It's the first full weekend of 2012, so what are you gonna do to celebrate? Watch football or hockey? Clean the house? Well, here are a few other suggestions to help you plan your weekend: • Join the fun at Sonoma's Infineon Raceway for John's March Against Gastric Cancer. It's a great chance to get out in the sunshine for the walk of a lifetime — 2.52 miles around the race track. The suggested $40 donation goes to fund research for a cure for gastric cancer. Arrive by 9 a.m. Saturday. • You and the kids can rock out with Dr. Elmo at the Marin Country Mart farmers market on Saturday, 9 a.m…

From our family to yours, have a happy holiday: • For a different take on the holiday season, join in the Winter Solstice celebrations on Friday, 7p.m., at the Corte Madera Recreation Center. Celebrate the rebirth of the light as our ancestors did with song, ritual, fire and drumming. • Need to pick up some last-minute items for the holiday dinner? Try the weekly farmers market Saturday at Marin Country Mart. The market is open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. There'll be plenty of music and stories for the kids, plus pony rides and fun art. And don't forget the food! Nick's Breakfast Truck will be on hand for …

• Join Santa and his reindeer at the Marin Country Mart farmers market on Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Christopher Smith will get the good times rolling with holiday music and then Scott the Storyteller joins in the fun. Get a tasty sensation with latkes and Klezmer music with the Jubillee Klezmer Band and Old World food truck. Drop by the Patch table to say hi and help us celebrate our first anniversary in the Larkspur-Corte Madera area. It's been a lot of fun to work in the same community where I spent a lot of time as a kid and we're looking forward to an exciting 2012. So, let us know what you…

There's a lot going on as we prepare for the holidays ... and it seems Santa and his elves are working overtime to make sure they have everyone's wish list. Santa will appear at The Village and the Town Center in Corte Madera. He'll take some time out Sunday for a breakfast spectacular, then it's right back to work. Here are a few ways to get into the holdiay spirit this weekend: • What does Santa eat that makes his belly roll like it's full of jelly when he laughs? Why, pancakes with all the toppings, of course! Join Santa and his helpers Sunday, 8-10:30 a.m., for a pancake breakfast at the …

December is officially here! The holiday trees are lit. The sound of jingle bells is in the air. It's that time of year when we all jam the shopping centers looking for presents for ourselves or our loved ones (my wife has a new sports car on her wish list). I'll spend this weekend looking for a holiday tree and I hope to find it on Ring Mountain of all places. But don't forget to stop by Marin Catholic on Saturday to cheer on the football team in the playoffs. • Bring the kids for a photo with Santa at the Corte Madera Town Center's holiday gift wrap center, located in the 770 Office …

Got the turkey hangover? Tired after camping out the past few days for midnight Black Friday deals? Well, get out of the easy chair and find some energy to get out for these fun activities: • Regis Philbin is leaving television — for now, at least — but he's hardly leaving the spotlight. Philbin visits Book Passage in Corte Madera on Sunday at 4 p.m. to share his new book How I Got This Way, loaded with stories mined from more than 50 years in show business. Visit the Book Passage website to order a signed copy. • Mimi the Sardine's Black Cyber sale kicks off Friday and continues through …