Visit and Eat Breakfast with Santa, Watch Dancers Light Up the Holiday, Support Da Bears

It's Thursday and you have no idea what you're going to do this weekend. Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch is coming to the rescue.

We've got the best bets for your done-with-work-outta-here time. Check out our picks for the activities to hit and new places to explore this weekend.

• Where/When: Chicago Bears Football Club, 1000 Football Drive, 6-8:30 p.m. Friday (Dec. 9).

• Why Go: The Chicago Bears open their doors for a rare glimpse inside their headquarters at Halas Hall. Proceeds benefit the Gridiron Alliance, which assists former high school athletes who were catastrophically injured while playing school sports. The event includes a guided tour of the Bears training facility by Bears staff and Gridiron Alliance personnel. Current and former Chicago Bears players will be in attendance. There will be a memorabilia auction including tickets to the Bears-Seattle Seahawks game. For information and tickets, visit the Gridiron Alliance website.

• Pricing: $125 per person. 

Kiwanis Pancake  Breakfast with Santa

• Where/When: Grace Methodist Church, 244 E. Center Ave., Lake Bluff, 8-11 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 10).

• Why Go: The Lake Bluff/Lake Forest Kiwanis Club, in conjunction with the Lake Bluff Park District, will hold its annual Breakfast with Santa Pancake Breakfast.  Proceeds will go to local charities in keeping with Kiwanis International's mission to "Serve the Children of the World" through both global and local initiatives.

• Pricing: Tickets, which are available at the door, are free for children age 2 and under, $5 for children ages 3-12 and $10 for ages 13 and over. 

Lake Forest Dance Academy's Holiday Extrava-Dance-A

• Where/When: Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Center, 400 Hasting Road, 4-5:30 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 10).

• Why Go: Lake Forest Dance Academy's Performance Companies will be staging their annual Holiday Extrava-Dance-A. Members of the Prelude Dance Theater, Euphony Tap Ensemble. Hip Hop Evolution and Spotlight Theater will perform choreographed holiday dances.  Also, as in years past, the Lake Forest Dance Academy's Performing Companies will share their talents and spread good cheer throughout the community by performing at various area nursing homes, home health care facilities, and other area organizations.

• Pricing: Tickets are available for $5 at the door.  Lake Forest Dance Academy students may enter for free with a paid adult. 

Christmas at Gorton's - Santa's Workshop

• Where/When: Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest,  2-5 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 11).

• Why Go: Visit Santa's workshop at Gorton Center from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Kids visit with Santa and holiday characters. Loads of fun activities: balloon artist, crafts to take home, sing-a-long, music and magic show!

• Pricing: $10 per child, ages 2 and under are free.

• Where/When: Lake Forest High School, 1285 N. McKinley Road,  3-8 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 11).

• Why Go: Lake Forest High School presents its 2011 Holiday Concerts and Spaghetti Dinner. The event starts with the band and orchestra concerts at 3 p.m. in the Raymond Moore Auditorium, followed by the spaghetti dinner from 4:45-6:45 p.m., and the choral concert at 7 p.m.

• Pricing:  $4 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at www.lfhsapplause.org

• Where/When: Citadel Theater, 300 S. Waukegan Road, runs Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 30. Evening performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., 3 p.m. on Sundays. Special matinee at 1 p.m. Dec. 15.

• Why Go: Citadel Theatre proudly presents Charles Dickens’ classic tale, A Christmas Carol, adapted by Peter DeLaurier and starring Frank Farrell as Scrooge.  Faithful to Dickens' beautiful language, this flexible adaptation of the beloved Christmas classic tells the heartwarming story of miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge who is always cold-hearted, and Christmas is no exception -- that is, until the ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, comes to warn him about the consequences of living a life of greed and materialism. Over the next three nights, Scrooge is visited by three other spirits who try to convince him that his selfishness will be his downfall. Is this enough to make the selfish old miser change his ways?  Directed by Pat Murphy.

• Pricing: $37 per person.