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Holiday Mallternatives

Mantra: Avoid malls at all costs, avoid malls at all costs

By Emily Testerman

Special to Metromix
November 5, 2009

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"A Different Breed" six-color silkscreen by MICA student Michele Stidham

The holiday season is the perfect time to show our loved ones how much we really do love them. They deserve the best. We know this, but this fact still cannot overcome just how much we hate malls. Especially around the holidays. And Black Friday? Yeah, no.

In order to avoid the mall yet still manage to find the perfect, unique gifts this year, we've found some one-of-a-kind shopping events. Do yourself and your gift recipients a favor (and avoid being a sellout by giving gift cards), and check them out.

Naughty and Nice Holiday Shopping Event

Belvedere Square - 529 E. Belvedere Ave. - Belvedere Square/ Govans

November 27 : 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

We prefer to do our holiday shopping a little tipsy -- it puts everything else into perspective. So, we're especially thankful to Nouveau Contemporary Goods and The House Downtown for giving us a couple reasons (themed drinks plus special discounts) to leave the house on Black Friday.

AVAM's Bazaart

American Visionary Art Museum - 800 Key Highway - Federal Hill

November 28 : 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

We love the AVAM. Its shop, filled with paper goodies, books, buttons and trinkets galore, usually occupies us for at least an hour. At the Holiday Bazaart, there's even more stuff to occupy us, as more than 50 vendors set up shop and sell paintings, sculptures, paper crafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, mixed media and other works that defy the norms of gift giving.

Baltimore Magazine's VIP Shop Crawl

Johns Hopkins Green Spring Station - 10753 Falls Road - Lutherville

December 2 : 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

OK, so this one's kind of mainstream. It still involves some of our favorite local spots, like FRESH! Boutique, The Nut Farm and Creamery and Bare Necessities. Meet us at Joey Chiu's, where the first 100 shoppers receive gift bags and enjoy food and drink specials.

Holiday Heap

Saint John's United Methodist Church - 2640 Saint Paul St. - Charles Village

December 5 : 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Charm City's Craft Mafia is one mafia that doesn't terrify us. The folks in this mafia are rowdy, creative, talented and crafty artists who want our holidays to have a little flair. Spend your Saturday checking out works from more than 50 vendors.

Merry Mart

The Patterson/Creative Alliance - 3134 Eastern Ave. - Canton

December 6 : 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Whether we're looking for a funky, freakish stuffed animal for our rugrat cousin or a sophisticated smelling soap for our auntie, the Creative Alliance's annual Merry Mart has it. With the addition of live entertainment and a cash bar, a Sunday spent thinking about dwindling gift-buying time just got a lot more productive.

MICA's Art Market

Brown Center at Maryland Institute College of Art - 1301 Mount Royal Ave. - Bolton Hill/ Mount Royal

December 9 : 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

If you're like us and you know an art student, or simply someone who acts like an art student, then you have no idea what to get them. What better place to shop for those artsy people in our lives than at an art school? With works by more than 250 MICA students, alumni, faculty and staff, if we can't find a totally ironic painting or recycled earrings here, we're out of luck.

Squidfire Holiday Art Mart

Du Burns Arena - 1301 S. Ellwood Ave. - Canton

December 12 : 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

You'll find more than just screen-printed T-shirts at Squidfire's Art Mart because the talented guys from the Hampden shop always invite a few of their most talented friends to share their wares, as well. This year, the event is at DuBurns Arena and the new location intrigues us with hopes of a bigger and better show than the one they had last year at the Lyric.

Last-Minute Maul

School 33 Art Center - 1427 Light St. - South Baltimore

December 13 : 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The early bird may get the worm, but the procrastinator resorts to last-minute desperation. When that last shopping week creeps up, we go to the depths of our minds to think of possible gift ideas. Thanks to School 33 and their Last-Minute Maul featuring 20 local artists' work, it's like they've done some thinking for us. Plus, they're providing some refreshments for our poor, tired and generous brains.

Where are you going to be doing your holiday shopping this year?