Crafters are pulling out all the stops this holiday season to stretch the spirit of giving as far as it can reach. Several holiday bazaars benefiting local charitable organizations are upcoming this week. Saturday, Nov. 16 is the Gentle Giving Fair at Richmond Beach Congregational United Church of Christ (1512 N.W. 195th St., Shoreline). Several local and international organizations, including HopeLink, Health Start and Heifer International, will be represented alongside local crafters and Fair Trade goods from around the world. A bake sale and soup table support the charitable efforts of the church, while your purchases from other tables will reach members of our local and global communities with no extra cost to you.

Revelations Yogurt is also helping to spread the love this season, with an afternoon bazaar on the 23rd. From 1-4 p.m., vendors including Arbonne, Scentsy, Thirty-One, Mary Kay Origami Owl, Premier Designs, and Pampered Chef will sell their goods to benefit Days for Girls, an international organization that sends sustainable menstrual products to women and girls who might otherwise spend those 3-7 loathed days of the monthly cycle inside the home, separated from education, business and community. Days for Girls believes that every girl in the world deserves education, safety and dignity—and has the mission to serve every last one by 2022. The Edmonds chapter of Days for Girls is headed by April Haberman, who can be reached at edmonds@daysforgirls.org with inquiries about fundraising and volunteer events.

Edmonds Community College’s annual Holiday Craft Village will be held Nov. 20 in Woodway Hall 202, with art and crafts made by students, faculty and staff, and alumni. A percentage of proceeds benefit the Edmonds Community College Foundation to support educational programs and scholarships.

ArtWorks is set to host its annual Artists’ Gift Show, where—I don’t think I have to spell it out for you—you can support our own local artists and find beautiful, meaningful, one-of-a-kind cards and gifts for loved ones. ArtWorks is a gathering place for artists, and a sort of support group for the arts in our community. By holding group events, classes, and operating a public gallery, ArtWorks provides a place for Edmonds artists to create, display, and sell their work. The Artists’ Gift Show boasts a list of 30 professional artists working in a variety of media. It will be Saturday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the ArtWorks building on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Dayton Street, one block east of the ferry ticketing booths. Artists will be equipped to handle transactions in both paper and plastic—but this is Edmonds, so bring your own bag! For a list of vendors, visit potter Barbara Childs’ website.

First Dibs!
Expect more free-flowing wine and snacks along the trail of this Third Thursday Art Walk than any other, as merchants try to draw you in to call “first dibs” on the best of holiday gifts, food, and decorating ideas Edmonds has to offer.

Arista Wine Cellars will highlight their usual wine tasting with perfectly paired appetizers from the book Wine Bites by Barbara Scott-Goodman. Purchase a bottle from Arista on Thursday evening and your receipt is good for $5 off the book at the Edmonds Bookshop.

The Bookshop welcomes back local author Paddy Eger who will be signing her book, “84 Ribbons.” On a side note—Edmonds Bookshop has another author signing this week, Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 3-4 p.m. Kris Saknussemm will talk about and sign his new memoir on growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1960s. Saknussemm is known for his uncanny ability to evade genre classification—even in this new work of non-fiction, “Sea Monkeys,” which he calls a “memory book.” He is the author of “Zanesville” and “Private Midnight.” His mother lives in Edmonds.

Be sure to stop in to check out the brand new Elegant Gems Limited, in what used to be Bluefish Designs (420 5th Ave. S., No. 107). They don’t officially open until the 30th, but owner/designer Brent Malgarin will welcome visitors with snacks, beverage and a preview of his brilliant jewelry.

The Wishing Stone, which has been keeping odd hours while it completes the task of opening a second store inside of SeaTac, will also be open Thursday night.

At MaJe, Manya will be pouring glasses of her own town-renowned mulled wine while Leigh Young showcases her gorgeous faux-fur hood scarves.

HouseWares helps you plan your holiday gatherings with place-setting ideas and appetizers featuring the Stonewall Kitchen line of sauces, marinades, and spreads they carry in-store. Meanwhile, Stacy Murphy will show her pottery.

Fabric of Life welcomes artist Joye Melby, a long-time educator in Mukilteo. She will show her multi-media paintings on a Japanese theme.

The rest you’ll have to come down and see (taste, hear, and smell) for yourselves! First Dibs is Thursday night from 5-8 p.m. throughout downtown Edmonds.

The 34th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition comes to Edmonds this week—and I can’t wait! On Wednesday, the 20th, the best five comedians from preliminary rounds will try their best to make us laugh (and the cash bar at intermission helps ‘em out) in Night 2 of the semi-finals. Last year, my stomach hurt from laughing so much, and I can still recall a few of my favorite jokes—though none are fit to print! Tickets start at $22 (or $15 for students), and can be purchased through the ECA website.