By Nancy Anderson, owner of Canis Major Herbals, with additions by the editor
This post is part of our series covering Shift Your Shopping Week, which runs in Somerville from December 2-11. Shift Your Shopping week highlights holiday shopping themed events and gift ideas from local businesses to promote choosing local and independent this holiday season. Shift Your Shopping week is part of SLF’s 3rd annual Shift Your Shopping campaign, now a national collaboration of hundreds of local business networks. To find out more about Shift Your Shopping, related events, and how you can get involved, please visit shiftyourshopping.org.
Somerville onesie, with letters from, respectively: MA license plate, Orange line, McKinnon's, Rosebud, Rockin' Bob's Guitars, Somerville Theatre, Sligo, StellaBella, and Fenway Park
If you’re looking for that one-of-a-kind gift this holiday season and want to support your local businesses and artisans (an excellent choice, by the way), Somerville definitely makes it easy to do both in one stop. From open studios to craft fairs to your neighborhood hipster craft goods store, there is an abundance of fun, inventive, creative, and certainly unique stuff to ogle in the coming weeks. (Oh, and admission to all of the following events is free.)
December starts off with a veritable smattering of events all over Somerville. Mudflat Studios, at 81 Broadway, is offering an Open Studio and Sale from Dec 2nd through the 11th. Hours are…
Friday, December 2nd: 6 - 10pm
Saturday & Sunday December 3rd & 4th: 10am - 6pm
Monday – Friday, December 5th – 9th: noon - 9pm
Saturday & Sunday, December 10th & 11th: 10am - 6pm
Want to help support local high school students?
On December 2nd, from 6-9pm, the West Somerville Neighborhood School Craft Fair and Vendor Show, billed as “a vendor and craft show featuring crafters with unique creations,” features over 25 local artisans and vendors, offering a wide assortment of handmade items such as homemade jams, specialty chocolates, children’s gifts, hair feathers, beading and accessories, Wish Pearls, jewelry, kitchen tools, candles, holiday pins, ornaments and decorations, and much more. The event will also include free samples, and contributions from each table will be raffled off. All proceeds benefit the WSNS students, so head on over to 177 Powderhouse Blvd!
And don’t forget about the middle schoolers!
The Kennedy School near Porter Square will be having its 2nd annual Gift Fair on December 5th from 5:30-8:30pm. Browse handmade jewelry, bath and beauty products, accessories, ornaments, candles, and more! Be sure to get some pizza and stop by the bake sale to benefit the middle school government.
Winter Craft Market!
On Saturday, December 3rd, head down to Union Square Plaza and Precinct Bar for Union Square Main Streets’ Winter Craft Market, between 11am and 4pm. USMS lists “a variety of handmade products including jewelry, pottery, housewares, knitwear, toys, ornaments, perfume, and more.”
While you’re in Union Square, head over to the Washington Street Open Studios between noon and 5pm to partake of yet more excellent artwork.
Local Artist Markets!
The Burren is featuring a few Saturday Local Artist Markets in December. SLAM Holiday Artist Markets are running December 3rd, 10th, and 17th, all from noon to 4pm.
A Snow Mall!
Don’t miss the 2nd annual Snow Mall at Arts at the Armory on Dec 11th from noon to 6pm, where 40 hand-selected vendors will fill your every holiday need. Arts at the Armory is at 191 Highland Ave.
Bad-ass Comics!
But what do you get for one who has everything? And the one who has everything, we mean the comic-lover who has back issues of just about every popular release you can think of. You need reinforcements, so get to the Comicazi Con & Bad-ass Bazaar at the Dilboy VFW on Sunday, December 4th from 10am-4pm. But whether you’re buying for the comic aficionado, noob, or someone who has never picked one up in their life, you’ll find something for everyone - comics penned by local artists, toys and figures, jewelry and fine crafts, baked goods, even crocheted superhero hats! (Ok, and we lied - this event is the only one on the list that’s not free. But come on, if you really don’t have the measly $4 admission, you can always just beat up one of the nerds and steal their lunch money, amiright?)
Shifting All Season
And, of course, don’t forget to stop in and browse the always unique goods at…
Magpie
416 Highland Ave in Davis Square
Mon - Wed: 11:00am - 6:00pm
Thu: 11:00am - 7:00pm
Fri - Sat: 11:00am - 6:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Blue Cloud Gallery
713 Broadway in Ball Square
Now open Mondays for the holiday season!
Monday - Saturday: 11am to 7pm
Sunday: 11am to 5pm
Check out the new photo paintings by Marshall featuring your favorite local haunts. Head to the gallery before December 4th to enter a raffle to win a free photo painting of your own original photograph! Check out some photos of other items currently for sale below.
Jane Proctor Pottery
Gentle Vessels by V Van Sant
Horse Statues
