Athens Today--December 8

Come to the courtyard at this evening for all sorts of goodies, and not just the ones that please your taste buds. From 5 to 9 p.m., today and Friday, you can shop till you drop at the Holiday Artist Market. Local artists are selling pottery, candles, jewelry, totes, purses, dolls, ornaments and much more cool stuff. Big City is on Finley, at Meigs Street.

If you didn’t make it to Monday’s session on the , don’t worry. You can send your comments straight to the Athens Clarke County Planning Department. They will welcome them, says planner Bruce Lonee, the most patient guy on the planet. Click here to go to the planning department’s website and offer your ideas and concerns on the corridor.

 Like to read? Need more books? Plan to attend the Wee Read Book Fair on Saturday at , from 10am to 3pm. You’ll get to see Vince Dooly and an equally iconic figure, Santa Claus. Musician will be singing children’s songs. Authors will be talking about their books. Be sure to mention Wee Read when you check out so they can get credit. Part of the United Way of Northeast Georgia, Wee Read sends a book each month to children in Clarke and Oconee counties who are birth to five years old, regardless of family income.

There's still time to buy tickets to the "Not so Silent Night" benefit at Athica tomorrow evening from 7 to 9pm. The event features a silent auction, music entertainment, yummy food and great company. And it helps 's award-winning magazines, the Odyssesy and the Illiad.

There will be details coming soon, but suffice it to say that Patch is sponsoring a national contest of holiday house decorations. The winner wins a prize, of course, and also wins $100,000 for his or her school district of choice. With so many creative people in Athens, surely we can win this thing! Go, Dawgs! Sic 'em!