On the First Day of Christmas...

December, day number one.

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? If you're like many among us, there's still a long list to deal with before the big day.  On the other hand, enjoy the process because the holidays only come once a year, after all.

And these next few days are once again filled with exciting opportunities for us to shop and enjoy what our community has to offer.

The annual Holiday Light Parade hosted by the City of Victor will start at 6pm on Saturday culminating a daylong celebration that includes a live nativity, potato bar and turkey bowling.

Still not ready to go home after the parade? Then stop by MD Nursery for the annual Festival of Trees and enjoy a Hollywood style evening benefiting the Teton Valley Hospital.

Of course, there's also the Gifts of Joy Arts & Crafts Fair at the St. Francis of the Tetons in Alta which starts this weekend and runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 19th. So if you're looking for creative, unique gifts–stop by and check out the many creative items available.

While you're out shopping in town, remember that many businesses are participating in the TVEF Shop for Schools on Saturday and a percentage of your purchase will go towards our Teton Valley public schools.

Thanksgiving Shopping Weekend

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the holiday season. Most people will be out in force looking for the best gifts. For those who prefer the less stressful route, Cyber Monday offers a more laid-back alternative without having to get dressed and fight the crowds. Have you considered where you're going yet? How about something right here in Teton Valley?


That Saturday in between is the first ever Small Business Saturday sponsored by American Express. It is an opportunity for us to give back to our community by shopping the smaller stores in our town.

Like the two-day Holiday Art Fair being held again at the Wildwood Room in Victor on Friday and Saturday for those interested in more unique and/or handcrafted gifts.

Or get ahead of the promotion when the annual Moonlight Madness Sale returns on Friday featuring some wonderful savings from participating local businesses and an opportunity to win great prizes .

As for this gift guide, click on the Etsy holiday badge on the sidebar to the right and check out some wonderful gift items for your consideration. Mea Eclectica is supporting Saturday with a one-day sale as well.

Holiday Craft and Gift Fairs Have Begun!

Megan Bogle, Longaberger representative

The Fall Craft Fair held last Saturday at the Wildwood Room launched the start of the 2010 gift season. Vendors came ready to sell a wide variety of products including handmade baskets, decorative pillows, home decor, jewelry, accessories and others.

This Saturday, another fair is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kindergarten Center in Driggs. The event organizer has received booth reservations for an estimated 20 vendors for this show which will be advertised in both local papers.

These fairs provide an exciting opportunity for sellers to showcase their handcrafted items or direct sales merchandise to buyers who are equally eager to shop for such goods under one roof. And if last week's response is any indication, then this next one should be even better. I suspect that as Christmas draws closer, interest for the upcoming shows will continue to rise.

A calendar of events is posted on the homepage sidebar. I will update this with any new event information as they come up. From my observation of the first fair, the assortment of products available will likely satisfy a good portion of that gift list so don't forget to bring it with you.

Regrettably, I don't know that anyone has been able to create a handcrafted Halo game for a handcrafted xBox just yet, so I'll leave that segment of the gift market to the big boys.