photo by: Richard Gwin

Trying on a hat, Alison Roepe, Lawrence, shops on Black Friday at the Fair Trade Holiday Market at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, sponsored by the Lawrence Fair Trade Coalition. Shoppers found items at the market from all over the world.

If you plan on avoiding the big box stores like the plague on Black Friday, may we suggest instead checking out two Lawrence originals for gifts?

Each year, the Bizarre Bazaar and The Free Trade Holiday Market open their doors after Thanksgiving to shoppers looking to buy a locally made gift or something precious created by an artist in need half a world away.

The Bizarre Bazaar will be open as part of Final Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., then on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H. The annual event features work by dozens of local artists selling everything from handbags to jewelry to dog sweaters.

The Fair Trade Holiday Market runs from Friday to Dec. 3 at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries Building, 1204 Oread Ave. The market features unique gifts from around the world, including jewelry, bags, textiles, home goods and more. The hours are: Nov. 25-27, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Nov. 28-Dec. 1, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Dec. 2, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Dec. 3, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.