1hh
thursday, nov. 26, 2020 L A W R E NC E
Journal-World
®
y a d i Hol h a p p e n i n g s
We’ve all had a challenging, unce rtain year, but there’s still some room for som e holiday cheer. Mass. Street is going to be merry & bright as you pick up gifts curbside by co lorful lights. And artists & makers are doing their share, but the best gift this season is sh owing you care: Wear a mask; wash your hands; ke ep your gatherings small; make this holiday season a safe one for all.
What to go, see & do this season Some holiday staples are back — but they look a bit different. We’ve got (gingerbread houses) from Waxman on the north all the way down to Mass Street Soda on the south.”
By Lauren Fox lll
lfox@ljworld.com
M
any of the winter season’s traditional events look different this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Journal-World put together a list of some activities that are still occurring this holiday season, as well as some classic activities that can be enjoyed while social distancing.
Gingerbread Festival For 10 days this December, gingerbread houses will be placed in the windows of 15 businesses up and down Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence. The traditional Gingerbread Festival — Big Brothers Big Sisters’ largest fundraiser of the year — had to be reimagined because of the pandemic. Instead of a one-day event with all the gingerbread houses in the same room, now families are invited to see the gingerbread houses in a safer and more socially distant manner.
— Jeffry Jack, area director for Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters, which puts on the annual Gingerbread Festival
Journal-World File Photo
THE TRADITIONAL BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS GINGERBREAD FESTIVAL will still be taking place — but the gingerbread houses will be on display in the windows of downtown businesses instead of in a single room. “We’ve got them from Waxman on the north all the way down to Mass Street Soda on the south,” said Jeffry Jack, area director for Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The event’s raffle and auction will take place online, and people can bid on the gingerbread houses and prize baskets. This year, members of the public will also be able to vote
for their favorite gingerbread house. For those who don’t have access to the internet, there will also be an opportunity for individuals to vote for their favorite gingerbread
house at the Lawrence Public Library. Jack said the new format will allow “the entire community to enjoy the gingerbread houses and to participate.” The event will begin on Dec. 3 and end on Dec. 13. On the night of Dec. 13, there will be a YouTube event to announce the winners of the auctions, raffles and the winning gingerbread house.
> EVENTS, 2HH
Meet some local makers and their most popular pieces By Lauren Fox lll
lfox@ljworld.com Looking for a locally made gift this holiday season or for more information about nearby makers? The Journal-World spoke to five artists and craftspeople about their backgrounds and inspiration.
Charley Forsyth Printmaker Charley Forsyth never received any formal art training. But about six years ago, he decided he
wanted to put art out into the world, so he picked up a print making kit from Wonder Forsyth Fair. Now, the West Middle School social studies teacher continues to make prints, which he sells at Wonder Fair and in the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka, among other locations. Forsyth does linoleum block printing, a process
that involves carving into linoleum and printing an impression of the carved surface onto paper. His most popular images include sunflowers, an image of James Naismith and a postcard-style image that says “Greetings from Kansas.” He said he likes that the art he makes is inexpensive enough that even a kid could buy it as a gift, but that it is also unique and handmade at the same time.
> MAKERS, 6HH
Contributed Image
CHARLEY FORSYTH’S “GREETINGS FROM KANSAS” PRINT.