Towner Christmas Fair

Towner Eastbourne is hosting its Christmas Fair from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, and it's a good spot to get your shopping sorted early. The fair runs inside the gallery's award-winning building in Devonshire Park, so you're browsing in a proper gallery space rather than a drafty hall. More than 50 independent makers and designers will be there, some local and some coming from further afield, all showing handcrafted work. You'll find ceramics, textiles, jewellery, prints and homewares, so it's a decent place to pick up something a bit different for people you're actually stuck for, and you're buying straight from the artists and small businesses themselves.

There's a bit more to it than just the stalls, too. On the Friday afternoon, artist Zara Wilkins is running a Christmas card making workshop inspired by Eric Ravilious, the wood engraver whose work is so closely linked to the South Downs and the Sussex coast. The session draws on the dots, dashes and lines Ravilious developed through his engraving practice, so you'll be making something that actually nods to his style rather than just a generic card. It's a nice way to spend a few hours on the first day if you're in the mood to make something yourself.

Entry is free, so you can just pop in and have a look around without committing to a whole day. The fair opens on Friday 6 November from 4.00pm to 7.00pm, then stays open through the weekend from 10.00am to 4.00pm on both Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November. If you want the workshop, that's the Friday afternoon session. The venue is Towner Eastbourne, Devonshire Park, College Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4JJ.