Holiday shopping in the district

There are a couple of great holiday shopping places to go in the city especially if you’re trying to go someplace unique and find that perfect gift for the hard-to-shop person on your list. It all starts on December 1 with the Holiday Market in Georgetown and continues through until Christmas with the National Museum of Women in the Arts Annual Gift Market and wraps up with the Downtown Holiday Market near the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery. Other markets include shopping fun at Union Square and the National Museum of the American Indian.

The National Christmas Tree is selected

CNN covered the selection of the National Christmas Tree that will be on display on the South Lawn of the White House which is to be lit on December 6. With specific requirements that must be met in order to be selected the National Christmas Tree, this tree from Laurel Springs, North Carolina was lucky to be selected and is now being prepped for delivery to the nation’s capital for this year’s holiday celebration. You can view the video on CNN by clicking here.

Get your spending on with the DC Sales Tax Holiday

This is from the city’s Office of Taxes and Revenue:

The District government will have its sales tax holiday beginning 12:01 am Friday, November 23, through midnight Sunday, December 2. During the tax holiday, shoppers will be exempt from the District’s 5.75 percent sales tax. Specific items include clothes, shoes, and accessory items that cost $100 or less.

The sales tax exemption applies to each eligible item regardless of how many items are sold on the same bill to a customer. It also applies to layaway sales, if the retailer and customer enter into a layaway agreement or the customer makes the final payment on the layaway order during the exemption period.

Retailers who use the Sales-and-Use tax forms for filing their monthly or annual tax returns should enter the total amount of tax exempted because of the Sales Tax Holiday, along with any other exempt taxes on the sales tax portion of the return (line no. 13). Retailers are also encouraged to clearly state in their records the type of item sold and the sales price of tax-exempt merchandise sold during the Sales Tax Holiday period.

For more information about the Sales Tax Holiday, the public and businesses should call the Customer Service Center at (202) 727-4TAX (4829) or visit OTR’s website at www.taxpayerservicecenter.com under “Sales Tax Holiday.”

National Christmas Tree Lighting set for Dec. 6

The annual Christmas Tree Lighting on the Ellipse fronting the White House is set to take place on December 6 to kick-off the so-called Pageant of Peace. Tickets are obviously required and were given out for free in earlier this month. However, the Christmas celebration continues throughout December and you can catch a glimpse of the tree as you walk along the National Mall or by the White House without needing a ticket (tickets are only for the tree-lighting). The National Christmas Tree will be surrounded by dozens of other smaller trees symbolizing the other states and territories of the union and also the District of Columbia. The National Park Service website says that there’ll be music and entertainment, but doesn’t list who will be performing – chances are local school choirs and other family-friendly performances, which is cool since Christmas is obviously a family thing, right? After checking out their press release, the following entertainers will be performing this year:

• Academy of Country Music’s top female vocalist of 2006, Sara Evans.
• 14 year old classical artist Holly Stell (dubbed the “Petite Pavarotti” for her exceptional voice and gift for singing opera) and 12 year old singer/actor Julian Ivey (recent star of Broadway’s “The Lion King”).
• Broadway’s Brad Oscar (star of “The Producers” in New York, London and Las Vegas) returns for a second year as Santa Claus.
• The United States Air Force Band, under the baton of Colonel Dennis M. Layendecker, with the St. Albans and National Cathedral Schools Choir providing vocal support.

Of course since it’s practically a stones-throw away from the White House, the NPS is reminding those who are visiting the Christmas Tree not to bring anything dangerous (e.g. asbestos, weapons, bottles, etc.)…