If you are ready to experience a little piece of tropical weather in the dead of this cold winter, hit up the Arts Crawl on Jan. 9. It could warm your soul as you allow your imagination to relax on the sand among the palm trees, beach-side.

Among the places to visit will be ART123, which will be hosting an artists’ retrospective, and attached to that gallery is the Open Studio/Outsider Gallery, hosting works by a number of artists in a variety of mediums.

Scott Halliday will be playing one of his hand-crafted cigarbox guitars at Makeshift Gallery and Ten Minutes Max will be performing at 233 W. Coal. More music available at Coal Street Pub by the group, Picked Clean, and the popular eatery will also be offering discounts for customers in tropical attire.

There will be a coffee social at Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe. People will be welcome to sample different coffee blends from Boston, Phoenix, Denver, Flagstaff, Durango, and Chandler. If you need to ask what state these towns are located, just drop by Camille’s and ‘don’t worry, be happy.’ There will be door prizes and discounts for customers wearing something tropical in this open-structured environment, too.

And finally, La Montanita Co-op will be doing a gift basket give-away, while games will be hosted at our “Hawaiian Games Tent” (223 W. Coal) including ‘Ulu Maika (or Pine Apple Bowling), limbo, and a hula hoop competition.

So bundle up, but wear Hawaiian shirts under your coats, and carry some sandals and a pair of shorts to change into this Saturday. Arts Crawl is a FUN and different way to spend an hour or two, and maybe the colds blasts of winter will not be so depressing! The downtown fun starts at 7 pm.

By Tom Hartsock

Sun Correspondent