SANTA SAYS >>>>

There are many differences between the New Year's celebrations of New York City and Tacoma, the most telling of which is the trajectory of each ball. In New York, the ball drops - another year down the tubes. In Tacoma, however, the ball is set on fire.           

"We're really stepping up the fire aspect to mitigate the cold," First Night Tacoma co-producer Lance Kagey told the Weekly Volcano. "Last year, we had Zen fire gardens, which are very cool basins filled with black sand. You can draw in them with sticks and fire traces your drawing. We'll have those again. We'll have some fires to gather around for warmth. We have a big fire spectacular at the end of the night, and lots of fire performers throughout the evening."

As in years past a parade kicks off Tacoma's First Night 2012 nighttimeNew Year's Eve celebration in downtown Tacoma. And this year isn't any different. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. the "World's Shortest Parade" will march from the Graffiti Garages to the Theatre on the Square featuring representatives from the Dockyard Derby Dames, fire dancers, Metro Arts Dragon team and many more.

Of course, the World's Shortest Parade is only a beginning. A First Night Tacoma button will allow you access to 20 different stages and the museums, offering a wide variety of entertainment options. The annual, all-ages, family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year's Eve celebration follows the Chinese lunar calendar, and this year is the year of the dragon. In this spirit there will be two large dragons making an appearance at the festival - a 35-foot creation by Metro Parks Tacoma, and a 14-foot fire-breathing metal beast.

The entertainment schedule for the night blows my mind. Check out the schedule here.

First Night Buttons are only $10 before the festival begins. The buttons make the perfect gift. Click here to discover where you can grab one or 20.

So if you're just glad 2011 is over, stay at home and join Carson Daly and Justin Bieber in Times Square as they watch the ball drop. If you're excited to get started with 2012, head to downtown Tacoma, where the ball, and spirits, will be on fire.

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

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PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

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SANTA SAYS >>>>

If you don't know about LeRoy Jewelers and the Art Stop, you should lose your title as a Tacoman. LeRoy Jewelers has been in business since 1941, and the incredible husband and wife team of Steph Farber and Phyllis Harrison operate it.

Through my magic snowball I've watched these two fine individuals in action at Third Thursday Artwalk, Downtown Tacoma Merchants Group, First Night and in advocating for the needs of small businesses, artists, the right thing to do and much, much more in Tacoma City Hall.

If jewelry is not part of your gift-giving plan, LeRoy also sells beautiful artwork, crafts and handcrafted house wares for sale in their Art Stop gallery, which is embedded in their jewelry store.

Santa would like to give a big shout to Farber for grabbing the Innovation in Classical Platinum Design award from the American Gem Trade Association for his platinum "Waterfall" pendant (pictured above). It's amazing and loaded with 19.9 ct. carved quartz and three rainbow moonstones accented with diamonds.

Nice.

[LeRoy Jewelers/Art Stop, 940 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.272.3377]

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

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PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 Best of Olympia Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

SANTA SAYS >>>>

Back in May, I caught a righteous art show of political artwork from Vancouver, B.C. artists at the defunct downtown Olympia all-ages venue Northern. I was the one in disguise wearing the black-rimmed glasses and Beat Happening T-shirt. The show was co-curated by David Lester and Jean Smith, the duo that make up the long-standing noise-rock band Mecca Normal.

Santa has been a huge fan of Mecca Normal since they launched 27 years ago. They have inspired the North Pole Riot Grrrl community with their aggressive female-fronted, unconventional approach to punk. Not only does the duo rock, they also lecture, exhibit their art and participate in performance art.

If you are looking for a gift this coming holiday season, consider Lester's graphic novel The Listener. It has been selected as one of the best books of 2011, so far, by the School Library Journal (New York). Publishers Weekly (New York) called it, "A dense and fiercely intelligent work that asks important questions about art, history, and the responsibility of the individual, all in a lyrical and stirring tone."

Santa thinks it's awesome.

You may purchase the book for $19.95 at AK Press, buyolympia.com and Amazon. 

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

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PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 Best of Olympia Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

SANTA SAYS >>>>

If you're in one of those holiday shopping frenzies but are out of Valium and therefore can't possibly walk into a mall, you're in luck. Third Thursday Artwalk graces downtown Tacoma and surrounding areas tonight opening the doors to all of the museums and galleries for free public viewing as a way for Tacoma to celebrate its vibrant creative community and historic downtown. It's also a wonderful time to shop and a great way to support local artists.

Here are a few participating spots on Santa's radar for tonight:

253 Collective

The eclectic artists reveal their interpretations of an enigmatic quote, "... the color of winter is in the imagination." New artwork will include pieces in watercolor, acrylic, oil and photography. 1901 Jefferson St.

B2 Fine Art Gallery

The Triangle District art gallery opens a new gift shop with holiday specials on artwork, gift cards, art books, candles and jewelry. In the gallery is Cold Fusion exploring contemporary artwork by Todd Clark, Judy Hintz Cox and Scott J. Morgan. 711 St. Helens Ave.

Mad Hat Tea Company

The downtown tea store offers fair trade, organic, sustainable and hand harvested teas, as well as its annual Cash Flow Show featuring artwork by local artists priced at 25 bucks or less. 1130 Commerce St.

Embellish Multispace Salon

Holding true to the Multispace concept, Embellish hosts a last minute holiday bizarre featuring works by local artists. 1121 Court D

Jewell Day Spa

Jewell Day Spa hosts Michael Jewell's blown art glass and treasures from professional junkster Deidre Norris of Junktastic Sundays fame. 2501 Sixth Ave.

The Swiss

The popular downtown watering hole hosts artist Josh Casey and his pop-realism still life oil paintings on canvas. Oh, you might see some Chihuly glass, too. Famous DJ Donald Glaude and friends spin beginning at 9 p.m. 1904 Jefferson St.

Be there.

[Thursday, Dec. 15, 5-8 p.m., no admission fee to galleries and museums, the vibrant streets of downtown Tacoma]

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

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PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 Best of Olympia Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

SANTA SAYS >>>>

Santa loved the '70s. Admittedly, '70 to '71 are something of a blur for me, seeing as some bad candy canes were circulating through the North Pole. However, H.R. Pufnstuff and The Electric Company were not lost on me.

During rest of the '70s, we we're pumping out some awesome toys.

Just about the time of Bobby Brady's tiki amulet, the tarantula-attracting totem trinket that sent the Brady's to Hawaii, my castle was humming. While Eric Estrada and Lynda Carter seem well suited to talk about leisure suits, the elves were making Shrinky Dinks sets every three minutes. We had those plastic pieces shrinking to about a third of the size and nine times thicker after only two minutes in the oven. We pulled in a few elves from the gauchos department to crank out more Dinks.

As with most toys we make, except LEGOs, interests change and we changed focus. About the time Pinky Tuscadero popped onto the scene, our Shrinky Dinks production was operating at 25 percent of what it was in 1973.

I bring up the Dinks because the Museum of Glass will host a Shrinky Dinks workshop during its Family Day celebration today. Inspired by Paul Stankard's Beauty Beyond Nature still-life sculptures encased in clear crystal exhibition, local artist Jennifer Adams - she of Tacoma Is For Lovers fame - will teach families how to make Shrinky Dinks mini-world magnets, which should make great gifts.

Paul Twedt's Holiday Musicale will be the entertainment during the afternoon of creativity.

[Museum of Glass, Saturday, Dec. 10, 1-4 p.m., $5-$12, $36 for families, 1801 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.284.4750]

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

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PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

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SANTA SAYS >>>>

This year marks the fourth year of the Cash Flow Show, but the package is as awesome as ever. Local artists you know and love, slinging a bounty of artistic goodness priced at $25 or less, will set up shop at Mad Hat Tea Company this weekend and give you an even better-than-normal excuse to skip the malls.

Santa's not usually interested in art produced solely for sale. I still approach art as if it were meant for something. That is, for something other than making money - changing the world, for example, or healing the recipient or audience, or shocking an unsuspecting viewer into believing in marvels again - if even for just a moment.

But Cash Flow Show IV is, at the very least, honest about its intentions. People selling are hungry. People buying need gifts. And an inexpensive, hand-made something or other carries more meaning than a cheap, plastic-encased shaving set from Target.

Santa would hope, anyway.

This year's Cash Flow Show moves from its annual Thursday night showing to a two-day extravaganza. In addition to the awesome art, you can expect music, food, tarot card reading on Sunday and, of course, tea you can't find anywhere else in Tacoma.

Help Grit City's creative types enjoy a holiday season that includes more than pocket lint and Top Ramen. Because, you know, you're supporting their work with actual money. It's a win-win.

[Mad Hat Tea Co., Saturday, Dec. 10, 7-11 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11 noon top 4 p.m.,  no cover, 1130 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253.441.2111]

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

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PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 Best of Olympia Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

SANTA SAYS >>>>

Well, this sounds interesting. Or, you know, strange. Whatever. Nothing like Cheeseburger Slider Goblets to add a little randomness to your holiday season gift giving.

The Museum of Glass carries the glass goblets created by John Miller, he of Seattle's Pilchuck Glass School. The glasses will set you back $250 a piece. If you are a Museum of Glass member, knock $37.50 off.

Welcome to the whimsical side of the holidays, my friend. Or the weird side. Whatever.

[Museum of Glass, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, $10-$12 admission, 1801 Dock St., Tacoma, website]

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

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PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 Best of Olympia Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

SANTA SAYS >>>>

If you take a walk around Tacoma's Sixth Avenue today, you'll notice folks hauling arty delights back to their cars.

Junkaholic Deidre Norris hosts her last JuNkTaStIc SuNdAy MaRkEt, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the Studio 6 Ballroom. Local artists and vintage vendors will have their wares displayed for sale at the "little bit of this and that" indoor market.

Shop for vintage furs, boots, bags, sleighs, staked and potted garden art, magic snow balls, jewelry, vintage, elf shoes, collectables, re-purposed furniture, magic acorns that allow reindeer to fly, shabby chic, primitive décor, hula hoops by Deanna Riley, fleece and crochet items, Charlie In A Box and much more.

A food drive for FISH Food Banks will also be underway, so bring some non-perishable foods with you to help feed the hungry.

Stop by, shop and thank Norris for her awesome market.

[Studio 6 Ballroom, Sunday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission,  2608 Sixth Ave., Tacoma]

PLUS: 2011 South Sound Holiday Happenings

LINK: Santa Says RSS feed

LINK: Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Give the Weekly Volcano a "LIKE" present

PLUS: 2011 Super Best of Tacoma Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

PLUS: 2011 Best of Olympia Bought and Sold Readers' and Staff picks

SANTA SAYS >>>>

With Thanksgiving looming large, you must succumb to the siren song of the approaching Holiday season.

The folks at the Weekly Volcano have posted its first round of holiday events in the South Sound. Yes, they present this list awfully early this year. That's so them!

Click here for the scoop on movies, plays, dance, concerts, outdoor activities and festivals coming your way between now and the end of the year - plus other events that defy categorization and enough Nutcrackers to satisfy even those dance enthusiasts who don't know the difference between a pas de deux and the shag. There's also a searchable database of events here.

The Weekly Volcano will also offering four print holiday guides, the first hitting the street Wednesday.

Once you've baked enough cookies to last until Easter, spent three weeks worth of paychecks, and played all of your Christmas albums backward, break out those wool socks and long underwear and hit the area for something new.

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SANTA SAYS >>>>

The North Pole is for a lot of characters. Up here, we have elves, of course. Lot of them. More than we actually need.  We also have snowmen and snowwomen, arctic puffins, Winter Warlock, Snow Miser, Yukon Cornelius, Abominable Snow Monster, and King Moonracer and the unfortunate folks on the Island of Misfit Toys.

Tacoma, on the other hand is for lovers, artists and, hopefully, lovers of artists, at least in the eyes of the folks from Tacoma Is For Lovers and King's Books.

This weekend, Tacoma is for Lovers - the official pro-Tacoma outfit, which is also a community based organization that hypes local arts and Tacoma in general - hosts the Artist Craft Fair, which is an opportunity to revel in local art, and maybe, just maybe, buy some gifts. Held at King's Books from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the Artist Craft Fair will feature work from Krystal Kerr, Ryan Loiselle, Maura Shapley, Matthew Porter, Lisa Hasegawa, Heidi Kress, Chandler O'Leary, Scott and Jacqui Scoggin, Jessica Spring, Rochelle Wells and many others.

It's doubtful my North Pole peeps will make the Artist Craft Fair. We're busy. You never know. Maybe Tacoma will be for lovers, artists and an elf named Hermey.

[King's Books, Friday, Nov. 19-Saturday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.8801]

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