By Melissa Schilz

If it’s November, then Support Local month is finally here. The brainchild of Apartment 613, the Support Local campaign highlights local businesses all month in new and innovative ways. So check the website for a full list of things going on, but in the meantime let’s write about one must-attend event that caught our eye — it’s one the DIY lovers will literally be crawling all over.

The very first Ottawa Craft Crawl launches officially this Saturday (Nov. 5) at the Urban Craft Market and continues all month with awesome indie craft shows around town. So pump up your Christmas inspiration and get the chance to win a prize package at the end of the crawl.

The idea is this: head to the craft market and pick up a craft “passport,” which the organizers will behanding out at the show. Get it stamped! Then spend your month flitting to all the other participating craft shows and markets, passport in hand. Get four stamps or more and you can enter your passport in a draw at Craftalicious at St. Matthew’s Church on Saturday, Dec. 10 for the chance to win a cool prize.

One must-see event on the Ottawa Craft Crawl circuit is Almonte’s Handmade Harvest Holiday Craft Show, which will likely showcase artists whose works you have never encountered. Located in Almonte at the Old Town Hall, this show opens on Friday Nov. 4 from 4 p.m to 9 p.m and continues on Saturday from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Admission is $2. Be prepared to bring home some funky finds and fresh ideas for the upcoming Christmas holiday!

For more information on the Ottawa Craft Crawl, check out the Urban Craft Crawl’s facebook page!

For more information on Support Local and a list of participating businesses, check out Apartment 613’s Support Local page.