Tag Archives: holiday shopping

Early holiday shoppers have handcrafted items, unique gifts awaiting at local craft and vendor events

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The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters will host their annual craft show on Nov. 13 at Byron Center High School. (Supplied, from previous year)

By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer

ken@WKTV.org

With Halloween now past, many see the holiday season upon us, and local vendors and crafters are gearing up to help holiday shoppers with their early shopping needs.

After widespread and disappointing cancellations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, West Michigan crafters and vendors are excited to announce that they are bringing back their holiday craft shows this fall. And the month of November is filled with must-shop events that not only deliver handcrafted items, tasty treats, and unique gift ideas for local communities, but provide funds and support for many area school programs.

The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters (BCFAB) are especially thankful to be able to host their annual craft show on Nov. 13 at Byron Center High School, as it is the largest fundraiser for their school’s fine arts programs. (For a extensive list of local craft and vendor fairs, see bottom of story.)

“All funds raised will go directly to support our students in the school district,” Kim Kohlhoff, president of Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters, said to WKTV.

All Byron Center public school fine arts programs, grades K-12, are impacted by the success of this fundraiser, Kohlhoff said, and the craft show fundraiser supplements the general budget given to each school to fund the main requirements of the fine arts programs.

The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters’ annual craft show at Byron Center High School supports the schools fine arts programs including the jazz band. (Supplied)

“Funds raised through the annual craft show help support guest artists who come in from all over the nation to teach and perform with our students, as well as help with financial support for those students who take private lessons and attend fine arts camps,” Kohlhoff said.

The ability to provide financial support to students and give them the opportunity to perform with experienced musicians are only a small part in maintaining the Byron Center Fine Arts programs.

Life skills are also a central theme in the Byron Center Fine Arts objective — “Students learn to become a better person and grow as an individual,” said Kohlhoff.

Handcrafted items are always holiday gift worthy, as these from the Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters’ annual craft show at Byron Center High School. (Supplied, from previous year)

This year’s craft show boasts over 200 vendors and something new — food trucks. Instead of the usual concessions, several food trucks will offer a variety of food for shoppers. Stationed outside next to a protected sidewalk, food truck vendors will fill food orders that shoppers can then take into the school cafeteria to eat if desired.

“We have great community support,” Kohlhoff said of the craft show. “Vendor places are highly sought after and we have several veteran (returning) vendors who come every year, often calling the day after the show has ended to apply for a spot in the show for the following year.”

The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters Craft Show will be held on Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Byron Center High School, 8500 Burlingame SW, and offers free parking. Admission fee is $3 at the door, with children 12 and under admitted for free.

Additional November craft and vendor events include:

Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Holiday Gift Show, Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rivertown Craft & Vendor Event FALL FEST 2021, Saturday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. until Sunday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m.

The Terra Square Farmers Market Made in Michigan, Saturday Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Blandford Nature Center Nature Makers Market, Saturday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wyoming Holiday Craft Show, Saturday, Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Comstock Park High School Craft Show, Saturday, Nov. 20 during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Wyoming Wolves Band Boosters, Saturday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The month of December also boasts craft and vendor shopping opportunities:

Northview Winter Craft Show and Santa Breakfast, Saturday, Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Holiday Craft and Vendor Show hosted by Woodland Mall, Saturday Dec. 4, during the hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters’ annual craft show at Byron Center High School supports the schools fine arts programs including the jazz band. (Supplied)

Impulse at the check-out line: Holiday shopping and credit card offers

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Holidays, How-To's, ,
Courtesy Michigan State University Extension

By Brenda Long and Scott Matteson, Michigan State University Extension


It is a well-known practice — impulse items placed at the checkout line. These items are strategically placed to catch your eye as you unload your shopping cart.


Gum, candy, assorted snacks and a growing assortment of miscellaneous items like pipe cleaners and nail clippers are placed at just the right level along with the array of magazines with “gotcha” headlines. Within the past few years a growing number of gift cards have shown up as well. Many of these items could be considered convenience items, last minute gifts, something to eat on the commute home.


More recently, you are even offered a chance to save money instantly. This is great! You are not adding to your total, you are actually saving money!


What’s the catch?


“Excuse me sir,” says the sales associate. “Would you like to save ten percent on your purchase today?” You think of your budget. Money is tight right now. “I sure would,” you reply. “Great!” replies the associate. “I just need to get some information from you. You will not only save ten percent today. You will save five percent on all additional purchases!” This is beginning to sound better and better. Sure, you have to sign up for a “box store” credit card, but you will really save on the big screen television in your cart. What could be the down side?


Did you know that every time a merchant signs you up for a credit card, they check your credit? Did you know that every time your credit is checked for such an application, it may have an effect on your credit score? According to statistics reported by the Federal Reserve, American consumers hold more than 880 billion dollars in revolving debt. Have you ever heard the saying, “the house always wins?”


The box store credit card offers to save you 10 percent on your purchase will save you money if you pay off the balance each month. What box stores want is for you to buy more box store stuff. If you are not disciplined enough, the credit card offers are not being made to save you money. If box store wanted you to save money with no strings attached, they could hand out ten percent-off coupons at the checkout. Store credit cards are meant for you to spend more money at the store and to charge interest if you do not pay the balance. Be prepared and look for ways to save money. Make a list of the items that you want to buy and sleep on it. Compare prices for the items on the list at a number of stores. Be efficient and plan your trips ahead of time. Resist the check-out line offers.


Credit is not the problem. Too much credit is the problem. Maybe you can resist the extra plastic in your wallet. Michigan State University Extension offers a variety of money management programs throughout the state of Michigan. For more information, check out this website .


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).



Think before you click: Wyoming DPS has tips for safe online shopping

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1297491217912_originalThe holiday gift season is all about sales, frenzied shopping and maddening crowds — and Cyber Monday sales are projected to hit nearly $3.36 billion this year.

‘Tis the season, all right, and that season unfortunately includes online scams.

It’s a busy time of the year for the City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety (DPS) — they’re working hard to deter shoplifters and prevent retail fraud. The DPS wants you to be safe out there in cyberspace, too.

“These tips on cyber/online shopping safety are based on past scams and overall best practices,” said Lt. Timothy Pols, Wyoming DPS. “They are not necessarily related to specific cases that have been reported to the Wyoming DPS.”

Black Friday Deals
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the busiest online shopping days and the bad guys are out to get rich with your money. Don’t buy anything that seems too good to be true. Don’t trust a site or name you don’t know.

Complimentary Apple Watch
Watch out for the too-good-to-be-true coupons that offer complimentary watches, phones or tablets on sites all over the Internet. Don’t fall for it. Make sure the offers are from a legitimate company.

Postal Deliveries
Watch out for alerts via email or text that you just received a package from FedEx, UPS or the US Mail, and then asks you for some personal information. Don’t enter anything. The scammers are out to steal personal information. Think Before You Click.

Fake Refunds
There is a fake refund scam going on that could come from Amazon, a hotel or a retail chain. It claims there was a “wrong transaction” and wants you to “click for refund” but instead, your device will be infected with malware.

The Grinch E-Card Greetings
Happy Holidays! Your email has an attachment that looks like an e-greeting card, pretty pictures and all. You think that this must be from a friend. Nope. Malicious e-cards are sent by the millions, and especially at the office; never open these things as they might infect your workstation.

The Fake Gift Card Trick
Internet crooks promote a fake gift card through social media but what they really are after is your information, which they then sell to other cyber criminals who use it for identity theft. As an example: A Facebook scam offering a complimentary $1,000 Best Buy gift card to the first 20,000 people who sign up for a Best Buy fan page, which is a malicious copy of the original.

The Charity Tricksters
The holidays are traditionally the time for giving. It’s also the time that cyber criminals try to pry money out of people who mean well. Make donations to the wrong site and you could be funding cybercrime or even terrorism. So, watch out for any communications from charities that ask for your contribution, (phone, email, text and tweets) and make sure they are legit. It’s a good idea to contact the charity to make sure the request did in fact come from them. It is safest to only donate to charities you already know and refuse all the rest.m-cyberscam-photo-1

The DM-Scam 
You tweet about a holiday gift you are trying to find, and you get a direct message (DM) from another twitter user offering to sell you one. Stop – Look – Think, because this could very well be a sophisticated scam. If you do not know that person, be very careful before you continue and never pay up front.

The Extra Holiday Money Fraud 
People always need some extra money during this season, so cyber fraudsters are offering work-from-home scams. The most innocent of these have you fill out a form where you furnish confidential information like your Social Security number which will get your identity stolen. The worst of them offer you work where you launder money from a cyberheist which can get you into major trouble.

The Evil Wi-Fi Twin
Many people bring their laptop/tablet/smartphone to the mall to scout for gifts and check for cheaper prices online. But the bad guys are there too, shopping for your credit card number. They put out a Wi-Fi signal that looks just like a complimentary one you always use. Choose the wrong Wi-Fi and the hacker now sits in the middle and steals your credit card data while you buy online. When you use a Wi-Fi connection in a public place, it is better not to use your credit card.