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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. the Santa Claus parade will pronounce the beginning of the fun and festive holiday season.

Artists in Yellowknife are prepared for the onslaught of merry-making and gift-giving.

Pictured here is pottery by Astrid Kruse at the Art and Craft Sale at Northern United Place. - photo courtesy of Ann Timmins

The galleries, studios and gift shops in Old Town are preparing their special decorations and displays.

Painters and potters are plotting special sales uptown. Musicians are scheduling year-end gigs all over the place.

Following are a few reminders of the local talent and artistry that are helping our community to celebrate the season a bit early.

Robin Poyotok is planning to transform her artistic pastime into a small home-based business.

Poyotok crochets and sews toques, mitts, scarves and packing shirts, known as amauti, for carrying babies.

She makes "anything crocheted or sewn," she said. "At this time of year I'm always busy."

Originally from Cambridge Bay, Poyotok moved to Yellowknife seven years ago. She began taking commissions for her sewing and crocheting about two years ago.

"It started out as a hobby and gifts for friends and family, and then a lot of people started seeing them," she said.

She crochets hats with a name displayed in a contrasting colour. Sometimes she adds heart designs, tassels or other flourishes, depending on the taste of the wearer.

Poyotok is starting to advertise her custom winter wear and is in the early stage of designing a website.

Today she is working on a two-tone purple toque and a bright pink amauti with a floral print.

She accepts orders through her email at robindenise84@hotmail.com.

Gathering momentumat Northern United Place

The fifth annual Art and Craft Sale at Northern United Place last Saturday attracted streams of early holiday shoppers throughout the day.

"I was really pleased to see that people turned up and were so responsive to the artwork," artist Ann Timmins said. "It's neat to see momentum growing."

Timmins was one of the full-time professional artists to display recent work at the sale. Organizer Astrid Kruse, Efrain Perdomo, Rosalind Mercredi and Fran Hurcomb were among the other pros involved. The other accomplished artists at the sale divide their artistry with a second career.

"We just got together as a group of friends and went ahead," Kruse said. "I was really pleased that the community came out."

Kruse identifies the support of artists' families and friends as integral to making sales like this work. The next big exhibition for visual artists is scheduled for next month at the Multiplex. The first Aurora Arts Society Expo will bring even more full-time professional artists and dedicated part-time artists together on Dec. 6 from noon until 6 p.m.

Beards and bongsat the Top Knight

The final two performances of the Happy Hippie Ho Ho Show run tonight and tomorrow at the Top Knight.

There was a lot of high energy at last week's quick-paced performances as the downtown club transformed into a Greenwich Village coffee house circa 1968.

The musicians decorated themselves in vintage hippie regalia, as well.

"Seeing Jim Taylor is to die for," Rick Poltaruk said.

The hippie songs are interspersed with some fuzzy reminiscences from the era as well as marijuana news bulletins from around the world.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., dinner is served at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m.

The evening wraps up by 10 p.m.

Tickets are on sale today at Sutherland's Drugs.