The Weekend Roundup: Stuff to Do

Whether you are staying in town or going to Atlanta for the SEC game, there will be nothing dull about this pre-finals weekend. Just to make sure you don't miss out on your much-deserved kicks, we've compiled of a list of the thunderstorm of entertainment taking over Gainesville this weekend.

First thing is first: have you checked out our Kid Cudi and Common show. Popular among the hip-hop and indie communities you can expect a wild, widely ranged crowd and lots of superstar hype. Did we mention it's free?

We hear Rue Bar is proceeding the show with a Winter Wonderland party complete with a sno-cone machine. Yum. Before Rue Bar and after Common, make your way over to Common Grounds to continue on your live music high. With the Shoddy Beatles and Morningbell rocking CGs its sure to be a good old kickback-to-the-60s time.

Make your rounds around the Gator Stompin' venues for some free/super cheap drinks, and a chance to help Toys for Tots. If you don't have your Gator Stompin' pass, make like Santa and lug around a bag of gifts tonight, many of the venues will offer free cover with the donation of a free unwrapped gift.

Ok, now drink lots of water, take a power nap and prepare for Saturday. Wake up early for the Craft Festival 2009 starting at 10am at the O'Connell Center. With over 300 vendors, it's a great chance to get your holiday shopping out of the way.

The game's at 4pm, so you know your friends are going to start gearing up early. Many of the bars around town will be offering drink specials for the game. We recommend Stubbies and Steins for its dense menu of specialty beers.

If you can pull yourself together after an afternoon of game-cheering and beer drinking, check out the Thomas Center for the annual tree lighting ceremony at 7pm. Before and after the tree lighting, Duckpond will be offering up horse-and-wagon tours of the area's luminaries, a super sweet way to precede a romantic date.

Now it's back to Common Grounds for Umoja Orchestra's first show since April, the latin-infused band of unity is reuniting for a widely awaited and much-appreciated show.

Sunday's the day for rest, so go ahead and sleep in. Try to be up by 3pm for the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones show though. The award-winning "blu-pop" band will bring its Holiday Tour special to the Phillips Center.

The day of cultural reckoning continues with the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre's hosting of "An Evening with William Shakespeare: Or I'm in the Mood for Love," a performance of some of Shakespeare's greatest love scenes at 8pm.

To take the energy back up again, the 90s Omaha, Neb., indie-rock band Cursive is making a stop in Gainesville as part of its tour. With its progressive, instrumental arrangements Common Grounds is in for great show Sunday.

Feel like a Sunday showing? Go the the Reitz Cinema for a free screening of "500 Days of Summer," at 8 and 10:30pm. This quirky romance comedy is much better than Zoey Dechanel's earlier attempt this year at a quirky romance comedy with Jim Carrey in "Yes Man." At least in "500 Days of Summer," her character is not asked to ignore the fact she's having a carefree tryst with a man old enough to be her grandfather.

-Stephanie Granada

A GLAM-orous weekend

GLAM, Gainesville’s Local Art Mart, set up shop at the Thelma Boltin Center yesterday (Nov. 22). Kim Taylor, the director of the event (and blogger The Sassy Crafter), said that she wanted to create a venue where local artists—like herself—could share their work with the community.

There were more than 30 artisans displaying and selling their work, which created a nice alternative to shopping at the mall. Shoppers could try some of the handmade makeup or eyeliner at one of the tables. Other vendors had a variety of items including handmade perfumes and soaps, home decorations, clothing, accessories, gifts and food.

For most of the artists, crafting is a hobby and not a full time job. Each piece of art had a story behind it, and one of the nicest things about GLAM was that all of the artists were at their tables to answer questions about their work.
A very nice added touch to GLAM was the live music playing while people were browsing. For shoppers, GLAM was a wonderful way to spend a lightly soggy afternoon looking for fun and unique items that also make great gifts. For artisans, it was a great way to showcase their work and engage the public in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. To join GLAM’s mailing list, send an e-mail to sassycrafter@gmail.com.

—Story and Photos by Timothy Carswell

Get GLAM-ed Up

(pictured above: Gainesville's craftiest blogger The Sassy Crafter, Kim Taylor.)

Eager to purchase holiday gifts for a tiny price? Look no further than GLAM. The Gainesville Local Art Mart, GLAM, is preparing for its second Annual Handmade Holiday Bazaar arts and crafts show, dated for Sunday, Nov. 22, from 2 to 6pm.

“My co-organizer and I wanted to provide an alternative to the traditional holiday shopping venues and at the same time, help give a leg up to budding local artists,” says GLAM co-organizer Kim Taylor.

Local artists, jewelers and designers will congregate at the Thelma Boltin Center, 516 NE 2nd Ave., to sell their individual handmade crafts. Customers will be able to shop 'til they drop with a variety of unusual items to choose from at bargain prices. Local bands and food vendors will be on site providing snacks and entertainment.

“We have an incredible array of vendors who'll be selling everything from handmade baby bibs to bicycle wheel chandeliers,” Kim says.

Other items include jewelry, screen printed T-shirts, reusable lunch bags and sandwich wraps, handbags, and fitness hoops.

Some of the vendors to be featured this year's event include: Michala Designs, Joffe Creations, Waldo Wildlife Collective and Sandhill Arts.

Aside from being an excellent, early holiday shopping opportunity, GLAM is also an opportunity to help those in need - a portion of the money raised will be donated to charity. “We'd like to have some of the proceeds go to a non-profit like we did last year when we donated part of the proceeds of the Handmade Holiday Bazaar to Peaceful Paths,“ Kim says.

Admission to the one-day event is free and open to the community.

--Alisha Kinman