Eugene Weekly : Holiday Happenings : 11.17.11

Holiday Happenings

Holiday Charity Shopping

Spread around some good cheer

If you’re like us, you cringe when you see all the “news” about Black Friday store openings. EW is as much about saving money as you are (we are FREE after all), but a good deal on an iPad or a new flatscreen TV isn’t worth sleeping on a sidewalk all night or, worse, getting crushed to death in a WalMart stampede. 

It’s hard to get away from the shopping part of the holiday season, but rather than celebrate Festivus or the solstice or Christmas or whatever by simply heading down to the Valley River Center all-night shopping extravaganza, one easy fix is to head out to some of the holiday events being held by your local charities and nonprofits. 

First on the list of popular ways to shop, donate, drink and be merry is the annual Cascadia Wildlands Winter Wonderland holiday auction. Cascadia Wild’s executive director Kate Ritley says the event “has become an annual tradition that attracts hundreds of community members who share a passion for protecting Oregon’s wild places.” Taking place Saturday, Dec. 10, at the EMU ballroom, the auction is $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Admission gets you a gourmet dinner, dessert, drinks and access to a plethora of cool local gifts ranging from a massage for your pet through the silent auction, or a vacation getaway you can buy by holding up your paddle for a real, live auctioneer. 

It’s not uncommon for folks to get a little swept away by the wine and the bidding, but all that money goes to saving Oregon’s forests and fauna. For more info go to cascwild.org

If you want to get a jump on your good works-focused shopping, go over to Temple Beth Israel on for an “exotic and fascinating exhibition and sale of unique, affordable treasures from Morocco, Bali, Burma, Thailand and Eugene.” A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the Temple Building Fund and you can buy anything from a pouf (and who doesn’t need a pouf?) to a purse. There will be a champagne reception and sale Saturday evening and a show and sale on Sunday. Call 554-1096 for details. The event starts at 6 pm on Nov. 26.

In this recession economy, buying local is a good deed, so in your traipsing about town, remember to stop in at our local bookstores, clothing shops and everything-else stores to buy your gifts. Shopping at the Saturday Market Holiday Market weekends now through Christmas at the Fairgrounds means you can buy local, handcrafted goods and listen to good music. 

In EW’s world, beer is a good gift. Buying beer and promoting clean water is a no-brainer two-fer. Oakshire Brewery is releasing the first of its new “Brewers Reserve Series Beers,” which is beer in “very small quantities, matured with love in wine barrels and often soured.” Skookumchuck is the third beer in Oakshire’s EWEB Centennial series, and you can taste it and buy some from 3 pm til 7 pm on Nov. 18 at the Oakshire tasting room at 1055 Madera Street in Eugene. Price is $20.00 for a 750 ml bottle. “Think wine bottle,” says Oakshire’s Cameron Langham, who adds, “It is delicious!” All proceeds go to the Berggren Demonstration Farm located on land protected by the McKenzie River Trust. The limited release beer is available only at the brewery.

Or don’t buy anything at all, just do good deeds. You can donate to the Whiteaker Community dinner and help those in need. “We are in desperate need of blankets and winter clothing, especially adult large and extra large and all children’s clothing,” according to Jennifer Lang. She says, “This is much more than a free dinner. It is a day of community warmth and sharing.” Last year more than 2,000 people received food, toiletries and other needed items. Check out the wish list at http://wkly.ws/14u Drop off donations, from clothing to cash, on Nov. 19 from 9 am to 1 pm at Whiteaker Head Start, 21 North Grand in Eugene or on Nov. 23 during the dinner setup from 3 pm to 7 pm. 

 

Holiday Happenings:

Aural Gingerbread
Music and dance permeate the upcoming festive season

Hot ‘Tails
EW’s take on wintertime drinks

Moving Right Along
Zooming through the holidays with the runs  

A Fragment of Underdone Potato
Staged classics new and old offer a little holiday cheer

Holiday Charity Shopping
Spread around some good cheer

Holiday Event Calendar