An Oregon Zoo holiday tradition begins this weekend: Zoolights! Gather a group, bundle up, and hop on the zoo train. The zoo's lighting display includes more than a million lights ... think swinging monkeys and dancing bears. You can see a preview here. Get times, prices, and details about Zoolights.

Where: The church parking lot at SE 20th/Salmon (same location as the Eastbank market when it's in season)

When: Tuesday, November 24, 1 - 5 p.m.

What: Get the freshest produce and gourmet goodness for your holiday meal this week. This market happens rain or shine.

There's also another Thanksgiving market in Sellwood. It's held indoors in the gym of the Boys and Girls Club at 7119 SE Milwaukie Avenue. It happens Tuesday, November 24th, from 3 - 7 p.m.

With holiday shopping season upon us, parking in downtown Portland and the Pearl District area is about to become a serious pain in the butt. That means there will be fewer available parking spots, and more meter maids out to enforce the rules. Oh yeah, and as of November 30, the fines for Portland Parking tickets are increasing. (Except for overtime parking fines, which will increase Jan. 4, 2010). Most fines will go up $10.

To avoid these fines, take an extra few minutes and park in the Smart Park lots around town. Then, get your parking validated when you shop, and avoid an expensive fine. Before you go, check the real-time Smart Park parking availability online.

This Thursday, we will eat a lot. And it will be good. It seems like each year, more Portland restaurants decide to stay open on Thanksgiving, which is a great thing for those who'd rather not put their hands inside a turkey (it's slimy in there!).

Check out our partial list of Portland restaurants open on Thanksgiving, and be sure to call ahead for reservations. These places get busy!