The Holiday shopping season has begun and the 2013 Holiday Sales Show at the Fine Arts Center (FAC) of Kershaw County is just around the corner. The dates are set for December 6-18, and the vendors are lined up for this year’s event.

This popular event will feature more than 40 vendors with unique, one-of-a-kind items for everyone, even the most difficult ones to buy for. Set in the FAC’s historic Douglas-Reed House, the show will feature a selection of handcrafted works of art in clay, glass, fiber and wood, along with many other hand-crafted or homemade items. The Holiday Sales Show is sponsored by First Community Bank, and shopping bags will be provided by Chili’s of Camden.

Also the city of Camden’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at 6 p.m. in front of Camden City Hall. Music and singing will be provided as Mayor Tony Scully kicks off the holiday season with a family friendly event. The Holiday Sales Show special "sneak preview" will immediately follow from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The Holiday Sales Show will continue daily through December 18. Regular shopping hours are 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1:30 to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

"Coordinating the artists for the Holiday House gives me the opportunity to meet people I might not have met otherwise. Meeting people with varied interests and different backgrounds has made me appreciate how much our community has to offer,’’ Sales Show Curator Debra Gregory said.

This year’s food vendors include:

• Bell Honey -- honey, beeswax candles and ornaments;

• Cornwallis Tea House -- fine tea blends;

• Bonnie’s Biscuits -- specialty dog biscuits;

• Dianne and Benoit Gilbert -- specialty hot sauces;

• Faithful Foods -- dip mixes;

• Happy Memories Fudge -- handmade confections;

• Iron Brew Coffee -- various coffee flavors; and

• Sallie’s Greatest Jams -- herbal fruit jams.

The wood and gourd artists include:

• E.J. Ham -- utensils, bird sculptures;

• Chuck Klemme -- bird houses, ornaments;

• Derek Napper -- wine bottle stoppers, wine bottle holders, writing pens;

• Margaret Bass -- gourd ornaments, sculptures; and

• Linda Kincaid -- gourd jewelry, boxes, bowls sculptures.

The pottery artists include:

• Debra Gregory;

• Carly Horton; and

• Anne Schultz.

Fiber artists include:

• Bald Moose Studio -- woven and felted scarves, wallets, eye glass cases, lamp work and jewelry;

• Alison DiRocco -- tote bags, quilted lap blankets and ornaments;

• Joyce Dixon -- aprons; and

• Astrid Pederson -- knitted items.

Additional artists include:

• Susan Ciotti -- painted windows, wooden signs, recipe tiles and ornaments;

• Sallie Cupsted -- accessories and gifts;

• Geri DeSousa -- photography note cards and prints;

• Martha Felder -- polymer clay ornaments and plant sticks;

• Lakeland Basket Guild -- hand-woven baskets ;

• Dot Goodwin -- embossed pictures;

• Heyward Haltiwanger -- iron work;

• Sherrill Hill -- wooden frames, metal magnet boards, stained glass and jewelry;

• Susan Moore -- Moravian stars;

• Travis Ogden -- crystal pendants, pendulums and wands;

• Kay Polk -- note cards;

• Valerie Puntillo -- marble cheese boards;

• Becky Ratz -- handmade soaps, lotions and candles;

• Ellen Vaughan -- ornaments and jewelry;

• Foundry G, Mike Gann and Laurie Brown -- hand-blown glassware;

• Harvee Kranz -- hand painted glassware;

• Kathy Redner -- stained glass and mosaics; and

• Sue Shrader -- fused glass jewelry and plates.

For more information, call the FAC Box Office, or visit the FAC website at www.fineartscenter.org. The Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County is located at 810 Lyttleton St., in Camden. Office hours are Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The FAC is funded in part by the Frederick S. Upton Foundation and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding provided by the City of Camden, Kershaw County, and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina along with donations from businesses and individuals.