Do it Green! Annual Green Gifts Fair

• Saturday, November 20, 2010 (10am to 5pm)
• Midtown Global Exchange building (2901 Chicago Avenue S)
• FREE entrance and a free transportation offer (see below!)

Do It Green! Minnesota’s one-day Green Gifts Fair takes place tomorrow. Again this year, more than 70 vendors will offer their wares and those who bike, bus, or carpool will receive a free gift at the event. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags and coffee mugs as well as silverware and reusable napkins to reduce waste while dining in the Midtown Global Market. As an added incentive, Do it Green! has teamed up with MetroTransit this year to offer a Go Greener Pass guaranteeing a free bus fare (both ways!!) to anyone attending.

Holiday Shop & Stroll 20% Off Sale at 50th & Xerxes

• Saturday, November 20, 2010 (10 am to 5 pm)
• Sunday, November 21, 2010 (12 to 5 pm)
• Loft Antiques and Hunt&Gather (W 50th Street and Xerxes Avenue S in Minneapolis)

As Loft Antiques announced (appropriately in all caps) in their most recent email, “THE ENTIRE CORNER OF 50TH & XERXES WILL BE ON SALE!!!” this coming weekend. Loft and Hunt&Gather, and the staff of shops along the entire corner team up throughout the year to offer 20% off weekends. The frame shop, City Chic, Gallery 360, and others will also be offering the discount. If you miss this weekend’s sale, know that Hunt&Gather will be offering another “holiday super sale” Friday, December 3 through Sunday, December 5 (the weekend of No Coast, below).

No Coast Craft-o-rama

• Friday, December 3, 2010 (3 pm to 8 pm)
• Saturday, December 4, 2010 (9 am to 5 pm)
• Midtown Global Exchange building (2901 Chicago Avenue S)

The NoCoast Craft-o-rama features a variety of designers, artists, crafters and other talented creators of unique handmade goods. This will be my third year attending the No Coast’s December craft show and I’m excited to see a number of vendors returning: Studio Mela, Too Many Suitors, Fennel Studio, and Midtown Farmers Market‘s own Utile Mud will all be there, in addition to many other MPLS favorites. A complete list of vendors is available at the Crafter’s Local 612 website.

Member Double-Discount Shopping Days at the Walker

• Friday, December 3, 2010 (11am to 9pm)
• Saturday, December 4, 2010 (10am to 9pm)
• Sunday, December 5, 2010 (11am to 6pm)
• Members receive free parking with purchase

It seems there’s a lot going on the first weekend of December in Minneapolis! Walker members save 20% (rather than the usual 10) on all purchases December 3–5 at the Walker—making it a perfect stop to get your holiday shopping going. Details at walkerart.org.

I recently learned that Walker volunteers enjoy a 20% discount year-round, so if you’ve been looking for volunteer opportunities and tend to drool over the shop’s offerings, you might consider a 2011 resolution to give more of your time and save while you’re at it.

Whether or not you plan to buy, if you haven’t been to the shop in a while, consider stopping in soon. In the past month they’ve revamped the shop’s lighting and rearranged the space, adding or removing tables, and things are looking great.

No Coast Craft-o-rama

• Friday, December 4, 2009 (3 pm to 8 pm)
• Saturday, December 5, 2009 (9 am to 5 pm)
• Midtown Global Exchange building (2901 Chicago Avenue S.)

The No Coast Craft-o-rama features a variety of designers, artists, crafters and other talented creators of unique handmade goods. Last year Tom and I were able to find a lot of great gifts at No Coast. I hope the same is true this year! A complete list of vendors is available at the Crafter’s Local 612 website.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Tamale Festival

• Saturday, December 5, 2009
• 4pm to 9pm
• Ascension Catholic Church (1723 Bryant Ave N)

Learn how to make authentic savory and sweet tamales (!) in Ascension’s cafeteria on Saturday. Or, enjoy the tamales during hospitality after the Basilica’s Sunday afternoon Mass (4:30pm) in the cafeteria, located in the southwest corner of the parking lot between the church and school. All are welcome. For more on this weekend’s festivities, see the Basilica’s calendar for Saturday and Sunday.

Reindeer Day

• Saturday, December 5, 2009
• 10am to 2pm
• Linden Hills

Shop Linden Hills for special sales and enjoy these events throughout the morning and afternoon: Live Reindeer (free!) at 43rd and Upton from 10:30 to 1:30; Reindeer drawn sleigh rides (free!) outside Great Harvest from 10:30 to 1:30; Horse-drawn wagon rides at the Famous Dave’s parking lot from 10:30 to 1:30; Reindeer run starting at the Lake Harriet Band Shell at 9:00; Four Seasons barbershop quartet will be caroling from 11:00 to 1:00; Santa will be visiting from 11:00 to 1:00

For more information, visit the Linden Hills Business Assocation’s site.

British Television Advertising Awards

• December 4, 2009 through January 2, 2010
• Walker Art Center (1750 Hennepin Avenue)
• $10 ($8 Walker members)

This weekend the Walker kicks off The British Television Advertising Awards, an event that been selling out quickly for 21 years. According to the Walker’s website, the program this year includes dancing marionettes, monkeys, and nudists as well as American celebrities Snoop Dogg, Rob Lowe, and Anjelica Huston hawking products to UK audiences. 2009, video, 80 minutes. Friday and Sunday’s shows are already sold out, but there are still tickets available on Saturday for the 4pm and 9pm showings. More on the Walker calendar and on the film & video events page.

Member Double-Discount Shopping Days at the Walker

• Friday, December 4, 2009 (11am to 9pm)
• Saturday, December 5, 2009 (10am to 9pm)
• Sunday, December 6, 2009 (11am to 6pm)
• Members receive free parking with purchase

Members save 20% on all purchases this weekend at the Walker—it’s a perfect time to get your shopping out of the way! In addition to the offerings in the museum shop, The Walker will be hosting a Local Artist Gift Mart from 11 noon to 4pm daily. B.T. McElrath will also be back for another chocolate tasting on Saturday from 12 noon to 4pm. Details at walkerart.org.