Support Your Local Artists: Shop Local!

You may not have noticed but there's a growing movement afoot about shopping and eating locally. In tough economic times, there are several arguments that support doing this. You're aiding folks closer to home from the artists to the merchants to our family farms (do you really want to buy "Made in China" merchandise? Seriously?). You're using less fuel to travel to shop elsewhere (lowering your carbon footprint & saving the planet!). And by eating foods grown locally, you get double that effect with fewer trucks on the road bringing food to you from who-knows-where. Obviously, we can't solve the whole problem at once but we have to start somewhere, so let's look in our own backyard.

Forget the mad dash, angry shoppers & angst of driving all the way over to Corpus, San Antonio, or Houston to shop in the mega-malls. Go to our downtowns in Aransas Pass, Rockport or Ingleside - find something original that will actually mean something to the receiver as well as the artist or shop-owner who desperately needs your business to put food on their table.

Downtown Aransas Pass galleries and some other merchants are staying open late on Friday, November 25 (aka "Black Friday") for your entertaining pleasure. Shop till you drop with some stops for a drink and dinner at our downtown eateries. You may even be hearing some live music in some spots to really enjoy the evening. Simplify your life; stay & play right here and bring some joy to an artist's heart this holiday season! You'll be surprised what you'll find right out your back door.

Artisan Events:

• Friday, November 25, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. - "Black Friday Downtown Celebration" Downtown Aransas Pass artists. Admission: Free.
• Fridays & Saturdays, 7:00 p.m. beginning November 25 - "A Christmas Carol." Harbor Playhouse. Admission: $6-$16.
• Friday, December 2, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - "First Friday" Christmas Party Reception. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
• Saturday, December 3, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - "Currents" Opening Reception. Annual All-Member Show. Rockport Center for the Arts. Admission: Free.
• Saturday December 10, 7:30 pm - "Stuart Michael Burns CD Release Party." Rialto Theater. Admission: $15.
• Fridays & Saturdays through December 17, 7:30 p.m. - "Nunsense." Aurora Arts Theatre. Admission: $12-$14.
• Sundays through December 18, 2:30 p.m. - "Nunsense." Aurora Arts Theatre. Admission: $12-14.
• Saturday, December 31, 9:00 p.m. - New Year's Celebration featuring "Always, Patsy Cline" live on stage. Rialto Theater. Admission: $35.
• Fridays & Saturdays, January 6-21, 7:30 p.m. - "Always, Patsy Cline" Live on Stage. Rialto Theater. Admission: $15.
• Sundays, January 8-22, 2:00 p.m. - "Always, Patsy Cline" Live on Stage. Rialto Theater. Admission: $15.
• Daily through January 25 - "Whimsy" Exhibit by KiKi D's, Gary Hansen & Jackie Anderson. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free.

Jen Rubinowitz is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rialto Theater, an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization fostering art and education through visual art, music and live stage productions in the historic movie theater in downtown Aransas Pass. Her day job is in real estate at Coldwell Banker The Ron Brown Company. If you have someone you'd like to spotlight in this column, drop her a line at jen@jenscoastalbend.com.