Shopping locally has its perks, especially during the holidays, when there is an abundance of great local food. Many of the Triangle’s special holiday markets offer handmade food in addition to arts and crafts, and this weekend provides two such events with promising menus.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, the outdoor patio at Guglhupf Bakery, Pâtisserie and Cafe (2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham, 401-2600, www.guglhupf.com) will turn into a bustling marketplace in the tradition of Germany’s Weihnachtsmarkt. For its German Christmas Market, Guglhupf will sell grilled bratwurst with kraut and mustard on a pretzel bun, along with sweets including apple fritters, BerlinersGerman doughnuts filled with raspberry jamand Dresden-style stollensweet leavened bread with citrus peel, raisins, almonds and powdered sugar. Wash it down with mulled apple cider, hot toddies, a range of German beers or Glühweinmulled wine.
Also at the market, Outsiders Arts & Collectibles of Durham (www.outsiders-art.com) will sell work by 10 artists, including Durham-based painter Linwood Hart. And Guglhupf will accept donations of children’s books for Book Harvest (www.bookharvestnc.blogspot.com), a new Triangle-based project.
In Carrboro, a similar market will run throughout the day, offering local fare and food. Make time between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday for the ELF Arts and Craft Holiday Fair (carrborocraftandbake.blogspot.com), which will be held at The ArtsCenter (300-G E. Main St., www.artscenterlive.org, 929-2787). In its fourth year, ELF will showcase work by more than 30 artistsfrom locals, like festival organizer Amanda Barr of Carrboro, to artists from Oaxaca, Mexico, where Barr’s mother resides.
The ArtsCenter will sell hot cider, grog, wine and beer by Carolina Brewery (www.carolinabrewery.com). Also expect house-made hot dogs and corn dogs from The Pig in Chapel Hill (www.thepigrestaurant.com), plus sandwiches and house-roasted coffee from Jessee’s Coffee & Bar in Carrboro (www.jesseescoffee.com).
For more local coffee and a good cause, pick up a bag of Joe Van Gogh’s Home for the Holidays blend. Fifty cents from each sale of the medium roast, which Joe Van Gogh will offer through the end of the month, supports Habitat for Humanity in Durham, Orange and Wake counties. This is the second time that Joe Van Gogh has partnered with Habitat. Last year, through the sales of Home for the Holidays, the roaster raised more than $1,000 for the organization. “This year,” says Stephanie Calato, who works in marketing for Joe Van Gogh, “we hope to double that amount.”
Twelve-ounce bags of Home for the Holidays are available for $11.99 online at www.joevangogh.com and at Cup A Joe in Chapel Hill (1129 Weaver Dairy Road) and the two Durham Van Gogh locations (1104 B Broad St. and on Duke’s campus at 120 Science Drive). In addition, look for the blend at Weaver Street Market and Whole Foods locations throughout the Triangle.
