College Hill will be jumping this weekend, so don’t even think about staying home. Here is what we at the eNews know about what to see, do, and enjoy right here at home. If we left you or your event out, it was because we didn’t know. So add us to your news list (send your information through the link at the bottom of the page) and you’ll never be left off again.

Thanksgiving may start the official shopping season, but the unofficial shopping season starts now! In addition to the special events listed below, check out the other great stores on The Avenue.

Schwartz Jewelers welcomes shoppers this weekend to its annual open house.

Nearly everything in the store is on sale, from grandfather clocks to estate jewelry. Collectibles and special holiday buys are included, and all diamond and colored gemstone jewelry is 20% off! Schwartz Jewelers is the authorized Cincinnati Lladro distributor, and you can see the latest pieces here.

Special financing available. Open house hours are 9:30 am - 5 pm Saturday; 11 am - 4 pm Sunday.

Clear your Saturday morning for the Three C's Nursery School’s 23rd annual craft market and luncheon, one of the best craft sales in town.

College Hill Presbyterian Church (5742 Hamilton Ave) will be transformed into a delightful GINGERBREAD SHOPPE. Enter through the the confectionery garden filled with gingerbread trees and potted "plants" of gumdrop, chocolate kisses, and candy canes.

Continue into the shoppe and discover more than 85 booths of handmade crafts and art, a kid's craft corner, a bake sale, the Gingerbread Lady offering special treats to our youngest visitors and a free cup of wassail to the adults. Remember to save room for lunch where you can choose between a gourmet chicken salad on croissant or mulligatawny soup with strawberry bread.

Profits go toward the 3Cs scholarship fund. Shoppe hours are 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. Admission is $1.00 (children under 12 free). With your admission comes a cup of wassail and an opportunity to win a door prize.

Story contributed by Jenny Smith.

Between shopping expeditions Saturday, take a break at the College Hill Coffee Co. And Casual Gourmet -- where there’s also an open house and sale!

Along with your meal or snack, you can buy special holiday merchandise, sample holiday food, and win prizes. A portion of all sales benefit the College Hill Business Association. Two jewelers will have sales Friday and Saturday evenings (see below), and of course there’s live music Saturday night (see further below).

Open House hours are 10 am-10 pm., Saturday Nov. 18.

You can buy candies, Benglas themed merchandise, Arcadia History books, cards, and other gifts all year at Visctonti-Lechler pharmacy.

This weekend your neighborhood pharmacy is holding a pre-holiday sale. Select merchandise, including plush animals, will be 20-40% off.

While you’re there, don’t forget to order your imprinted Christmas cards!

Two jewelers will hold evening shows and sales at the College Hill Coffee Co. Friday and Saturday evenings. Both will donate 15% of sales to the College Hill Business Association, so your purchases help the neighborhood!

Amy Wallace, manager of St. Theresa Textile Trove and owner of Oven Fried Beads, sold out her whole collection at her first Coffee Co. show! New jewelry and home decor pieces will be available Friday night at what she’s calling a Holiday Polymer Bazaar. Visit the Coffee Co. between 6 - 9 pm to start your shopping early.

Gai Russo returns Saturday. Gai’s sophisticated pieces feature sterling silver, gemstones, and natural materials. Fifteen percent of proceeds will go to the CHBA. Sale hours: 6 - 9:30 pm.

Too tired to shop? Pick up the phone and order a limited-edition art tile based the College Hill Gardeners logo.

Each 8 x 8-in. tile is hand-crafted by the artist, Brenda S. Richardson. Her design is based on the CHG logo created by designer Mary Seguin, a College Hill resident. The tiles each include a hook for hanging.

Tiles are $30; proceeds go to the College Hill Gardeners for their programs and events. To order call Contact Betty Schuermann at 542-7434.

The House of Joy is going all out this week to celebrate the 30th year pastoral anniversaries of Bishop Todd and Eleanor O’Neal.

The Hamilton Avenue church is known for great music as well as worshipand ministries, so of course music is part of the celebration.

Friday and Saturday events begin at 7 pm, and there’s a benefit concert Sunday afternoon (see below) by the youth choir.

Cincinnati Public Schools celebrates CPS Pride Day Saturday, with open houses at all schools from noon to 3 pm. McAuley High School’s annual open house is Sunday. Stop in these five schools for a tour!

Aiken University High School: Tour the Belmont Avenue school and meet students and new principal Virginia Rhodes.

Aiken College and Career High School: Middle schoolers from around the city will be competing at a Dance Challenge for fun and prizes. Enjoy the dancing when you tour the Belmont Avenue school.

College Hill Fundamental Academy: Tour the neighborhood’s own magnet elementary school on Llanfair Avenue and meet principal Barbara Gordon.

Pleasant Hill School: Tour the one-year-old North Bend Road school, enjoy displays of student work, talk with staff, and sample goodies from the PTA hot dog and bake sale.

Mt. Airy School: Located for the rest of the year in the old Pleasant Hill school building just west of the library on North Bend, Mt. Airy School is celebrating the day with a chili cookoff.

McAuley High School: This Catholic girls’ school on Oakwood, run by the Sisters of Mercy, is a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Prospective students and parents are welcome at the open house from 11:30 am - 2:00 pm.

The College Hill Coffee Co. and Casual Gourmet wraps up its Holiday Open House (see above) with a concert by this dynamic duo. Randy, a performer for most of his life, can do it all -- but prefers classic rock. Dinah prefers Gospel and Bluegrass. Together, they push each other’s limits and bring out each other’s best. Don’t miss it! Open house hours 10 am - 10 pm; concert 7:30 - 9:30.

The House of Joy Youth Ensemble Choir presents a benefit concert Sunday, in honor of Bishop Todd O’Neal and co-pastor Eleanor O’Neal, who celebrate their 30th pastoral anniversary this year. The concert at the House of Joy (Hamilton Ave.) caps a three-day celebration at the church. $7; 5 pm.

H.T. Chen & Dancers, the leading Asian-American dance group in the United States, brings their newest work to Cincinnati this weekend.

“Shift,” a bold and eerie piece that explores dreams and the sleeping mind, includes a commissioned electronic score by Fitz Patton and evocative lighting by Joe Doran. Choreographer Hsueh-Tung Cheng has been hailed for his innovative fusion of Western modern dance with Asian aesthetics. The company’s performance is presented by the Contemporary Dance Theater, which is headquartered at College Hill Town Hall.

Performances are Nov. 17 and 18, at 8:30 pm at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Downtown. Tickets are $22-$27; $17 for students with ID and $12 for members of ETA/Start. Purchase at the Aronoff box office or by calling 621-2787.

For information about the performance click www.cdt- dance.org.

Guy Discepoli tells us that tonight’s wine tasting at Piazza Discepoli is sold out. To reserve a spot at the January event (wine tastings are generally every month, but the store is skipping December for obvious reasons) stop by the store or call 681-8466.

The article on the Sobriety Checkpoint in last week’s issue gave the wrong number of OVIs (Operating a Vehicle While Impaired). There were nine OVI arrests.

Paul Green, president of the Northside Community Council, invites everyone to a meeting devoted to safety in all of District 5.

Mayor Mark Mallory, members of Cincinnati City Council, police leaders and officers will attend. The meeting will be held Monday, Nov. 20, at 7 pm at the McKie Recreation Center (1655 Chase Ave.) in Northside. For more information call Paul Green at 542-5266.

Don’t forget Nov. 22 is the deadline to sign up for the city’s Quality of Life training session. The Nov. 30 session will take place from 7-9 pm at the Twin Towers Gulden Community Center.

Councilman Chris Monzel has asked the College Hill Quality of Life team to present the process used in our neighborhood for the last four years. All community councils have been invited to learn about this way to improve neighborhood health, safety, and livablility. Reserve your spot by calling Councilman Monzel's office at 352-3640 or emailing christa.criddle@cincinnati-oh.gov.