ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM | RAM TALKS ART | SHOP DOWNTOWN ARTS VENUES DURING MAIN STREET HOLIDAY WALK DEC. 6

RAM Talks Art: Shop downtown arts venues during Main Street Holiday Walk Dec. 6

By Carrie Breitbach, Customer Service Coordinator, Rockford Art Museum

It looks like it's that time of year again—the time when we all stress about what “perfect” gift to get the ones we love and how our bank accounts will look after we scramble and compulsively buy whatever we can get our hands on during the rush Dec. 24.

Don't put yourself through the chaos of running all around town, dealing with horrendous parking and pushy Christmas shoppers to get your last-minute gifts. Instead, make your way downtown and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Main Street Holiday Walk.

For those of you fortunate enough to be in Rockford Dec. 6, you're in luck. It is the first year of the Main Street Holiday Walk. Rockford Art Museum (711 N. Main St.), Discovery Center Museum (711 N. Main St.), Burpee Museum of Natural History (737 N. Main St.), JR Kortman Center for Design (107 N. Main St.), and Coronado Corner (324 N. Main St.) stores have all collaborated to create a fun holiday walk that incorporates music, food and, most importantly, shopping.

With a diverse array of specialty items in each store, you can find something for even the pickiest of people. From 3 p.m. until 9 p.m., you can start your shopping at any of these locations. Not only can you get a majority of your holiday shopping accomplished while supporting your downtown arts organizations, but also your name can be entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate to each store if you visit all locations during the Holiday Walk hours.

As I started writing this article, I couldn't help but think of my own shopping list and what issues always plague my mind during the season. One thing that came to mind is price points. What do you get that one person who you know is going to give you something so you feel the need to have their present on deck just in case? What about your child's teacher? Or even Great-Aunt Roxie, who seems to have everything she needs, but you still have to get her a little something?

I can tell you this: at each of these stores, there is something for everyone, with a large price spectrum. Pairing up a great art book with unique note cards is always a gift that pleases. And, for the guy who never knows what to get his sweetie, there are great jewelry items at great prices that are sure to make your girl's knees weak. Unique gifts await you at each of these stores. Creative and educational children's items, great gifts for your family and beautiful jewelry could round out your holiday buying in one night. What more could you ask for?

Also, keep in mind all the other shopping events that are taking place in Rockford this holiday season, such as the River District's 12 Days of Christmas, which incorporates several downtown businesses and organizations. It takes place over four weekends in November and December. You can catch the last two weekends Dec. 7-9 and Dec. 14-16. To check out the different businesses and locations participating in the 12 Days of Christmas, you can log on to the River District's Web site at http://www.riverdistrict.com.

For more information about the Main Street Holiday Walk organizations, log on to their respective Web sites: Rockford Art Museum Store, http://www.rockfordartmuseum.org; Discovery Center Museum Gift Shop, http://www.discoverycentermuseum.org; Burpee Museum Gift Shop, http://www.burpee.org; JR Kortman Center for Design, http://www.jrkortman.com; and Coronado Corner Gift Shop, http://www.coronadopac.org.

So, if you'd like to be on the ball and get your shopping done early this year—and support great arts organizations in the process—take a walk with us on Main Street. It's bound to be a blast.

Rockford Art Museum Customer Service Coordinator Carrie Breitbach can be reached at cjohnson@rockfordartmuseum.org.

from the Dec. 5-11, 2007, issue

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