Head for the Honolulu Hale grounds to see:

• "Snow." The cheery "snow" family in front of the Municipal Building, complete with surfboard and snowy dog, that is.

• A superbly lit Christmas tree, brimming with oversized musical instruments/ornaments, in front of Honolulu Hale.

• Everybody's favorite holiday couple, Shaka Santa and Tutu Mele, sitting at the corner of King and Punchbowl streets.

• The Honolulu Hale courtyard, filled with Christmas tree exhibits; and wreaths at the Lane Gallery.

There's entertainment, too: Each night through Christmas Eve, choir concerts will fill the Honolulu Hale courtyard (on Christmas Day Mrs. Santa will play the harp at 5 p.m.). Today's performers are Kanikapila at 4 p.m., and the St. Joseph Parish Choir at 6 p.m. Tomorrow's are Door of Faith at 6 p.m., and Pacific Island Choir at 7 p.m.

And it's all free.

So fill a thermos with eggnog (see recipe on this page), bring a sweater (because it can get a little cool at night), take in the sights (lots of families posing for next year's Christmas cards), and toast the season of giving.

Happy holidays to you!

Get your blinkie and T-shirt

The Friends of Honolulu City Lights have created a T-shirt and blinkie pin using an illustration of the big Shaka Santa, who sits in front of Honolulu Hale.

The pins are $5 each, two for $8 and three for $10. The T-shirts are $8-$11, available in kids and adult sizes. Both are being sold on the grounds of Honolulu Hale in the evenings; the T-shirts are also available at the Honolulu City Store at Ala Moana Center.

Homemade eggnog enriches holiday table

Anyone for eggnog? Ooooh, it's the season for that thick, rich, alcohol-tinged delight. And you can make it at home, too:

Classic Cooked Eggnog

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 cup brandy or rum
• Grated nutmeg for garnish

1. In a large saucepan, beat together eggs, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Stir in two cups milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film. (The temperature must reach 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.)

2. Remove from heat. Stir in the rest of the milk and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Just before serving, add the brandy or rum. Pour into bowl or pitcher and dust with nutmeg.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Clean cast-iron pans with lemon and salt

If your cast-iron cookware is covered with rust, here is an easy way to remove it while preserving the cookware's finish. You'll need a lemon, salt and a bit of olive oil.

First, cover the bottom of a small dish with table salt. Next, cut a lemon in half and dip it into the salt. Place the salt-covered lemon into the rusty pan and rub in a circular pattern. Periodically re-dip the lemon into the salt. Once all the lemon juice has been drawn out of that half of the lemon, continue with the other half. Rinse the pan with fresh water and place it on the burner to dry completely. Finish by applying a couple of tablespoons of olive oil with a soft dry cloth to the pan.

Maui film festival screens '21 Grams'

Maui film fans are in luck: The FirstLight film festival continues with a lineup of movies that we might be hearing about again come Oscar nomination time.

For instance, the drama "21 Grams," starring Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts, has huge buzz. Its three interconnected stories focus on a traffic accident.

"21 Grams" screens at 7:30 p.m. today; the festival continues through Jan. 1 (no movies on Christmas Eve and Day). All films are at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theater.

Holiday fashions at Sunday brunch

Suzanne Pepper, Kailua-based designer of TropiCouture, will introduce her Holiday 2003 collection of special-occasion clothes in a fashion show and Sunday brunch noon-3 p.m. tomorrow, at Kevin's Two Boots Cajun Restaurant in Kailua.

The brunch is $18 for all you can eat.

Information and reservations: Suzanne at 237-7055 or Kevin at 230-8111.

Sunset at Queen's Beach triples the fun starting today

Sunset on the Beach goes into overdrive with three big evenings of food booths, entertainment, movies on that 30-foot screen and even a few special features.

Tonight's film is "The Santa Clause 2," starring Tim Allen as the jolly fellow who needs to find a wife; tomorrow's is "Seabiscuit," the horse-racing drama starring Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges; and Monday's is "Remember the Titans," about a football team that could, starring Denzel Washington. Each movie screens after the sun goes down.

Today's bonus is a flyover demonstration by military, commercial and private planes to mark the 100 years of powered flight. Tomorrow, illusionist John Hirokawa will take the stage to dazzle the crowd. On Monday the sponsoring Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl will present a pep rally with the University of Hawai'i and University of Houston football teams and coaches, cheerleaders and bands as a prelude to the Christmas Day game at Aloha Stadium.

Sunset takes place from 4 p.m. at Queen's Surf Beach in Waikiki. Admission is free.

Pause for a cause: Bid for ornaments

Saturday's here and full of wonderful opportunities: Take a scenic hike, visit a beach, go for a run or, even better, donate to charity. Go to www.honoluluadvertiser.com, check out "Creations for a Cause," pick your favorite ornament and make an online bid. It's that easy and all for worthy causes.

As of yesterday morning, the one-of-a-kind holiday pieces created by six Island artists have raised more than $400 for the Advertiser Christmas Fund and the Academy Art Center at Linekona.

Get in on the action, too, but hurry. The bidding runs through midnight tomorrow. The highest bidders will be notified Monday.

Gift items abound at Mililani fair

So you've checked your Christmas list twice and still need to find something for Auntie Alice, the neighbor kid and that visiting pal from college?

Head over to the "Save the Best for Last" holiday craft and gift fair, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. today at Mililani Uka Elementary School (94-380 Kuahelani Ave.) and Kuahelani Park. More than 150 vendors will be offering jewelry, fashions, collectibles, local snacks and much more. Admission is free. Happy hunting!

Free rambutans, Santa, udon all at the same place?

Santa and elves will visit the Saturday Farmers' Market at 9 a.m. today at Kapi'olani Community College. They'll be passing out free tangerines and rambutans from Big Island farmers.

Ready to go for breakfast? Today's feature is from Indigo restaurant: bowls of udon with surprise condiments.

Market hours are 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Admission is free.

Ma'ili Elementary teacher Abralette Kaneakua snaps a photo of Erika Mendoza. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

It's a big, joyous weekend of holiday parties, as friends and family get together to eat, drink and talk story. It's also the perfect time to photograph the gang in their happy holiday finery.

So load up on the batteries and film and reacquaint yourself with these tips for shooting great holiday photos:

• Early morning and late afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky, afford the most-flattering light.

• Take lots of shots. Move your subjects — and yourself — around. Try some silly photos; it loosens everyone up. Here's a trick: Take a few shots of the group in pose, then snap a quick one right afterward, when everyone has relaxed.

• Be quick. Youngsters especially don't have the patience for long photo sessions.