Come home for the holidays: The Center’s annual “Come Home for the Holidays” party takes place from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at The Center. Celebrating, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the upcoming New Year, the event brings the entire community together to celebrate the past year and look toward 2005. There will be a DJ, music, dancing and plenty of food. Admission is free. Call (619) 692-2077 for details.

San Diego Bay Parade of Lights: The 33rd annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights takes place Dec. 12 and 19 from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. The parade route, led by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, begins at Shelter Island and ends at the Coronado ferry landing. Good viewing areas include the north and south ends of the Embarcadero, the pathway along Coronado, behind Seaport Village and from Harbor Island. Call (619) 235-4014 for more information.

Ice-skating at Horton Plaza: Ensuring that San Diegans really do have it all during the holidays, Horton Plaza decks itself out with holiday lights and its annual ice-skating rink. The rink is open throughout the holiday season from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. Sundays. Admission including skate rental is $10. Call (619) 234-1031 for more information.

Homos for the Holidaze: The Comedy Store in La Jolla is hosting “Homos for the Holidaze”, a gay comedy slam, starting at 8:00 p.m. The show’s headliner is Scott Kennedy, a hilarious, openly gay comic. Vicki Barbolak, named “Funniest Woman in Southern California” in 2003, will also perform. Admission is $12, with a two-drink minimum. The Comedy Store is located at 916 Pearl St. For more information, call (858) 454-9176.

Fraternity House invites you… : To attend its annual holiday open house, taking place from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the beautiful Elfin Forest in San Marcos. Fraternity House is one of San Diego’s only licensed homes for the chronically ill. Call (760) 736-0292 for directions.

Ballroom dance lessons: Ever wanted to dance with a partner to the wonderful strains of beautiful waltz, fox trot, tango or rumba? No partner is necessary and all are welcome to this fun, easy and great class for couples planning weddings, proms, parties, etc., and singles looking for a great venue for meeting new people in a joyous environment. The class takes place at The Center starting at 6:00 p.m. There will be a $10 fee collected at the door and all proceeds will benefit The Center. No partner is necessary to participate. Call (619) 692-2077 for more information.

David Mares show: A new show by international photographer and Humanist David Mares is on display at ZEN BodyMIND Sanctuary & Studio, located at 4183 Adams Ave. Mares, a self-taught photographer and international relations professor at UCSD, travels the world taking photographs that show people in vivid detail, with the underlying theme being the connectedness between humanity and what makes us a global family. The works will be on display through February 2005. Call (619) 269-9322 for more information.

Holiday scrapbooking: The Diva Craft Lounge holds a scrapbooking event for the GLBT community on the third Thursday of every month from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Called Rainbow Crop, this is a social event where scrapbookers gather to crop their photos and work on their scrapbooks in a GLBT-friendly environment. Cost is $10 and snacks are provided. Call (619) 702-6266 to make a reservation. The Diva Craft Lounge is located at 760 Eighth Ave. #102.