Amidst mounds of powdery snow, day-long trips to the mall and finishing up final papers for class, Iowa State students are gearing up for the holidays. They are not the only ones, of course, and the Octagon Center for the Arts is getting in the spirit of the season in a major way. They’re kicking things off this weekend.

The Octagon, located at 427 Douglas Ave. in downtown Ames, has a big bag of fun activities sure to get even the Grinch in a festive mood. “Our shop always has an open house in regards to the holidays, and we usually do some kind of special event,” said Carla Murphy, special events coordinator at the center.

And this year is no exception. From crafts to sweets to hands-on workshops, they have something for everybody. For instance, regional and local artists teamed up for the Holiday Collection of unique Art & Craft Concepts that features cards, ornaments, angels, candle holders, photography and jewelry for sale.

If your stomach’s growling, and you’re hankerin’ for a home-cooked meal (Ramen noodles don’t count!), you’ll need to drop by for their Annual Holiday Bake Sale. Along with the standbys of cookies and brownies, the center offers two kinds of soup, with warm samples ready to taste, and frozen one-quart quantities available for purchase.

Local authors will also make an appearance this weekend. Derek Anderson will be ready to sign copies of Barnaby and the Sea Saturday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Virgil Lagomarcino, a familiar name on the ISU campus, will be on hand to autograph his book, A Window on Main Street: Life above the Corner Drug, from 1 until 3 p.m. And Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m., Mary E. Atherly will sign copies of her book, Farm House: College Farm to University Museum.

The weekend also has some hands-on workshops in store for the creative. Murphy said that the Octagon has planned some “activities for all ages”: create your own wrapping paper, greeting cards, ornaments and gifts, all for a small supply fee under $5.

Creative types will also get the chance to snag some true bargains at the Arts ‘n Ends Sale. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the basement of the Octagon, you may browse through a trove of art paraphernalia. “It’s kinda like a huge garage sale,” Murphy explained. “A lot of it is art supplies: metal for metal sculpture, paintings, computer parts, chairs. We call it ‘golden garbage.'”

And as Christians everywhere are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, central Iowa residents are lucky enough to enjoy the festivities of the Octagon’s birthday. “The Octagon Founders Show: Celebrating 30 Years” will be on exhibit Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Artwork by the original four founders, Martha Benson, Veronika Ruedenberg, Priscilla Sage, associate professor of art and design at ISU, and Janet Squires, will be on display, and the four will also be on hand to discuss their art and memories of the Octagon’s early days. If you need more incentive, “there’ll be birthday cake served” and other refreshments, Murphy added.

The office is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The gallery is open Sundays from 2 till 5 p.m. and Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. Call 232-5331 for more information.