Best bets for the weekend

Wooo hooo and ho, ho, ho. The holidays are here like a February avalanche at the Snoqualmie Pass snowshed. If you can't find something cheery, cozy, bright and bubbly to do this weekend, you're in need of serious professional help. So here we are. (Stand back, we're professionals.) Start with the Figgy Pudding sing and get your anti-Grinch groove on from there. We have plenty more on the December docket:

For details on all of these events, search our Weekend Calendar online.

Eight tiny rainbeers?: Warm up your weekend with the Winter Beer Festival featuring seasonal brews from more than 30 Washington breweries.

Cool days, haute cuisine: What fills you with holiday cheer faster than festive ethnic favorites, like what you'll find at the Lutefisk and Meatball Dinner at the Sons of Norway in Bothell? Or check out the Santa Brunch in Seattle, where you can feed your face, then get your family photo taken with your choice of African-American, Asian or Caucasian Santas.

Artful dodging?: It's hard to miss art sales this time of year, so go with the flow and pick out some gifts this weekend at art sales at Pratt Fine Art Center, Seward Park Clay Studio, South Park Neighborhood Center and more. Lots of gift bazaars as well.

Saturday at Seward: Speaking of Seward Park, there's the Winter Birds Super Saturday, when naturalists can help you discover more than 100 species of birds in the park, along with games, arts and crafts, and more. And don't miss the Winter Wonderland Hayrides around the park.

Tree lighting, la la la: If you like to gather around the town square in the gathering dusk and watch lights flick on, chasing away the doldrums and the humbugs, this is your weekend. There are community tree lighting ceremonies in Snoqualmie, Tacoma, Mercer Island, Mountlake Terrace, Bothell, Black Diamond, Columbia City, Queen Anne, Renton, Shoreline, Redmond, Mukilteo, Kent, Skykomish, Marysville and Brier.

Home tours, ha ha ha: Continue the merriment as you tour homes decorated for the holidays. There are holiday home tours this weekend in Medina, Magnolia and Camano Island.