There’s a great opportunity coming up this weekend to avoid the big box stores and shop locally. Or at least locally if you live in North Kitsap County.

The town of Kingston livens up for the Kingston Country Christmas, taking place Dec. 9, an anniversary gala at the Kingston Art Gallery Dec. 9 and the new West Kingston Road Art Walk, happening Dec. 9 and 10.

The Art Walk was initiated by artists Marilyn Liden Bode and Betty Claire, both Kingston Art Gallery artists. It’s a short walk, with just three studios plus the gallery on the route, but close to a dozen artists will show their works at the private studios, along with 20 at the gallery.

Studios on the tour are Liden Bode’s Printmaking Studio, Claire’s Earthdance Pottery Studio and Bee Higa’s Beehive Art and Jewelry Studio.

Liden Bode said she and Claire have been hosting holiday open houses for the past six years, but this is the first time they included other artists and another studio.

Liden Bode will be joined by Sue Lahti with hand painted eggs featuring scenes of Northwest flora and fauna, speciality gifts from Stillwaters Environmental Center and organic treats from Lifeforms Farm.

Earthdance Pottery Studio will host Pat Feller with textile wall art, knit wear and jewelry and Harv Kolln with “spirit bird sculptures” made of red cedar. Claire creates functional porcelain and stoneware, including vessels for flower arranging.

This is the first time Bee Higa has opened her studio to the public, although she has previously sold her jewelry in galleries.

“This is basically my first effort to be more professional about what I do,” she said.

What she does is create one-of-a-kind jewelry out of sterling silver wire, semi-precious stones, Venetian glass and other unique materials.

She is planning on having several artists join her in the studio, including Kingston metal sculpture Greg Rutter, with whom she makes collaborative pieces, glass artist Bob Park, Corena Chamberlain, who creates luminaries in a papier maché-like process, Karen Herod, with ornate holiday wreathes and unique jewelry boxes and Dori Craze, with illustrations and paintings.

The studios on the West Kingston Road Art Walk will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 9 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 10.

Starting from the Kingston Art Gallery at the corner of SR 104 and West Kingston Road, head west one block to Earthdance Pottery Studio. Liden Bode’s Printmaking Studio is one more block west at 10841 West Kingston Rd. and the Beehive Studio is two blocks beyond, at 10581 West Kingston Rd.

Higa is looking forward to opening her studio, and promised that it would be “one big party.”

Kingston Art Gallery turns 1

There’s also a party going on at the Kingston Art Gallery, 6-8 p.m. Dec. 9, as the gallery artists celebrate the co-op venue’s first anniversary. A string ensemble will provide live music while gallery visitors enjoy the wide range of art on display. The gallery is accepting food donations for ShareNet Food Bank or cash donations for the Kingston Food Bank at the gala. The Kingston Art Gallery will also be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10.

Kingston Country Christmas

The rest of Kingston will also be showing off its holiday best, with activities including a Santa breakfast, holiday bazaar, carolers, carriage rides and a lighted boat parade.

The day starts with breakfast with Santa, 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Wolfle Elementary School, for $3.50 each or $12 family of four. In addition to a button-busting breakfast there will be door prizes, a silent auction and photos with Santa.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hay wagons and horse carriages will shuttle visitors between the Kingston Thriftway and the ferry terminal. The carriage rides will only be available between noon and 2:30 p.m.

The event is sponsored by the Kingston Chamber of Commerce, which has invited business owners in the short downtown stretch to decorate their stores and open their doors to offer hot drinks and treats.

If you don’t get to the Santa breakfast, he makes another appearance at the holiday bazaar, which runs 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Kingston Community Center. Santa will be there until 3 p.m.

Barring extremely foul weather, brightly decorated boats from the Kingston Cove Yacht Club will depart from the Port of Kingston guest dock at 5:30 p.m. for a cruise of the harbor.

Also at 5:30 p.m., the North Kitsap Fire and Rescue escorts Santa to the marina for a ceremonial lighting of the Port of Kingston’s Christmas tree. Then it’s home to feed the reindeer and check on the elves.