Do Your Shopping Here

Mary is throwing her annual happy delusions Holiday Party this Saturday, December 5th from 4-8pm and you are invited. Come and do your holiday shopping and support the coolest shop in the DTR. I truly mean that last statement, I am not just saying that because Mary is my friend.. Hi Mary, miss you this week.

Anyways, happy delusions has gifts for everyone. Jewelry, ceramics, clothing, one of a kind pieces of art, local Etsy crafters and so much more stuff. This is a great place to shop for those people who are hard to shop for. It is always my first stop for holiday shopping.

So, stop by the shop while you are out enjoying the festivities on Saturday night or come down to DTR just for this or else…..

 

Get Into The Holiday Spirit

If you are looking for a way to really embrace the holiday season you should consider putting the lighting of Clam Lights and the arrival of Santa at the Piazza Renton on your calendar.

Clam Lights at Lake Washington kicks off on Friday, December 4th at 6:30pm with the official tree lighting at 7:15pm. Clam Lights is crowded so either come early to get a parking spot or be prepared to walk in. We braved the crowd last year to witness the tree lighting and stuck around for the “Parade of Boats” and we will be doing it again this year as well.

On Saturday, December 5th Downtown Renton will be buzzing with holiday activity starting at 3pm. Dickens Carolers and local carolers will be on hand singing all of the holiday favorites while the smell of roasted chestnuts fill the air on 3rd Street between Wells and Williams Ave. I don’t think it gets any more Norman Rockwell than that.

After the carolers are finished head over to the Piazza Renton for the tree lighting and the arrival of Santa Claus. Santa will be on-hand for pictures so make sure you bring your camera.

This is another opportunity to connect with our community and enjoy some of the great things that Renton has to offer. I know for sure that volunteers will be on hand at both events handing out flyers regarding the annexation to KCLS so be on the lookout.

 

Time Flies…

Hope your calendar for December is not already filled up because there is a ton of stuff to do in Renton during the month of December. All of the events that I know of going on around our awesome city are here.

Tree Lightings, Clam Lights, The Nutcracker and Santa at the Piazza Renton are just a few of the special holiday things happening, in addition to all of the great stuff that normally happens during the month like Magic Monday’s at Liberty Cafe or the  wine tastings all around Renton. The possibilities are endless.

As always feel free to contact me and let me know of any event that I may have missed, I would love to hear from you. Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!

 

Help Keep Someone Warm

These days there is a lot of talk on the radio, T.V. and newspaper about people not having enough to eat during the holiday season. If people are having a hard time getting their bellies filled up I can only imagine that they are also struggling to keep warm as the temperature dips lower and lower. However, there is a way that we can help those who are having a hard time keeping warm and that is the Coat and Blanket Drive that is going on through November 30th at the Renton Community Center.

The Renton Community Center is looking for people to donate new or gently used coats of all sizes for men, women and children and blankets for those in need. I know that I have a few jackets lying around that Sammy has grown out of but the blankets are sparse in our house seeing as how we are from AZ and all. If you don’t have any of these items lying around the house the thrift stores, Value Village of Renton excluded, have very reasonably priced blankets and jackets all the time.

The Renton Community Center will be closed starting tomorrow, November 25th through Friday, November 27th for a furlough day and the Thanksgiving Holiday so put your donations by the door and drop them off on Saturday. Unfortunately, there is no additional information to be found on the City of Renton website but if you have any additional questions you can call the Renton Community Center at 425-430-6700.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your generosity during the cold season.

 

Holiday and Furlough Closures

Just an FYI.. The Renton Public Library will be closed this week on Wednesday for a furlough day, to help balance the city budget, and Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Library will be open regular business hours on Saturday.

So, go and stock up on those movies and books for this long weekend coming up.

Also, a group of concerned citizens have gotten together to help educate voters about the upcoming election in which citizens will decide whether or not to annex to the King County Library System and a new blog has been set up to help distribute information, you can access that blog by clicking here and please spread the word to help make sure everyone is making an educated decision about the future of our library.

Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Meet to Keep the Library Local

If you don’t know by now the Renton Public Library is facing a possible annexation to the King County Library System with a special election this February. There are a group of citizens, myself included, that are hoping to educate the voters on all the facts about what this annexation would mean.

We will be holding the first meeting this Sunday, November 22nd at 2pm at Liberty Cafe.  If you are interested in helping distribute the facts or know someone who is please come to this meeting or tell someone about it.

For those of us who take advantage of our awesome, locally ran library this is a huge decision that the voters have to make and we are hoping they make an informed decision and one that is best for the City, the library and the people that use it.

Please come out and help keep our library local, this Sunday 2pm at Liberty Cafe.

 

2009 Hassle Free Holiday Bazaar

The 2009 Renton Hassle Free Holiday Bazaar is happening this Friday and Saturday at the Renton Community Center. This must be a huge event because people have been searching it all week on the blogosphere and there are signs all over Renton.

There will be over 100 vendors on hand at the Renton Community Center showcasing all of their handmade crafts. This is a great way to get a jump on your holiday decorating needs and even your holiday shopping all while supporting some local artists.

There will be soaps, lotions, jewelry, photography, home and garden decor, wearable, glass and leather to just name a few. I am really looking forward to browsing tomorrow with Sammy in the hopes that I can get some Christmas shopping done.

The 2009 Hassle free Holiday Bazaar happens Friday, November 20th from 11am-6pm and Sunday, November 21st from 9am-5pm at the Renton community Center. For more information or directions to the Renton Community Center click here.

 

 

K9 Candy Cane 5K

It is not too late to pre-register for the K9 Candy Cane 5K Fun Run and Walk which happens on Sunday, December 6th at 9am. For those of you who pre-register by November 24th you pay only $23 to participate in the fun run and you also get a T-shirt. If you register after the 24th the price goes up to $28 and you do not get the shirt, you do the math.

This event is for everyone. Runners, walkers, kids, seniors, strollers, dogs and anyone else who wants to pays to run with a group of people. Three dollars of the registration fee goes to support Renton’s Offleash Dog Park and participants are encouraged to bring some pet food to help restock the shelves at the pet food bank.

The run/walk starts on the Cedar River Trail at the Renton Community Center and continues along the river to the Renton Senior Center where runners then loop back to the Community Center. After the run Santa will be on hand for photo-ops for all of those who make it back, just kidding it is only a 5K.

You can download the registration form here or visit the City of Renton website for additional information. Like all events that happen around Renton this one would not happen without sponsors so here is a big thank you to Fleet Feet Sports, Micheal J. Scoles DMD and Aussie Pet Mobile.

Thanks for reading and get those registrations in before November 24th to lock-in your T-shirt.

 

 

Storytime and Baby Time End This Week

That’s right, it is already time to end the Fall 2009 Storytime and Baby Times at the Renton Public Libraries. I am sure going to miss our Wednesday mornings at the library but know that Storytime will be back in about 6 weeks, after the business of the holiday season is over.

The last pajama storytime of the season happens tonight at 7pm at the Renton Public Library. The Highlands will host it’s last storytime tomorrow morning at 10am and the Main Branch will hold one more morning storytime on Wednesday at 10am. The Main Branch will also hold the last Baby Time of the Fall on Friday morning at 10 am.

The libraries will be hosting a couple of events during the month of December to help with the cabin fever your young ones will be having and I will let you know of those events as they grow closer.

Thanks for reading and keep checking back for more information about the fight to keep our library local.

 

Wisdom, Weaving, Songs and Legends at the Renton History Museum

image courtesy of the Renton History Museum

The Renton History Museum’s Fall Speaker Series continues tomorrow, November 10th at 5pm with Harvest Moon and Wisdom, Weaving, Songs and Legends.

Come and listen as Harvest Moon transports herself to the Basket World with songs and stories from the Salish tradition that are guaranteed to entertain all ages.

The Renton History Museum, with Humanities Washington, continually bring the greatest presentations to the museum and they are not nearly as popular as they should be. Perhaps that is a good thing because if they catch on it may become standing room only but as it stands now a larger crowd could definitely be accommodated. If you have always wanted to go to a presentation at the museum and just not had the chance to make it do it tomorrow, you will not be disappointed.

Wisdom, Weaving, Stories and Legends with Harvest Moon happens tomorrow Tuesday, November 10th at 5pm. The presentation is free for members and a measly $3 donation for non-members. Please go out and help support this great program that the staff at the museum has worked so hard to bring to us.