We tell you what to do, where to be, and why for each week of the year.

—BENEFIT—

WHAT: A Celebration of Life—World AIDS Day Concert: Stage-favorite Lannie Garrett has pulled together a crew of local musicians to rock the Fox with Motown, funk, and disco tunes. Garrett’s “Platforms and Polyester Disco Revue” puts on a throwback concert as part of World AIDS Day to raise funds for the Boulder County AIDS Project.
WHAT: UNAIDS estimates that more than 33 million people—2.5 million of which are children—are living with HIV.
BONUS: Fifty dollars gets you a VIP ticket for guaranteed seating in this standing-room only venue—a small price to pay considering BCAP’s 20 years of advocacy for people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. This is BCAP’s first World AIDS Day concert, so go ahead and splurge.
DETAILS: Sat 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $22–$50. Call 303-443-3399 or visit www.foxtheatre.com.

—SHOPPING—

WHAT: Women’s Bean Project Holiday Fair: At this eighth annual fundraiser, shoppers stock up on individual packets or gift baskets brimming with yummy pre-prepared mixes for soups, dips, salsas, and (of course) cookies. Proceeds support the Bean Project’s efforts to help women learn job and life skills so they can overcome unemployment barriers.
WHAT: Finding time to shop and cook in December is impossible—get two birds with one stone and give yourself some breathing room.
BONUS: Kitchen-klutzes rejoice: The Peanut Butter Cookie Mix is so simple to make (just add butter and an egg) that you can hoard a batch for yourself and arrive at an endless string of holiday parties with a perfectly arranged tray of goodies.
DETAILS: Fri–Sun 9 a.m.–2 p.m. 3201 Curtis St. Prices vary. Visit www.womensbeanproject.com.

—MUSIC—

WHAT: Jeff Finlin Concert: This Fort Collins-based troubadour and his band return to the D&F Clocktower. If you read J. R. Moehringer’s feature (“Ballad For a Plain Man”) in our July issue, you already know that he is quite possibly one of Colorado’s best-kept secrets.
WHAT: See for yourself if the comparisons to Bob Dylan and Tom Waits are true.
BONUS: The sun sets earlier and earlier each day (we’re talking about a 4:36 lights-out on Friday), but the longer it’s dark in LoDo, the longer the holiday decorations glow. Head downtown early to shop, eat, and be merry on the Mall before Finlin hits his first chord.
DETAILS: Fri 8 p.m. Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, 16th Street Mall at Arapahoe. $20. Call 303-293-0075 or visit www.lannies.com.

—CRAFTS—

WHAT: Holiday Handmade Fair: Fancy Tiger, Denver’s store for all things D.I.Y, is sponsoring a perfectly timed alternative craft fair. Search through more than 30 artists’ goods for one-of-a-kind journals, unique illustrations, cozy knit scarves, or the perfect clutch purse to match that little black dress you’re wearing to the office party.
WHAT: Remember that ornament you made by pasting your second grade photo onto a paper doily? Well, your mom still has it, because everyone loves a handmade gift. But if you can’t tell a purl from a stockinette stitch, hand over the knitting needles to some professional crafters and take home a hassle-free homemade gift.
BONUS: If you are feeling crafty, spend an hour at one of Fancy Tiger’s Holiday Craft Mayhem Gift Series classes, and you’ll walk away with a gift just waiting to be wrapped…or perhaps kept as this year’s token “present to yourself.” This week’s project: bath tea. Thu 6–7 p.m. Fancy Tiger, 1 S. Broadway.
DETAILS: Fri 6–9 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Capsule Art & Event Center, 560 Santa Fe Drive. Call 303-733-3855 or visit www.fancytiger.com.

More shopping notes:
We’re torn. We know people appreciate when we donate money to charity in their names during the holiday season, but we also know how everyone waits all year to unwrap big, ribbon-covered boxes. This year, Mod Livin’s Mid-Centuri Charity Project has solved our shopping dilemma. Buy one of the Mid-Centuri Charity products (they’re all in shades of red) and the home furnishing store will donate 10 percent of the profit to promoting global health (specifically to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria). With designs from Kartell, Blu Dot, and Alessi, there’ll be something for everyone on our list, even the family dog (Fatboy Doggy Boy Bed, $115–$139). Holiday late-night shopping: Fri 6–10 p.m. Mod Livin’s Mid-Centuri Charity. 5327 E. Colfax Ave. Items priced from $26–$3,650. Call 888-833-2884 or visit www.modlivin.com.