AAbannerIt’s November, and what does that mean, but a coming onslaught of holiday advertisements leading up to Black Friday, which is threatening to take over Thanskgiving as well. 365 Twin Cities supports all things Minnesota, including locally based corporate giants, but they already have all the name recognition they need, and we’d like to encourage you to patronize your local small businesses as much as you are able. You can start this weekend by getting ahead of the Christmas rush with some inspired ART! Several unique events are going on about town, and you’d be doing yourself a favor to hit up any of these places for some creative goodness.

Art Attack 2013 at the Northrup King Building
1500 Jackson St. NE, Minneapolis

Did you know that nearly 200 professional artists make their home at the NKB in the Arts District in Northeast Minneapolis? One of their biggest annual events is Art Attack, where almost all artist will open their studio doors so you can buy original art, including sculpture, painting, photography, custom furniture, mosaics, textiles, and more, directly from locally and nationally renowned artists. Adding to the allure are performances by the Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota, live music, food trucks, and various art demonstrations. Admission and parking are free.

Friday, November 1 – 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Saturday, November 2 – Noon to 8:00pm
Sunday, November 3 – Noon to 5:00pm

For complete details, and information about other events, check out northrupkingbuilding.com, where you can download a PDF Visitor’s Packet, which includes a directory and map of the building. And follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

If suburban and local art fairs are more up your alley, there are plenty of opportunities to find crafters and artisans in your area. Start with a few of these.

Artisan Fair 2013 at the Chanhassen Rec Center
2310 Coulter Blvd. (Hwy 5 & Galpin Blvd.), Chanhassen
Saturday, November 2 – 10:00am to 2:00pm

Champlin Women of Today Arts & Crafts Show at Champlin Park High School
6025 109th Ave. N, Champlin
Saturday, November 2 – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Eden Prairie Lioness Art & Craft Fair at Grace Church
9301 Eden Prairie Road, Eden Prairie
Saturday, November 2 – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Fall Fiber Festival at Eisenhower Community Center
1001 Highway 7, Hopkins
Saturday, November 2 – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Holiday Boutique & Lefse Sale at Grace Lutheran Church
7800 West County Road 42, Apple Valley
Saturday, November 2 – 9:00am to 3:00pm