The big day is coming and so far we’ve given you the 411 about restaurants open for Thanksgiving dinner and bequeathed a great Thanksgiving home-cooked meal planner. But before you start digging into that turkey, you’ve got a weekend to fill, so why not use it to make the proper preparations for your holiday by creating centerpieces, learning some manners, making a gingerbread house or taking the time to gaze at the stars.

Our roundup of events begins tonight, with Brookline’s First Light Festival, one of the holiday season’s kickoff events. Other weekend events include a Dog Sled Fun Run, the Faneuil Hall Tree Lighting, a performance of Robin Hood, and a Big Woods Hike. Read on for details, and remember that our calendar is filled with many more activities.

With the holiday season moving in to full gear next week, we have highlighted some of the area Nutcracker performances, ranging from traditional staging to a modern interpretation. We’ve also highlighted ten artisan and craft fairs, including the Sleigh Bell Artisan Fair, which takes place this weekend in Wenham. If you have a favorite that’s not on our list, please let me know, and I will add it to our calendar.

Finally, Mommy Poppins Boston is giving away two Family Four Packs for families to see the Sing-Along Mary Poppins at the Regent Theatre in Arlington (11/25, 11/26, 11/27). All you need to do is send me an email to enter!

Enjoy!

Though it's not even Thanksgiving yet, the holiday season, it seems, is already upon us—check out the tree lighting and holiday fairs going on this weekend. But don't worry: Thanksgiving hasn't been completely forgotten about. There's a cute Thanksgiving show and an old-tyme Thanksgiving celebration for your family to experience as well.

The Regent Theatre in Arlington hosts an interactive movie experience with a customized version of the 1964 film Mary Poppins, and two Mommy Poppins Boston families can win free tickets to see the film.

A restored 35mm print of the classic 1964 film has been customized with on-screen lyrics so audiences can join in the fun by singing along. A movie host introduces the film and leads the crowd through audience participation activities and demonstrates the use of the complimentary bag of interactive props. To complete the Sing-A-Long Mary Poppins experience, audience members are encouraged to dress as their favorite Mary Poppins character – or in a costume inspired by the movie.

Show times are: Fri 10:30am, 2pm, 7pm; Sat 10:30am, 2pm; and Sun 2pm.

For your chance to win one of two Family 4-Packs for the show, just send me an email before Wednesday, 11/23 at noon. Winners will be notified by 2pm.

You better not pout, you better not cry, because Santa Claus is coming to town in a big way!  We’ve got tree lightings, Santa appearances, holiday trains and snow in the Southland - not to mention dozens of Nutcrackers and a few outdoor ice rinks - and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet!

But you haven’t even started your Christmas shopping, you say?  No problem!  Who needs Black Friday, when Mini Social and Petunia Pickle Bottom are holding sample sales this weekend?

So put on your parkas and mittens, and get ready for the start of the Christmas season in Southern California.

Keep reading for some of our top choices for the weekend...

Yes, we’ve been wearing t-shirts, but it’s officially the holidays, nonetheless. Make special memories with your kids by taking them to a holiday show in NJ! Nutcrackers and Christmas Carols abound, but there are other options as well, and we will do our best to find the fun ones out there, starting with “The Toymaker’s Apprentice” at Hudson Theater Ensemble’s Children’s Series “Silly on Sixth”.

Here we are at the last sane weekend before the holiday season officially begins. We adore the holidays of course, but we also love to savor NYC at this time of year, when it still belongs to us and not the tourists.

Even though Thanksgiving marks the start of the season, you can enjoy a bit of early holiday fun this weekend. The New York Botanical Garden unveils its annual train show on Saturday and a handful of department stores have put up their holiday windows. (Look for our slide show of all of the big ones soon.)

Of course there's lots of non-holiday fun too, including the Children's Museum of Manhattan's fabulous new installation Eat Sleep Play and the American Museum of Natural History's new Beyond Planet Earth exhibit, which opens on Saturday. Also this weekend, Music for Aardvarks rocks the preschool set, the Brooklyn Children's Museum's annual Icky Fest and live stand-up comedy for kids by kids.

And that's just a few of the great things going on this weekend. Read on for all of our picks and remember, you can find additional options in our Event Calendar.