Jump-start your Christmas shopping with a trip to one of this weekend’s craft shows. All five are solidly established events offering a variety of handmade work as well as commercial gift items.
* If you’ve never made the drive up I-24 to Nashville’s Christmas Village, it’s well worth the trip.
This is the 50th anniversary of the gift market sponsored by Pi Beta Phi Sorority, which is held on the old Tennessee State Fairgrounds. More than 260 vendors are spread throughout five buildings offering decorations, cute one-of-a-kind gifts, teachers’ gifts, holiday apparel, children’s clothing and toys, hostess gifts, foods, jewelry — just about anything you can imagine.
* On the way to or from Nashville, shoppers might want to take a quick detour off I-24 in Manchester (Exit 114) to drop by the Christmas Arts and Crafts Festival. It’s just two blocks off the freeway in the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center, which is connected to the Holiday Inn Express.
FESTIVALS THIS WEEKEND* Christmas Village: Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Nashville, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. today, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday (all times Central), $10 ages 10 and up, more than 260 merchants. www.christmasvillage.org.* Foothills Crafts Show: Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center, 147 Hospitality Blvd., Manchester, Tenn., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today and Saturday (all times Central), free, Christmas arts and crafts festival. 931-728-0509.* Gingerbread Craft Show: Christ United Methodist Church, corner of East Brainerd and Morris Hill roads, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. today, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, free. 894-1642.* Holiday Five Points Artisans Festival: Museum Center at Five Points, 200 E. Inman Street, Cleveland, Tenn., noon-5 p.m. today and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, free, 25 vendors. 423-339-5745.* Rock Bluff Artists Show and Sale: 388 Rock Bluff Road, Rising Fawn, Ga., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, free, 706-657-0668.