform Christmas music in chamber ensembles, while listeners dine on Italian food at the Italian Intermezzo fundraiser Saturday at Calvary Chapel Christian High School.

The event will include a silent auction and proceeds will benefit the Concert Band's outreach tour to Germany and Austria in March. Tickets for the dinner and concert are $15, and are only sold in advance.

Seating will begin at 6:45 p.m., and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. For tickets or information, call 834-9190, Ext. 1136, or e-mail cledesma@ccumurrieta.com.

'Angels' meet at Oak Grove

MURRIETA - A volunteer group, Angels for Oak Grove, meets monthly to benefit Oak Grove, a residential treatment facility and school that serves children with a variety of social, emotional, medical and neurological impairments.

Potential volunteers are invited to tour the campus at noon Wednesday. They meet the first Wednesday of each month.

For information, call Ginnie Mueller at 677-5599, Ext. 302.

Office, church collecting Toys for Tots

TEMECULA - Two local organizations are collecting new, unwrapped toys for the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program.

Gifts can be dropped off at the Edward Jones office by noon on Dec. 14, and at Grace of Temecula Valley Church through Dec. 18.

Edward Jones is at 27349 Jefferson Ave., Suite 106. For information, call 296-3354. Grace of Temecula Valley Church is at 28073 Diaz Road. For information, call 506-6741.

Host families needed for Japanese teens

Host families are to house some 16-year-old girls from Akita, Japan, who are coming to Southwest County from Dec. 22 to Jan. 5.

The girls will attend classes and take part in cultural activities and field trips.

For information, call Nanette Tippner at 722-2294.

Chamber accepting donated toys, food

LAKE ELSINORE - The Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce will be accepting donations for two local charities, Cops for Kids and Helping Our People of Lake Elsinore, throughout December.

New, unwrapped toys and nonperishable food can be dropped off at 132 W. Graham Ave.

For information, call 245-8848.

Web site offers chance to help

MURRIETA - A Murrieta woman has created a Web site for families in need to ask for Christmas season help, anonymously, and for others to find a way to help.

The Web site is groups.yahoo.com/group/TheChristmasSpirit2007/.

The site was designed for working families who may have too much income for assistance programs, but still have no extra money for Christmas, especially those who are uncomfortable asking for help.

To give or receive help, e-mail TheChristmasSpirit@msn.com.