Only 70 days 'til Christmas!

It's not even Halloween, but you know the second Nov. 1 rolls around, major retail establishments will pack up their autumn adornments and deck the halls with Christmasy flourish in ever-expanding anticipation of the major revenue-generating time of year.  'Tis the season, eh?

You can get in the holiday spirit absurdly early too, at least the "spirit of giving" part.  Several fundraising events will be held this weekend, benefiting everything from animals to healthcare.  So if you're feeling generous, or you just want to enjoy some live entertainment and gourment food, check out these events:

• The Human Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County is holding its annual fall fundraiser, a "Men At Work" party, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Olympia resort.
• Enjoy live music by the Danny Miller Band, locally grown foods and more at the Tall Pines Conservancy Fall Harvest, at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Faye Gehl Conservation Foundation Barn in Stone Bank.
• Help support the Stone Bank Fire Department at their "Sampling for Safety" event, featuring over 40 beers from around the world, wines, gourmet sodas, and food from local restaurants as well as special firefighter recipes, 6 p.m. Saturday at the Stone Bank Fire Station.
• Check out a variety of whimsical, artistic and often hilariously decorated bras at the "Artful Bras" exhibit at the Lakes Gallery of Fine Art in North Lake, through Nov. 18.

For a full listing of weekend events, check out the Weekend Happenings Blog on the homepage.