Weekend Planner: Your Guide to Holiday Fun

Ready or not, the holiday season is here, and so is the arrival of the in Berkley and Hanukkah shopping events in nearby Oak Park.

On Saturday, Berkley will be aglow with Christmas festivities surrounding the big parade, including:

• Horse-drawn carriage rides from noon to 3 p.m. starting at the
• Free trolley rides from 2 to 5 p.m. along 12 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway. Jump off and enjoy Berkley's shopping and restaurants. Carolers from the Girl Scout Troop and the Rogers Rockettes will entertain riders.
• A petting zoo from 2 to 5 p.m. at Tyler and 12 Mile.

Then, on Sunday, check out and as they each offer holiday boutiques in honor of Hanukkah.

It is sure to be a festive weekend with lots to do, so pencil in these events and enjoy the season!

• Where: 
• When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday
• Cost: Free
• Why go: Carol at the creche before the Berkley Holiday Lights Parade.  Meet at the community nativity, located on 12 Mile between Kipling and Wakefield. Hot chocolate will be served.

• Where: Beginning at 12 Mile and Bacon Street and moving down to Coolidge Highway in front of the gazebo.
• When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday
• Cost: Free
• Why go: See 12 Mile all aglow, then enjoy a tree-lighting ceremony and visit Santa Claus at the gazebo. Evening horse-drawn carriage rides will follow at Coolidge and Rosemont. Former mayor Marilyn Stephan will serve as grand marshal and ring in the countdown to Christmas.

Toys for Tots Spaghetti Dinner

• Where: 
• When: 6-9 p.m. Saturday
• Cost: $6 and a new, unwrapped toy
• Why go: Join the Sassy Red Hatters of Oak Park for their third annual  Spaghetti Dinner and help make Christmas a little brighter for children in need. The event is co-sponsored by  and the Cpl. Stanley L. Moore Detachment of the Marine Corps League.
• What else: Call 248-914-9443 or 248-399-0824 to reserve a space. No cloth or stuffed toys, please.

• Where:
• When: 9 a.m. to noon Sunday
• Cost: Free
• Why go: There will be lots of handcrafted items, including jewelry and knits, candles and holiday decorations. The Book Beat of Oak Park will be on hand with a great selection of books. Bagels, coffee and juice will be available.
• What else: Visit www.emanuel-mich.org for more information.

• Where:
• When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
• Cost: Free
• Why go: Shop items from more than 20 local vendors, including You'll Flip, Stella & Dot, Little Boogaloo, Designs by Rifcah, Out of the Box and more. A portion of sales will be used to support educational programs.
• What else: Click here for a coupon to receive 10 percent off at one vendor; limit one per family. Visit http://­www.­aishi­nthewoods.­com/­new/­specia­levents.­php for more information.

For more weekend-things-to-do options, visit our Events guide here. If you'd like to post your own event, .