Mittens, Movie, Music, and Maccabees

There were so many events going on in and around West Hartford this past weekend that Patch couldn't possibily be everywhere.

Here are photos from some of the highlights. Please contribute your own images from these events, as well as photos from any other events we may have missed.

On Sunday morning, more than 2,000 people turned out to run in the Hartford Marathon Foundation's final race of 2011 – the Blue Back Mitten Run. Hartford resident Dennis Wolff took first place, closely followed by West Hartford residents Bill Brosmith and Duncan Gerity in second and third. There was only an eight-second difference between Wolff's winning time of 16:29 and Gerity's third place time of 16:37.

Hundreds participated in the kids' half mile and mile races, and many more lined the streets in support of the runners. Holiday-themed costumes were the outfit of choice for many runners. The race ended in , where participants enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies.

Across town and over the Hartford line at the Governor's Mansion, West Hartford's musical talents took the spotlight at the annual Holiday Open House. Resident Cathy Quirk, accompanied by Holly McCann, sang on Saturday, and the and choirs performed on Sunday afternoon.

Also on Sunday afternoon, a large crowd turned out at , where the Connecticut Latke Throwdown pitted chefs from Cabot Creamery, , Abel's Catering, and Joy of Food, dishing out their favorite potato pancakes. Latkes are a traditional Hanukkah dish, served during the holiday which celebrates the Maccabees regaining control over the holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C. Hanukkah begins this year at sundown on Dec. 20.

On Sunday evening, filiming began in West Hartford Center for , a movie starring Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Michael Chiklis, and Nikki Reed. The former Friendly's Restaurant on South Main Street, transformed into the Be Brite Diner, was the scene of the shooting on Sunday.