This upcoming weekend Milk & Honey Market is throwing two holiday celebrations: a Holiday Pop-Up Shop on Sunday at their West Philly store at 45th and Baltimore and Winterfest on Saturday at their Center City location at Sister Cities Park (18th St. and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway). Annie Baum-Stein, the owner, invites her West Philly neighbors to both events.

Winterfest will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes a lot of fun holiday activities for the whole family – a Treasure Hunt, Karaoke sing-a-long with Frosty the Snowman, and holiday arts and crafts. The event will kick off with a choir performing songs of the season. Throughout the day children will enjoy Story Art, Snowflake Science, Cold Weather Creatures, and cookie decorating. This page has a full schedule.

For Sunday’s Pop-Up Shop held at 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in West Philly, Milk & Honey partnered with local artist/craft team Fennec Designs (many will recognize their wares from VIX Emporium or Go West Craft Fests) who have invited their neighborhood artisan friends to participate. In addition to the pop-up gift shop, Build-Your-Own gift baskets and Cookie decorating kits will be on tap at the event.  You can purchase anything in the store for a gift basket and receive the gift packaging and a custom gift card free.

And here are some examples of locally grown or made gift items:

Urban Apiaries Honey, unusual bitters, shrubs and syrups for cocktailers, Beer Kits for Home Brewers, local artisan made kitchen accessories, art works and beeswax candles, a great assortment of cookbooks and of course lots of delicious edible gifts!

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, began last night and we want to pass along information that Kol Tzedek, a Reconstructionist synagogue in West Philly, is inviting neighbors to its Annual Hanukkah Party/Fundraiser today from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th & Baltimore).

Here’s more information from the Kol Tzedek website:

“Candlelighting is approximately at 4:30 pm… This is also vegetarian potluck dinner — bring along a dish to share and your own plates/cutlery if you are able. Come celebrate the Second Night of Hanukkah with the Kol Tzedek community! Light candles, nash on some latkes, play games, sing songs, listen to some classic klezmer brought to you by our Simcha Band, and enjoy the warmth of this holiday of Lights!

This event is also a fundraiser for the community. Suggested sliding scale donation: $8-18 for individuals, $18-36 for families. No one will be turned away! This year, we are aiming to have a bit of a marketplace, featuring local vendors, so bring along some extra cash for that last minute holiday shopping! We need lots of latkes! To volunteer for latke making or volunteer in other ways, contact religiouslife@kol-tzedek.org.

We invite you to bring any or all of these: a vegetarian dish to share, your own plate/napkin/cup/ silverware, your own menorah and candles so we can add to the beautiful lights, a donation of winter gear, coats, mittens, scarves, etc for a local charity.”

The Philadelphia Mobile Food Association is teaming up with Philabundance in an effort to make holidays brighter for those who can’t afford food.  PMFA is organizing a canned food drive this month and will be accepting non-perishable food donations until December 23. You can drop off your donation at any PMFA food truck (see the list of participating West Philly trucks below). The project launched last Saturday during the PMFA Holiday Round Up. Next time you visit your favorite truck remember to bring some canned goods for your fellow man.

Doll by Jessie Schwarz.

University City Arts League is holding its annual Holiday Craft Show and Sale from December 7 to 21 and inviting everyone to the opening reception this Saturday, 6:00-8:00 p.m. (members-only opening reception is on Friday, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.). Over 50 artists will present their work at this year’s show, including ceramics, dolls, drawings, felted animals, hand woven bags, glass, illustrations, jewelry, note cards, paintings, prints, purses, scarves, table linens, wallets and more!

The show hours are:

Monday – Friday, 3:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, noon – 6:00 p.m.

For more information, visit www.ucartsleague.org.

If you are thinking of buying a book as a holiday gift, please consider doing so at local bookstores this holiday season and support your neighbors instead of giving your money to giant online companies. We’re lucky to have a few really nice bookstores in the area that are offering some great deals, holding special events, and are open extra hours to serve your holiday shopping needs. If you missed our story from earlier this year on why local books are worth buying, click here.

Here are a couple of suggestions.

Penn Book Center (130 S. 34th St.), an independently-owned bookstore serving the University City community since 1962, is offering a special 2 for 1 deal on Everyman’s Library hardbacks and assorted cookbooks. The store is also giving 20 percent off all books in its Art section and assorted coffee table books. If you become a frequent buyer you can get a $10.00 credit every time you spent $100.00. If PBC doesn’t have a book in stock, their staff will be happy to order it for you. For more information visit www.pennbookcenter.com (make sure to check out the poem of the day!).

Bindlestiff Books (4530 Baltimore Ave) is planning on being open every day through December 24 (Noon to 7 except Sundays, when they close at 5). They’ll take special orders for books through 7 p.m. Dec. 19 for delivery through Dec. 21 (new deliveries will be coming in a couple of times a week, including new books, more calendars, and even some new remainder titles). The store has gotten in lots of new children’s and chapter books, several new journals and calendars, and more.

The store is also organizing some special events this month, including Kol Tzedek’s Annual Hanukkah Party on Sunday, Dec. 9, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., and presentation and discussion of Cannabis Chassidis: The Ancient and Emerging Torah of Drugs (Wednesday, Dec. 5, 6 p.m.) by author Joseph Lieb (details and excerpts at www.cannabischassidis.blogspot.com) who will also sign copies in the bookstore’s back room. Finally, Bindlestiff Books will be tabling as part of the holiday bazaar/vegetarian potluck fundraiser at the Calvary Center for Community & Culture (48th & Baltimore) this Saturday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As the number of package deliveries increases before and during holidays, so does package theft. A neighbor sent this information and a warning to fellow West Philly residents to be extra careful receiving packages, especially during the holiday season.

“Today I got a call from a friendly stranger who happened to be waiting in a car across the street from my apartment to give a friend a ride. He saw four teens walking down the 4600 block of Spruce, doing what looked like checking porches for packages. When they got to my porch, they saw a package, opened it, and the friendly neighbor got out of his car to stop them, at which point they ran away with half of the contents of the box. Since my buzzer doesn’t work, my phone number is on my front door, which is how he managed to contact me. I came home and filed a police report.”