Combine interest in the inaugural Easton Farmer's Market, an empty store front, and a community of local producers and what do you have? Celebrate Local, a pop-up holiday shop of all-Ohio goods.

Celebrate Local opens October 1 and will continue sales through the winter holidays at Easton where Harry & David's previously resided. The shop offers frozen, refrigerated and fresh local foods, handmade pantry items, and locally made crafts. Customers can select items from around the store to build a personalized custom gift basket.

A project of the Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI), Global Gallery, and the Easton Community Foundation, Celebrate Local seeks to showcase Ohio food producers and artisans to shoppers searching for local gifts. A generous vendor agreement will feed the economy by returning much of the sales to the small businesses and entrepreneurs of central Ohio.

I spotted Hound favorites Snowville Creamery milk, Stinky Bomb soaps, Ohio Bison Farm, and Made by AmyD aprons in the shop. More vendors are coming; several fresh produce vendors from the Easton Farmer's Market will house their wares at Celebrate Local and Jenny from Purely Simple Raw told me she will stock healthy snacks like kale chips and caramel apples. When the liquor license is issued (permit inspection happened this week), the store will also carry Brother's Drake mead and Ohio wines.

Stop in to shop for daily meal ingredients or gifts for the holiday season. Celebrate Local has the best of Ohio waiting for you.

Celebrate Local Store October 1, 2011 - January 2012 4030 The Strand, Easton Columbus OH 43219 614-596-1303

Dig in with your knife and fork - early October serves up a full plate of Columbus food news! 1. Local Foods Week starts Friday with a happy hour at restaurants around the city benefiting Local Matters. Festivities continue October 1 - 8 with events as diverse as an urban farming forum at the Wex to local drink tasting at House Wine to the culminating Harvest Dinner and Ball and Market to Market ride. Head over to the Eat Local Ohio site to find the activities that match your calendar and budget.

2. Local radio station WCBE turned 55 on Monday. Happy Birthday 90.5! A documentary about their history will be screened on Monday October 10 from 5:30-8:30 at Shadowbox. Notable for promoting local music and events, WCBE is also host to Foodcast, a radio show about all things edible in Columbus. Tune in at 2:01 on Saturdays or listen to archives and read notes on the Foodcast website.

3. Carole at ChopSizzlePop is seeking interview questions for her newest blog feature, "Ask the Chef". The first "chef" (who claims he is just a home cook) is Cleveland native Michael Ruhlman. I submitted my question; head over to the ChopSizzlePop page to ask yours.

4. Columbus Underground celebrates their 10th anniversary of being the go-to source for independent online news this October. Walker and company have scheduled a slew of celebratory events including new flavor launches from Sugardaddy's and Vienna Ice Cafe listed on the 10th anniversary messageboard thread. Huge kudos to the CU team for featuring the best of Columbus every day!

5. Franklin Park's Hungry Planet exhibition and events continue in October with a Live-fire demo October 2, food truck court on October 9 and Wednesday 'Food for Thought' lecture series.

6. The latest art exhibition at Brother's Drake is Yummy! an explosion of food and art. The opening reception is this Saturday, October 1 from 7-11 pm featuring nosh from local and independent folks and a raffle benefiting Mid Ohio Food Bank. The exhibit will continue through October 23.

7. Celebrate Local, a pop-up holiday shop featuring Ohio produced foods and gifts, opens Saturday. The non-profit store will be located in the former Harry and David store at Easton. Tomorrow, I'll post a preview of the Celebrate Local.

I must apologize in advance for light posting over the next week. I am teaching four classes in the next seven days and will celebrate my own birthday on the 9th. You can see me in person at the Family Pasta and Sauce class this Sunday or the Applicious Culinary class on Thursday October 6. Contact me to register for either.