Each year, Southern Maryland businesses, farmers and officials urge Christmas shoppers to keep their money local when holiday shopping. It’s hard to get more locally handmade, homemade or homegrown than the monthly Maker’s Market at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center.
The December Maker’s Market will take place from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, Dec. 3, at Annmarie Garden, featuring 57 vendors selling locally made items from Maryland. Guests of the market will find great holiday shopping opportunities for both gifts and holiday meals as they browse a mix of jewelry, unique decorative items, jams and jellies, baked goods, honey, herbal teas, garden décor and flowering plants, produce and much more.
“Buying local is really important right now and people want to find that unique gift,” said Kimberly Pepper-Hoctor, marketing specialist for Annmarie, who added that the Maker’s Market offers a calming, anti-Black Friday environment for shoppers. “People are looking for a nice, easy way to get gifts without having to deal with mobs.”
Last weekend, Small Business Saturday was celebrated throughout the country, where shoppers were urged to purchase gifts from local businesses. “It’s become more of a national pride aspect,” Pepper-Hoctor said. “People want to go back to the roots of handmade items made in the U.S. Especially with the recession, we really want to keep the money here in local communities.”
A big supporter of the “buy local” program, Annmarie Garden has provided an up-to-date A-Z vendor and product list on its website listed under Events and Maker’s Market at www.annmariegarden.org. Additionally, the Annmarie Maker’s Market is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Makers-Market-at-Annmarie-Sculpture-Garden-Arts-Center.
Some of the Calvert businesses featured on Saturday include: Calvert Kettle Corn of North Beach selling flavored popcorn; Corey’s Green Gifts of Lusby selling record bowls, magnets and recycled gifts; and Good Shepherd Dog Coats selling warm gifts for pets around the holidays, plus numerous others.
Pepper-Hoctor said she tries to buy local when she can and is a big fan of Pink Koala Design, a Callaway-based business, which this weekend is selling tote bags and infant accessories at the Maker’s Market.
“I love their tote bags. They’re cute and fashionable, and they’re all handmade,” she said.
The first Maker’s Market was held in May 2009 as a way to encourage more people to buy local and do “more than a farmers market,” Pepper-Hoctor said, adding that her favorite part of the monthly event is the variety of items for sale. “I can get some fresh produce. It’s got art and art products I know are one-of-a-kind items. ... It really connects me with people in the community.”
Since that first market, “we have seen it grow by leaps and bounds,” she said. “It started very small. Now it’s competitive; we have people on waiting lists. It’s packed with vendors and people actually apply for it a year in advance.”
This Saturday’s market also will be the last one until February, as there is no market held in January.
Ornament show continues through January
Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center’s fourth annual Ornament Show & Sale is going on now through Jan. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., coinciding with the center’s beloved, award-winning Garden in Lights display, which starts in December.
Showcasing more than 23 artists and craftspeople working in mediums such as paper, wood, shells, glass, copper, and ceramic, the ornament show at Annmarie Garden will be displayed on holiday trees throughout the main gallery of the Arts building. All the ornaments will be for sale and range in price from $7 to $28.
Annmarie Garden is located at 13480 Dowell Road in Solomons.
For more information about the Fourth Annual Ornament Show & Sale or Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, go to www.annmariegarden.org.
Calvert Artists’ Guild to hold annual meeting
Members of the community are invited to join Calvert Artists’ Guild members at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10 in the Art Room at Calvert Pines Senior Center, 450 West Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, for a meeting, CAG Board member elections and a water-color demonstration by Gerry Wood.
Members can bring “finger foods” (no cutting required) to share. The event is free to the public. For additional information, contact Lonnie Harkins at 410-326-7199 or baronvansmoogle@netscape.net, or Gerry Wood at gbwood2@verizon.net, 301 863-7199.
Farms for the Holidays guide available
The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission’s (SMADC) So. Maryland, So Good “Farms for the Holidays” guide lists farms in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary's counties offering locally grown or produced products during the holiday season.
The guide features original farm-made gifts, fresh farm foods, award-winning wines, fragrant, locally-grown Christmas trees and holiday decor.
For a memorable Southern Maryland holiday experience, the free “Farms for the Holidays” guide also lists farm events for the whole family, including visits with Santa, nativity scenes with live farm animals, open houses at local Alpaca farms, candlelight caroling walks, hayrides and even “how-to” workshops for wreaths and more.
Download the full digital version of the guide now at the SMADC website, or pick up a printed copy beginning Dec. 2 at regional libraries and other designated distribution sites. Go to www.smadc.com for more information, or call SMADC staff at 301-274-1922 Ex. 1.
SMECO offers 2012 scholarships
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) is offering college scholarships for the 2012-2013 school year. Four high school seniors will be awarded $1,500 each. Students are eligible to apply if they live with parents or guardians who are SMECO customers. Seniors must be enrolled or plan to enroll full time in an accredited college, university or trade school. The deadline for students to apply for college scholarships is Thursday, March 1, 2012. For more information, or to obtain an application, go to www.smeco.coop.
To be eligible for SMECO scholarships, students must have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Four $1,500 scholarships will be awarded based on scholastic achievement, financial need and community and school involvement. As part of the application process, students must submit an essay on “Why is a College Education Important to Completing My Lifetime Goals?” Scholarship finalists will be interviewed on March 17, 2012.
Students may obtain an application from their school’s career counselor or by calling SMECO at 1-888-440-3311, extension 4340. Applications are also available online at www.smeco.coop and at the customer service desk in SMECO’s Leonardtown, Prince Frederick and Hughesville offices. Completed application packages with all items submitted together may be taken to a SMECO office or mailed to the attention of Bernadette Lewis, SMECO, P.O. Box 1937, Hughesville, MD, 20637. When mailing, please allow time for delivery.
Libraries help print reading impaired
A free resource for people who are print impaired — those who have one or more disabilities that prevent them from being able to use printed material effectively — is now available through the public libraries in Southern Maryland.
The Library eBook Accessibility Program (LEAP) is a partnership between area public libraries, Bookshare and OverDrive, and offers alternative ways to help people enjoy books. Southern Maryland Regional Library supplies digital library materials to Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s county library customers through OverDrive. Bookshare is a nonprofit organization that delivers timely e-book access to individuals with print disabilities.
LEAP provides print-disabled library customers access to print materials in digital formats through a one-year membership to Bookshare. The membership includes access to up to 20 e-books each month, at no additional cost to the library or the library customer.
Digital books from Bookshare are available in accessible formats such as the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) and can be used with a variety of accessible devices. In addition, a variety of free desktop software is compatible with e-books from Bookshare, including Read:Outloud and Victor Reader.
To learn more about qualifications for the free Bookshare subscription, go to the COSMOS link on the library’s website or go to cosmos.somd.lib.md.us. A valid library card from any public library in Southern Maryland is required.
For more information about this and other online services, go to a local library or contact: Calvert Library (calvert.lib.md.us), 410-535-0291; Charles County Public Library (ccplonline.org), 301-934-9001; or St. Mary’s County Library (stmalib.org), 301-475-2846.
