Mongoose Merchants Gearing Up for Evening in the Courtyard Nov. 25

Mongoose Junction will host an “Evening in the Courtyard” on Friday, November 25, starting at 5 p.m.

The event has been hosted annually on the day after Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season with an exciting evening of events and entertainments and serves as a kind of homecoming for many part-time residents returning for the winter.

There will be a raffle of a $1,000 Shopping Spree at Mongoose Junction. All participants need to do is collect an entry for every purchase over $10 they make and be present to win at 9 p.m.

A Silent Auction of St. John School of the Arts co-founder Sis Frank’s jewelry and other items from her estate will be hosted at R&I Patton goldsmithing, which will benefit the arts school. Bamboula will feature a fashion show at 6 p.m. featuring the latest fashions and faces.

There will be a live DJ provided for the fashion show and special announcements and a steel pan player providing ambience in the beautifully decorated courtyards. Sun Dog Cafe will host an organic wine tasting and offer samples from their new dinner menu. Craft beer samples are available from The Tap Room.

Many of the shops and galleries will be featuring their artists, who will be on hand. Mongoose Junction welcomes Nest, which will be showing off the latest in bikinis from Ranifly. Local renowned photographer Steve Simonsen has an opening at Bajo el Sol Gallery and photographer Christian Wheatley will be at the Friends of the Park Store to sign his 2012 calendars. Caravan Gallery will host local jewelers Tom and Alice Krall of Coral Bay Jewelers.

Portico offers savings of up to 50 percent by getting a message in a bottle. A free gift is given at Sugarbirds with any $25 purchase, and an additional raffle of $100 will be hosted at Fabric Mill.

For more information email Michael Barry at michael@sundogcafe.com.