• Of course with just about every club and bar in the city hosting a special party Friday night, there are also New Year's Eve events for families and a number of special New Year's Eve shows to choose from as you wrap up 2009.


• Special New Year's Day events include a levee at Queen's Park, selective shopping, and swimming in very cold water.


• From Open Book Toronto comes word of another Friday event - The Third Annual New Year's Day Poetry Marathon, a fundraiser for Mayworks beginning at 3pm at The Raging Spoon, 761 Queen Street West.


• This is the final weekend for both the Dead Sea Scroll and the Vanity Fair Portrait exhibits at the Royal Ontario Museum.


• Seasonal events are also wrapping up, with this being the last weekend this year to visit Downsview Park's Trail of Lights, to see the Ross Petty Production Robin Hood: The EnvironMENTAL Family Musical or to take in The Nutcracker as performed by The National Ballet of Canada .


• On the less seasonal front, it's also the final weekend for the Toronto run of The Toxic Avenger Musical at the Music Hall.


• The Total Wedding Show is on January 2nd and 3rd at the International Centre.


• The NCAA International Bowl (which I gather is American college football) is on Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.


• DJ Skate Saturday Nights continue at Harbourfront Centre's Natrel Rink.

If you're an event planner hosting something this weekend, feel free to tell us about it in the comments section below. For later events, add them to the January User-Posted Event Listings (or the user posted events for February).

Earlier this year, Queen Street's long-standing Pages Books shut down, while Mirvish Books closed its physical doors to operate solely online. Now Winnipeg-based McNally Robinson - which only opened its first Toronto location several months back - is seeking bankruptcy protection and will close that shiny new Toronto store.

While it's too late for some of Toronto's independent booksellers, there's still a bit of time to save the Toronto Women's Bookstore. Feeling the financial crunch, this "non-profit bookstore dedicated to promoting anti-oppression politics and feminist politics" recently sent out a request for donations, acknowledging they'll only be able to survive a few more months without extra support.

• If you'd like to donate, visit www.womensbookstore.com for details and keep up with the latest by following TWB on Twitter.

Okay, so it's a little early to be un-trimming the Christmas tree and Kwanzaa's still going on, but when you're ready to sort through your year-end garbage the City of Toronto's website is ready to help with a handy searchable database to let you know what goes where. For example, search for "wrapping" and you'll be reminded that most wrapping paper goes in the blue bin for recycling, but metallic gift wrap will need to go in the garbage (this is after you've saved what can be reused, of course). "Ribbon" also goes in the garbage, but if you're done with a "greeting card" it goes in for recycling. Of course whether or not you're celebrating anything this holiday season, the site is also a great help if you're just trying to start 2010 off with less clutter!

• Try out waste management's online search tool now or anytime of the year at www.toronto.ca/garbage/.

Obviously this weekend's a little different from most. On Christmas Day most of Toronto will be shut down, and the TTC will be running on an adjusted holiday schedule. On top of that, The Weather Network warns of a chance of freezing rain on Friday. So stay safe and warm, however you choose to spend this weekend!

• From the User-Posted Events for this month, there's a Christmas Dinner After Party on Friday night in support of Youth Day.


• On Saturday the Toronto Zoo is having their annual Christmas Treats Walk in the morning and offering half-price admission all day (please bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the food bank!).


• From the events section of Open Book Toronto comes word of the literary event "Reader+Writer+Party" on Sunday night (plus an offer of discounted tickets).


• Holiday Family Musicals at The Second City continue this weekend, with Big Bad Wolf (vs. Lord Underwearface von Schtinker) on Saturday and What the Elf!?! on Sunday, both starting at noon.


• Animals Take Over the ROM for the Holidays with special hours and admission deals also available.


• Winter Holidays at the Ontario Science Centre also offers special programming and hours this weekend.


• On Sunday NFB Mediatheque begins the Snowed In series of family-friendly animation workshops and screenings.


• The Toronto Bruce Trail Club offers a public hike of the Toronto Islands on Saturday and one of High Park on Sunday.


• On Sunday the Toronto Marlies will be playing a home game at Ricoh Coliseum against the Lake Erie Monsters.

If you're an event planner hosting something this weekend, feel free to tell us about it in the comments section below. For later events, add them to the December User-Posted Event Listings (or the user posted events for January).