If you’d like to get all of your Christmas shopping done at once and help a lot of people in the process, I’ve got the place.
It’s called the Quincy Service League Holiday Gift Show, and it’s from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Quincy High School, 33rd and Maine.
If you can find a place to park any closer than Palmyra, let me know. Hallway after hallway and room after room will be filled with holiday
purchase possibilities.
More than 100 merchants will offer clothes, quilts, specialty foods, decorations, jewelry, garden items, hand-blown glass, woodworking and much more.
Tickets at the door are $3 for adults and $2 for seniors ages 60 and older. Kids ages six to 12 get in for $1 and those under five are admitted free.
This event has been going on since 1969, but the league has been holding sales of this sort for much longer.
Proceeds will benefit a variety of local agencies. For more, visit www.quincyserviceleague.org.
Twain time
Want to know how Hannibalians lived in Mark Twain’s time?
Pull up a chair for “Hannibal Missouri 1819-1860: Portrait of a River Town Growing Up.”
The presentation will be made by Mark Twain Museum Curator Henry Sweets at 2 p.m. Saturday in the museum gallery at 120 N. Main in Hannibal.
Sweets will look at the early development of Hannibal, its initial settlement and its rise to the third leading commercial center in Missouri
by 1860. Many of the pre-1853 events were experienced by the Clemens family. Tickets are $5 each.
Tune time
If you want to get away from the Christmas tunes, yet still hear some great music, listen up.
The Tri-State Bluegrass Association’s 28th annual Back to the Roots of Bluegrass Festival continues Saturday. It’s at the Holiday Inn at 4821 Oak in Quincy.
Performers include Vince Combs & Shade Tree Grass, Buffalo City Ramblers, The Punches Family, Men of the Week and The Link Family. As always, Noble Boyd will emcee.
Admission is $15 each for shows at noon and 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Students 12 to 16 get in for half price and anyone under age 11 can enjoy free admission as long as they’re accompanied by an adult.
Information is available by logging on to www.tsbafestivals.org.
Hunting time
If you like hunting, you won’t want to miss the Hunt Pike Illinois Expo.
It continues through Sunday the Pike County Fairgrounds Expo Center in Pleasant Hill.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. There’ll be dozens of booths, lots of merchandise and plenty of fun games such as the antler toss and the duck calling contest.
If you’d like to know more, log on to www.huntpikeil.com.
Santa time
St. Nicholas stops by Troy on Sunday.
You’ll find him at the Lincoln County Fire Protection District station on Cherry Street from noon to 3 p.m.
Pictures with the Jolly Old Elf will be available.
The Troy Lions Club will be accepting donations for eye screenings and the purchase of new glasses for low-income families in the area.
Heads up
I’ve got the real story behind how the turkey became our Thanksgiving bird.
Check back here next Saturday, and we’ll have leftovers.
Ab imo pectore (from the bottome of my heart).
