By Terrah Baker
Finding unique gifts and holiday events can be challenging in the uniform isles of convenient and department stores that cover cities throughout the U.S. While chain stores stock their shelves of overseas-made goods and entryways with underpaid Santa Clauses, local organizers are planning several events in December that will offer a chance to keep your dollars local, and your gift baskets full of one-of-a-kind items.
The Grinch on Block Street at last year’s Bazaar.
The Block Street Businesses association is kicking off the holiday shopping season with holiday events and open houses throughout the day. Visit Pere Noel at French Quarters, roast marshmallows and take festive photos at Dark Star Visuals, let your children write and mail letters to Santa Claus at Shindig Paperie, or take them to story time at Terra Tots at 9 a.m. or 4 p.m. Attendees will have the chance to win a Brighton charm bracelet at Town and Country Shop. David Adams Fine Jewelry, Himalayan Mountain Shop, Good Things Boutique, Dark Star Visuals, Town and Country Shop and many others are having holiday open houses with refreshments. The Mustache: Goods & Wears, Country Outfitter Fayetteville Square, Maxine’s Tap Room, Little Bread Company, Fayetteville Visitors Bureau and many others will be offering special discounts. Buckley, McLemore, and Hudson Attorneys at Law are having a cozy sock sale, while Fayetteville Underground will have live music from Exploding Cigar at 3 p.m. as well as ornament and craft-making. Festivities take place Dec. 7 at 9 a.m. and continue to 5 p.m. For more information, visit goo.gl/eT6kJK.
Crochet by Sajo’s (As the Crochet Flies) for children and adults.
The Little Craft Show
Now in its third year, the Little Craft Show is not so little anymore. It’s moved to the Fayetteville Town Center to accommodate it’s growing demand of patrons and artisans, but luckily is still free to attend.
The craft show will highlight 70 vendors from Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma with free photo booth with actual photo strips (courtesy of Mustache: Goods and Wears), and craft tables to make your own gift tags. There will be a giveaway once every hour, along with good on site all day served by Greenhouse Grille of Fayetteville. The event will exude holiday spirit as Riffraff will be taking over lobby decor. Along with free parking, what else could make this holiday market better? It starts Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. For more information, visit goo.gl/56kwrt.
St. Paul’s Alternative Gift Market (Dec. 1)
“What is an alternative gift market,” people often ask. Simple: it’s an opportunity for shoppers to donate funds to local nonprofit and community service organizations in your loved ones’, friends or coworkers names. Often, it even means picking up hand-made and local goods that help profit community projects in places like Africa, Nepal, and in the U.S. Choose from over 35 carefully selected local and international organizations under one roof, on Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Parish Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville. The organizations that take part have been analyzed for their mission and level of organization so you know your donation will be in good hands, and affect positive change in your community and beyond.
St. Paul’s Alternative Gift Market features organizations that serve both locally and globally.
The 13th Holiday Art Sale will hold its annual event at The Life Styles Blair Center in Springdale. Through a partnership with Life Styles, they will offer one evening, and two days of fun, art and food starting Friday, Dec. 6, 7-9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 8, 12-4 p.m. The lineup for this 13th year celebration of the arts includes some of Northwest Arkansas’ most respected visual artists, who run the gamut from paintings, ceramics, jewelry, paper goods, photography, textile arts and other unique handmade works. Among the artists will include Debra DuBois, Victoria McKinney, William Flannagan, Sabine Schmidt and more. For more information, visit their website at www.theholidayartsale.com
