It has definitely turned cold here in North County and I am ready for the holidays we celebrate in November and December. To help us get ready, many businesses are starting their Christmas sales. Groups are organizing craft events, and the City of Atascadero is presenting its annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Atascadero Lake Park 9305 Pismo Ave., Atascadero.

Event Coordinator Patti Deirmenjian announced, “We are so very fortunate to be able to host the Holiday Boutique this year, as you well know. With, of course, masks and social distancing, which will be enforced, we are ready to go!”

This year’s event will be held outdoors at the Lake Park, outside of the Pavilion, where it is usually held. Booth spaces will be 6 feet apart. All items sold at the Holiday Boutique will be handmade by the seller.

For more information, contact Patti via email at pavilion@atascadero.org or by phone at 805-470-3178.

In Paso Robles, I hear that the artists at Studios on the Park are ready to help you shop for the season with their Handcrafted for the Holidays ongoing display that’s available until Dec. 30. The display offers items from 30 local artists and craftspeople.

Studios on the Park is located at 1130 Pine St. in Paso Robles. For more information, call 805-238-9800.

The Atascadero Art Association is collecting art supplies for low-income children, being distributed at holiday time. Supplies need not be brand new but do need to have value. Brushes, art paper and tablets, paints, art pens and pencils, can be dropped off at The Artery 5890 Traffic Way, Atascadero.

I think used supplies would be fine, but can you imagine how a little “budding artist” would feel receiving a box of brand new art pencils of their very own! Remember that The Artery carries wonderful art supplies to make your shopping easier.

For more information regarding the project, contact Association President George Asdel at 805-305-5038 or The Artery at 805-464-0533.

The local Agua Caliente Chapter of California Questers still has its “Fabulous Fun and Funky” Coat and Accessory Sale set up at Hope Chest Emporium 5800 El Camino Real, Atascadero. The sale includes men’s and women’s coats, jackets, purses, scarves, wallets, jewelry and more items donated from the community. Proceeds from the sale will help The Questers in their efforts to raise funds to restore the windows at the historic Printery.

For more information, contact event chairman Sheila New at sgnew@sbcglobal.net or call Karen McNamara at Hope Chest Emporium, 805-459-5113.

In one of my columns, I told you that Coats for Kids would be different this year due to COVID 19. It is not canceled. However, to keep volunteers and distribution recipients safe, we had to make changes. Please know that our committee will be actively working to deliver warm coats and jackets as we have been doing for the past 32 years.

Please continue to drop off your gently used coats, jackets, sweaters and sweatshirts at any of our four North County cleaners. They will clean the items free of charge and we will pick them up. New items can also be dropped off at any of the cleaners by putting them in a plastic bag and marking it “NEW/Coats for Kids.” We will not be placing drop-off boxes at businesses this year as we have in the past.

For more information, contact me at 805-461-1234 or visit our Facebook page. I will have more details for you next week.

One of our distribution partners in Paso Robles, Toy Bank of Greater Paso Robles, has also made some changes this year. They have a new online registration process, which is now open through Nov. 20. 

All of the information about qualifying and what is needed to apply can be found online at prtoybank.org/registration. Information and online forms can be found on the registration page in both Spanish and English. If you have questions about registration, email registration@prtoybank.org.

This year they have new ways for the community to shop and donate toys for the distribution. They have an Amazon Wishlist and information on Target Registry with toys in their “most-needed” age groups. This will enable donors to shop from home and have the items shipped directly to Toy Bank. To visit the shopping links, go to prtoybank.org/toys.

You can donate online at prtoybank.org or by sending a check payable to Toy Bank of Greater Paso Robles, P.O. Box 2801, Paso Robles, CA 93447.

Coats for Kids has been a partner with Toy Bank for 25 years and we regret that we will not be with them this year on the Day of Giving. But we’ll look forward to 2021 when we can share the day, helping those in need in our North County communities. 

Cheers!