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Celebrate the spirit of the season
Please Shop Local Ugg Robes
Boulder Star on Flagstaff Mountain.
(Photo: Timothy Seibert/Flatirons Pro Media).
Celebrate the Spirit of the Season
BY ADAM GOLDSTEIN
HOLIDAY GUIDE
As the season of joy, goodwill and commerce looms, it’s easy to get stuck in a shopping rut. But even as the demands of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s may tempt some to celebrate in long lines in chain stores, it’s important to remember that there are locally sourced options to check all the items off your gift list.
Whether it’s an expo featuring some of the most impressive gems and minerals from Colorado, a craft show at a local church or a neighborhood railroad club’s annual showcase, Boulder County offers plenty of options. What’s more, the area abounds in ways to celebrate the season that have nothing to do with shopping, from meeting Saint Nicholas to parades and holiday lightings.
The Flatirons Mineral Club is a Boulder-based nonprofit that celebrates all facets of earth science, including collecting and selling a wide array of gems, rocks, minerals, fossils and other fascinating items. From Nov. 25 to 27 at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Exhibit Building, the club will spotlight some of these items at its annual gem and mineral show. This showcase allows attendees to peruse and buy impressive items presented by club members, even as it features some science-based fun for kids and adults alike.
Exhibits will include items from dealers and museums, and a special “fluorescent room” will put gems and minerals in a compelling light – literally. Kids will enjoy grab bags, a
game wheel, a staged dig site and “panning by the Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club, ” according to organizers. It’s the perfect chance to tackle holiday shopping in a novel way that benefits a local nonprofit dedicated to science and education. For more information, visit flatironsmineralclub.org.
Similarly, the Boulder Model Railroad Club (bouldermodelrailroadclub.org) offers gift options that stray from the soulless options at big box stores and malls. As its name suggests, the club is the “premier model railroad club” for Boulder, Broomfield, Adams and Jefferson Counties, a status it’s proud to show off at its 45th Annual Train Expo slated for Dec. 9 to 11 at the Boulder County Fairgrounds.
Just as the Flatirons club will spotlight earth science at their event, the Railroad Club will take the weekend to show off all manner of train-related memorabilia, from miniature models to exhibits to layouts and loops.
“Since guests (particularly young ones) like to run trains, we often have a loop or two of track for them,” member Jeff MacDonald said of past expos. “Members bring models to display in our showcases and put on various clinics to demonstrate specific modeling skills. Lots of vendors set up tables of interesting and unique prototype and model railroading items for sale, just in time for gift-giving.”
For those shoppers looking for a personal touch, the Rinn United Methodist Church annual craft features merchandise hand-crafted by parishioners. The church at 3783 Bella Rosa Parkway in Frederick has long been active in its community, and the daylong fair slated for Dec. 3 gives its members the chance to share homemade goods, from clothing to pottery to lovingly prepared food.
Of course, the holiday season isn’t just about gifts, no matter how quirky or quaint. Boulder County offers plenty of chances to celebrate the holidays with ceremony, fun and community. The coming weeks will see plenty of events in downtown Boulder (boulderdowntown.com), including the Light of December Parade scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 on the Pearl Street Mall. In addition, the mall will host Santa Claus for “St. Nick on the Bricks” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25, and Saturdays from Nov. 26 to Dec. 24. For those looking for a more high-tech approach to holiday fun, the mall will also host “Snow Much Fun,” a virtual, self-guided AR tour of the area featuring animations available on smartphones.
Elsewhere in Boulder County, the holiday lights and fun abound. Downtown Longmont features its own parades, lighting ceremonies and Santa visits through the end of November and December (downtownlongmont.com). Broomfield, Erie, Lafayette, Louisville and Superior will also ring in the holidays with local lights, Santa visits and other expressions of goodwill that have nothing to do with any big box store.
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