Updated Friday morning, last event. The events are back! Yay! Thanks for being so understanding last week. Thanksgiving went off without a hitch. I hope your holiday went just as well. As always, if you have anything to add, please leave it in the comments or send me an email and I will add it to the list.
- First up this weekend, you can spend your entire day Saturday in the Short North; stop by the North Market in the morning for the Holiday Open House & Craft Extravaganza. There will be samples from lots of vendors, book signings by Robin Davis, Opera Columbus will perform, and there will lots of crafty sorts there selling their wares. And there are some super cool indy crafters going to be there, so don't think everything's going to be cutesy. You can even buy your Christmas tree.
- You can spend your afternoon and evening at the Holiday Hop, the most well-attended Gallery Hop of the year. From Goodale to 5th Ave, galleries, shops and restaurants will be open and full of shopping and holiday cheer. The streets will be full of cold rain, according to the forecast, but that's neither here nor there. There will be sleigh rides, lots of lights, and I'm sure some chestnuts roasting on an open fire somewhere. And, for those of you driving in from the 'burbs who don't spend a lot of time trying to negotiate Short North parking, here's a handy guide to driving & parking.
- Moving backwards, Friday night is the Kringle Mingle at Sugar Bar. Show up with your Santa hat and a new, unwrapped toy (or $10 donation), which will benefit Big Brothers & Sisters of Central Ohio. Attendees of the party will receive a button which entitles them to special discounts at the Holiday Hop.
- This weekend is the International Children's Film Festival at the Wexner Center. Get the kids some culture and have fun while you're at it. The Wex is hosting lots of family-friend events this month. To read about all of their events, click over to their website.
- It's that time of year again - time to rekindle your hostile feelings of holiday bitterness with CATCO's presentation of David Sedaris' Santaland Diaries. Jonathon Putnam will once again don his green felts to play Crumpet, an elf in Macy's Santaland. Tickets for the performance which take place at the Riffe Center, are $35, and performances take place Thursdays - Sundays (with a matinee!). Go. It's funny.
- If you need a little cheer, join the Columbus Symphony Orchestra for this year's Holiday Pops. Performances take place at the Ohio Theater all weekend long, with two shows each on Saturday & Sunday.
- Through March, children and adults alike can be charmed by the Enchanted Express at Franklin Park Conservatory.
- This week in food & cooking news: Williams-Sonoma continues holding their free culinary demonstrations throughout the month of December. This week, at 11am and 3pm at the Easton Town Center store, drop in for the following demonstrations: Saturday, Dec 1 - creating car cakes; Sunday, Dec 2 - Holiday Baking; Wednesday, Dec 5 - Peppermint Fudge Brownies; Thursday, Dec 6th - Creative Coffee Drinks; and Friday, Dec 7th - Best Cup of Cocoa.
- This Week at Sur la Table: Thurday, November 30th - Holiday Tamales with Michael McCauley; Saturday, Dec 1st: Adult Gifts from the Kitchen (10:30am) and Kids' Gifts from the Kitchen (2pm/$45); Monday, Dec 3rd - Prime Rib Dinner with Michael McCauley; Tuesday, Dec 4th - Elegant Holiday Cooking. Unless otherwise stated, classes are $65 and take place at 6:30pm. Click to their calender for more information.
- And, at Whole Foods, learn how to make Gluten Free & Dairy free recipes for the holidays next Thursday, Dec 6th at 6:30pm (more info).
- There will be a holiday Market at the usual location of the Clintonville Farmer's Market (just south of N. Broadway on High) which will feature growers and crafts, and there will even by live caroling! (thanks for the tip, Mike, this totally flew under my radar).
