Begin the season with some wine tasting for a cause at Township 7 winery on Saturday, Nov. 29 and Sunday, Nov. 30 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Lots of wine from this year’s selections will be poured and guest chef Dez will sign his cookbook on Saturday. There will also be Christmas baskets, gift cards, local artisan wares and other gift ideas. Partial proceeds go to the Pacific Riding for the Disabled Association. Township 7 is located at 21152 16 Ave.

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Celebrate an old fashioned Dutch Christmas with Sinterklaas on Dec. 13 in historic Fort Langley from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Living Waters Church, 9095 Glover Road. Meet Sinterklaas at 11 a.m., listen to stories at 11:15 a.m. and let the kids make some crafts, stroll the Christmas shop for candles and homemade Christmas crackers while enjoying music and Dutch refreshments.

Tickets are $5 per child with proceeds to support families of people who live with a disability to have a well deserved break.

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Two Langley students have been named finalists in the 2008 YWCA Real Story Competition “She Inspires Me.”

Mountain Secondary student Amie Tempel is a finalist in the junior essay category and Joo Young Seo, also of Mountain, is a finalist in the senior competition.

YWCA’s Real Story competition invited students in Grades 8 – 12 to pay tribute to remarkable women in their lives by submitting an essay on the topic “She Inspires Me.”

The competition connects youth to positive female role models through writing, self-reflection and creative expression, and is an opportunity for them to think about their communities and the path they’d like to take in the future.

 Each year, hundreds of submissions are received from throughout Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Pemberton, Howe Sound and Hope. The finalists will be recognized on Nov. 26 at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts, where the top six winners will be announced and their stories shared with the audience.

The evening’s entertainment includes performances from dance group City Bboys & Bgurls, rappers Third Eye Tribe, singer Kristal Barrett and words of Olympic athlete Tami Bradley.  Tickets are available for $5 at the door or call 604-895-5768 or visit ywcavan.org/realstory.