SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN\

Santas begin descending on Sonoma County this weekend -- enough Santas to

raise some embarrassing questions from astute young observers.

They'll come by sleigh, they'll come by boat, they'll come by fire engine.

They'll be accompanied by marching bands and carolers and hordes of helpers.

They'll be downtown, uptown, around town and at Coddingtown.

In other words, they'll be hard to miss. But to assure yourself of a

sighting, here's some advance reconnaissance:

Santa Rosa -- The first event of the holiday season is a ''mini-parade'' at

Coddingtown shopping mall at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Santa will be accompanied by

actors from Santa Rosa Junior College's drama program and by dancers, dogs, an

antique car and a fire engine.

Santa Rosa -- Spectators will line Fourth Street on Saturday to see the

11th annual Downtown Santa Parade. The event starts at 10 a.m. at Fremont Park

and proceeds west to the Santa Rosa Plaza.

Expect marching bands, drill teams, dance groups, antique cars, clowns and

the headliner -- Santa Claus in a fire truck.

Healdsburg -- The ''Lights of Life'' redwood tree will be ablaze with

lights starting at 7 p.m. Sunday. The tree, in the downtown Plaza, will be

lighted during a ceremony complete with wreaths, holly and a choir singing

Christmas carols. Home Hospice benefits.

Petaluma -- Santa's steamboat chugs into the downtown turning basin at noon

on Nov. 26, followed by a tour of downtown accompanied by a procession of

decorated horse teams and riders. Costumed participants will include Victorian

ladies and gentlemen, Raggedy Ann, a dancing bear and cowboys and Indians.

Cotati -- Santa, strolling musicians and carolers will join in the city's

tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. Nov. 30 at La Plaza Park. Christmas cookies

and apple juice will be served following the ceremony at the Rancho Adobe Fire

Station No. 1 on East Cotati Avenue.

Sonoma -- Santa arrives on the Plaza at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2, with the Sonoma

Soroptomists and Glendale Federal Bank serving hot chocolate and cookies. On

Dec. 3, Santa will ride through the Sonoma Valley on a noon to 4 p.m. tour. On

Dec. 4, Home Hospice sponsors a community tree lighting at 7 p.m. on the

Plaza.

Cloverdale -- The fourth annual Dickens Street Faire takes over ''downtown

and uptown'' Dec. 2, 3 and 4. This year, the new Cloverdale freeway bypass

allows sponsors to close downtown streets for foot and horse traffic only.

Festivities begin Dec. 2 with a tree lighting and caroling in the Plaza.

Healdsburg -- Santa gives the reindeer a day off and arrives aboard a fire

engine in a noon parade on Dec. 4. The parade begins at Piper and Center

streets and heads downtown to the Plaza.

Santa Rosa -- A signing Santa will pay a visit to a Christmas potluck and

tree decorating party planned at 6 p.m. Dec. 10 by the Deaf Ministries of

Christ Church United Methodist, 1717 Yulupa Ave. For information call Diane

Haffner, 528-8290 (voice or TDD), or Suzanne or Jim Satsman, 632-5036 voice,

632-5935 TDD.