Buy Locally for the Holidays

Festivals, bazaars and farmers markets are great places to find local crafts and goodies for holiday presents.

There seems to be a real effort to encourage American consumers to buy locally during the upcoming holidays. “Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition” is the subject of an email that has gone viral and is being picked up by web sites and blogs of all varieties and persuasions. The opening paragraph reads:

“As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!”

If you haven’t gotten the message in your e-mail, read it here.

Here are some suggestions for buying locally for this Christmas:

Newmanistas, Bobby and Lee Byrd, are the owners of Cinco Puntos Press. They publish books for all ages including a new one by daughter, Susie Byrd, and candidate for U.S. Congress, Beto O’Rourke. Their book, Dealing Death and Drugs, was the subject of an EP Times story this morning. Cinco Puntos is located at 701 Texas Avenue. You will find more than just books there including Cactus Mary soap. Neighbor Mary Fountaine makes her all natural, cold process soaps by hand right here in the hood. You can buy from her online as well.

Dr. David Williams, our neighbor and podiatrist, manages a super web site with a cyber store – the Runnin’ Bunion, where you will find help for your feet whether you are a runner, marathoner, hiker or walker. You will remember Dr. Dave’s daughter, Lindsey, who led an effort to collect shoes for the El Paso Rescue Mission.

Buy gift certificates from El Paso eatery icons: Kiki’s and House of Pizza.

For more suggestions for buying locally this holiday season, get a copy of the El Paso Scene or visit it online. You'll find a list of bazaars and fairs on their Round-Up page. You can get a list of local El Paso businesses at Homegrown El Paso. Do check out Craig’s List for El Paso.

Also for just living more sustainably, check out the El Paso Freecycle Group. It’s part of the Freecycle Network, a “grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and thus keeping good stuff out of landfills.”