Shopping Locally for the Holidays

Here are a few suggestions for supporting our local economy with your holiday gift shopping:

Raven & Dove, Wilmette

The Wilmette “HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE” is tonight: from 5pm to 9pm, stores near Wilmette Village Hall (Central, Wilmette and Greenleaf Avenues and on 12th Street) will offer sweets and other refreshments, entertainment and special sales…for more information, click HERE.

Winnetka’s traditional Holiday Sunday Sale is always held on the first Sunday after the Thanksgiving weekend: that will be Sunday, Dec. 5 this year. Participating local merchants offer special discounts and complimentary festive treats.
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7th Annual Winter Arts + Crafts Expo at the Evanston Art Center. Evanston Art Center’s Winter Expo features one-of-a-kind pieces of work by more than 100 selected artisans. Arts and crafts offered include original, handmade works of jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal, glass, painting, photography, mixed-media, and more.

The Expo runs November 21 – December 22, 2009, and there is a Preview Party on Friday, November 20, 6:00-9:00pm.

SHOPPING HOURS: 10am-4pm, Mondays – Saturdays (closed Thanksgiving), and 12pm-4pm, Sunday Special Hours ~ December 21 & 22, 10 – 8 pm

For more information, click HERE.
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Highland Park High School has a HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE this Friday and Saturday:

Lots of great merchandise: jewelry, clothes, food, art and more

3 pm-9 pm Friday and 10 am -4 pm Saturday
Highland Park High School,  433 Vine Street.
For more information, contact Tammy Max.

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Get a Highland Park GIFT CARD
This would a great gift for the difficult-to-shop-fors on your list:

Highland Park’s Downtown Alliance is offering gift cards this holiday season, available in amounts from $5 to $500 and usable at more than 50 retail locations, including apparel, furniture, food and gas in the city’s downtown (click HERE for a more information and a full list of participating retailers).

Gift cards will be available at the Highland Park’s Holiday Lighting Ceremony from 3 to 6 p.m. Nov. 21 in downtown Highland Park. Beginning Nov. 23, they can be purchased at the Alliance’s office, 442 Central Ave., or at Highland Park City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Ave.

The Holiday Lighting Ceremony will include caroling, refreshments, horse-drawn sleigh rides, a visit from Santa and a plaza tree lighting ceremony. Visitors can purchase gift cards of varying amounts, or buy $1 chocolate bars from the alliance and receive a Downtown Gift Card worth $1.
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Holiday Boutique at Simply Chicago Art
Find unique gifts at the Evanston gallery Simply Chicago Art’s Holiday Boutique, featuring over 30 local area artists. It’s all hand-crafted work, including jewelry, glass, wood, fiber, etchings, paintings, photography, sculpture, handmade ornaments, soap, cards, and paper.

November 28th through December 20th
Artist reception Saturday November 28th 1:00-5:00
There will also be live music at various times during this exhibit.
Admission and parking are free!

Special Holiday hours for this exhibit:

Saturdays 11:00-7:30
Sundays 1:00-5:00
Thursdays 5:00-9:00
Fridays 5:00-9:00

For location and more information, click HERE.
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Holiday Store at The Grove
(Buy goodies to give as gifts! Tell them you made it yourself!*)

Seasonal decorations and ornaments, household accessories, one-of-a-kind gifts, personalized novelty items and delicious baked goods and gourmet foods for purchase at The Grove’s Kennicott House. Proceeds benefit The Grove National Historic Landmark. Grove Holiday Store opens November 27. Open every Wednesday-Sunday, 10 am-5 pm, December 2-20.

The Grove National Historic Landmark, 1421 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview. 847-299-6096.

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* We swear we have never done this!
(At least we don’t remember ever doing it…)