I’ve kind of exhausted all the possibilities of completing my holiday shopping while sitting in front of the computer in my pajamas. It’s time to put on some pants and head out the door to check out a few things in person. Let’s be honest. Doing your shopping online is kind of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s convenient. You can check out a lot of stuff and do a lot of comparisons in just a few minutes. But on the other hand, you don’t ever get to really see what you bought, you don’t know for sure that it’s going to arrive on time or work properly and you figure out pretty fast that almost every product has great reviews and ones that say it’s total garbage with a few falling somewhere in between.

Speaking of those product reviews, some of them are really unbelievable. I saw one last week that gave something a one-star review because someone stole it off his porch after it was delivered. I ran into several reviews complaining that a product was smaller than they thought it was going to be, which is a typical complaint, but these were for something that was literally called a “micro-mini-tiny surveillance camera” and had photos of it next to a dime in the product description. There was one like that for a microstring bikini too. Don’t ask me who I was shopping for.

That’s why I always like to do my serious shopping for the people closest to me live and in person. But I also like to shop local when I can at the small businesses right here in Golden.

Last week I wrote about some special events going on for the season, but you don’t have to wait for those days to head into downtown Golden and see what you might find. The shops are pretty much open every day and you can find gifts for almost everyone on your list there. We have a ski shop, mountaineering shop, several skin, beauty and cosmetic shops, a tea shop, flower shop, card shop, bike shops, clothing stores, thrift shops, a quilt and furniture store, a toy store as well as several general gift shops and a few art galleries. And that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head. Golden may be kind of small, but when it comes to shopping, we are awfully mighty!

And don’t forget all the bars, breweries, pubs and restaurants all withing a few blocks walking distance. If you can eat or drink it, there’s probably somebody serving it down there.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the holidays for me if I didn’t mention my favorite: the Foothills Art Center’s 49^th Holiday Art Market. That’s open now and will be running until Dec. 29. You can find over 3,000 unique items, all made by Colorado artists. They offer high-quality artisan crafts, including pottery, jewelry, glass, fiber, leather, metal, wood, food items, ornaments, and greeting cards, which could pretty much take care of everyone on your list. The Holiday Art Market is also one of the only holiday markets that stay open for a few days after Christmas. That’s when folks can shop for themselves.

The Foothills Art Center Astor House campus is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free. The market will be closed on Christmas Eve and Day. So, that’s not the place you want to go for that last-minute thing you forgot. The market is located at 809 15^th Street here in Golden. If you want more information about the market or the Art Center in general, visit www.foothillsartcenter.org.

One more thing that’s happening for the rest of the month is an opportunity to “Go Scrooge yourself!” at the Miner’s Alley Performing Arts Center. That’s right, the theater will present what has become a holiday tradition for them, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

But, as usual, the performing arts center has managed to come up with a new and updated version. This time it’s a loyal and zany take on the holiday classic, adapted for the stage by Josh Hartwell. Using only a handful of actors to bring dozens of characters to life, it’s fast-paced fun that will get you in the seasonal spirit. This year’s version promises to be funnier, spookier, and crazier than ever.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at 1100 Miners Alley here in Golden. You can order tickets at www.minersalley.com

So, that should give you a few good reasons to put your pants on and head downtown. Don’t forget your shoes.

John Akal is a well-known jazz artist/drummer and leader of the 20-piece Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra. He also is president of John Akal Imaging, professional commercial photography and multimedia production. He can be reached at jaimaging@aol.com.

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