Get thee to the market!  Susanna sends along this release…

DECATUR – If your holiday gift list has you feeling stressed, look no further than the Decatur Holiday Marketplace + Cafe, slated for Friday, November 30 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm and Saturday, December 1 from 10 am to 8 pm at Clairemont Elementary School, located at 155 Erie Avenue, less than a mile from downtown Decatur.

Now in its 21^st year, the Decatur Holiday Marketplace + Cafe offers a local alternative to crowded shopping malls and big box stores as Clairemont Elementary School transforms into a festive market, boasting nearly 100 local and national artisans. Featuring handmade jewelry, paintings, photography, pottery and more, this holiday market offers unique gifts for everyone on your list.

The event also hosts a well-stocked cafe, featuring homemade soups and decadent desserts from local eateries. Local musicians and carolers will be on hand to add holiday cheer. If you’re shopping with children in tow, kindergarteners and older can join in the fun on Saturday afternoon  from 1pm to 5 pm with art activities provided by Color Wheel Studios.  Parents can  pre-register online for the art activities at www.decaturholidaymarketplace.com and enter through school’s side entrance by cafeteria the day of the event.

The Decatur Holiday Marketplace + Cafe is more than just an ordinary craft market, but also a way for the community to support local students. Proceeds from the Decatur Holiday Marketplace + Cafe go directly to support learning for the students of Clairemont Elementary School.

For more information, please visit www.DecaturHolidayMarketplace.com.

Emily writes in…

The Decatur High School band has grown to be exceptional under the direction of Megan Williams, who joined DHS faculty last year. The holiday concert last year was great, and the fall concert this year was even better. The 2010 holiday concert is tomorrow night, Thursday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in the new auditorium.

If the community needs a taste of the great work that CSD is doing with our children, then attending the holiday band concert would be a good way to do that and also may get the community into the holiday spirit!

Anne sends in the details about Clairemont Elementary’s 18th Annual Holiday Marketplace and Cafe, which starts TOMORROW!

The 2009 Decatur Holiday Marketplace and Cafe will take place Friday, December 4th from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 5th from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., in conjunction with the Decatur Tour of Homes. As always, it will be held at Clairemont Elementary School, located at 155 Erie Avenue in Decatur.

During two days in December, this quaint City of Decatur public elementary school transforms into a lively and festive market where more than 90 local and national artists exhibit their wares. Enjoy Decatur’s holiday spirit while shopping for unique handmade gifts, paintings, glass art, jewelry, pottery and much more. Be sure to stop by the cafe for mouthwatering homemade soups and decadent desserts, as well as toe-tapping tunes performed live by local musicians and carolers.

This is a not-to-be-missed occasion for many Atlanta and Decatur area residents, and a perfect kick-off to the holiday season. Whether it’s your palette or palate that needs pleasing, you’ll satisfy both at the Decatur Holiday Marketplace + Cafe! Admission is free, and all proceeds benefit Clairemont Elementary School programs.

For more information, please visit www.DecaturHolidayMarketplace.com.

Over at The Decatur Minute, Cheryl hopes folks will gobble up Decatur Tour of Homes tickets as fast as Beer Fest tix.  This year’s legal trespassing event takes place on December 4th and 5th from 5:30pm-9:30pm.

This year’s tour features 8 Homes and 2 Points of Interest in the Clairemont/Great Lakes area of Decatur. The Tour of Homes committee has planned the tour so attendees could walk from home to home. There will also be a shuttle available, compliments of Decatur Active Living. You can park your car at the Decatur First Baptist Church on Clairemont and ride the shuttle to all the homes.

Tickets are $20 in advance and are being sold at The Seen Gallery on Church Street, The Seventeen Steps on Ponce de Leon Place, Bicycle South on North Decatur Road and Intown Ace Hardware on Scott Boulevard. Tickets will also be available during the Tour at each home for $25.

Proceeds from the Tour of Homes go to the Decatur Youth Fund and the Decatur Preservation Alliance.

For more details on the homes and places on the tour, check out the Decatur Tour of Homes website.

“Green” seems to be Decatur’s theme for 2008.

Just as the Old House Fair reminded us that “The Greenest Home is the One Already Built”, this year’s Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes focuses on houses that are “Living Green”.  The tour will take place on Fri and Sat December 5th and 6th from 5:30p-9:30p.  The Cliff Bus will provide a shuttle between locations.

Proceeds benefit the Decatur Youth Fund and the Decatur Preservation Alliance.

A pictoral list of homes can be found on the Tour’s website.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at “the door”.

This year’s tour is dedicated to the memory of Ruth Golley, who passed away last month.