Occidental Community Column - December 2010

Occidental Community Council 25th Annual

Holiday Crafts Faire

On Saturday and Sunday, December 11th and 12th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., OCC will celebrate 25 Years of Holiday Crafting and Community in Occidental, on the corner of Graton Road and Bohemian Highway.

This special Crafts Faire has something for the whole family. In addition to highlighting over 35 local and regional artists and showcasing their special crafts and holiday pieces, there will be entertainment, the traditional bucket raffle (where guests choose the prize they want to win!), wreaths, and much more!

Daily special guest appearances by Santa Claus; members of the famous Occidental Community Choir will be visiting throughout the weekend, singing festive holiday carols; and don’t miss the special treats and holiday-baked goods provided by Salmon Creek School students. Finally, at 3pm on Saturday afternoon there will be an Anniversary Cake (oh boy) and 3pm on Sunday will be the bucket raffle.

For “real” food, The Ceres Community Project will prepare a unique selection of fabulous, healthy food, just for the occasion.   All proceeds from the sale of the food will go towards their programs (bringing local teens together to learn about whole food and cooking while preparing organic meals for families who are facing health challenges).

And when you’re all done at the Faire, why not take a stroll through town and visit the local merchants and businesses who help to keep our community so vibrant.

Except as noted above, proceeds from this annual fundraiser are returned to the community through programs funded by the Community Council. For more information please contact Sherry Huss at sherry@renga-arts.com. Admission is free!

Occidental Center for the Arts
OCA Gallery in Occidental, California invites artistic submissions for the show, Games People Play, which runs from Jan 8 to Feb 28. From Cezanne’s “The Card Players,” to Burning Man games, artists are invited to liberally interpret the theme. Jurors are: Leslie Zumwalt, Tony Speirs, Chris Hataway. All two and three-dimensional pieces will be considered. Gallery space is intimate (anything over 4’ wide or 7’ high is too big). Entry fee is $10 per submission, or 2/$15. For more information and/or guidelines, call OCA at 707.874.9392.

Occidental Community Choir
The choir is presenting its 32nd season of Holiday Concerts. There are five concerts, Dec 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, spread out between Occidental, Sebastopol, and Santa Rosa. As music plays a big part of many peoples’ holiday celebration, the choir is delighted to share theirs with you. For ticket information and location specifics, email: www.occidentalchoir.org.

I really appreciate all the notices and emails about events. One favor, though, and that is please make clear that you want column inclusion, and try to have one person only sending info for an event. Please don’t assume I know what to include and its relative importance to your group.

Thanks and happy holidays to all; let’s be in touch next year!