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DAYTON — It's no wonder the Museum Holiday Shop Around just keeps growing. There's no better place to find an unusual mix of gifts while at the same time contributing to some wonderful causes.

"It's twice the giving at once the price," says Wendy Jacoby, who organizes the event. "It's a gift for the recipient and a gift for the community."

The special event takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Nov. 15, at the Aullwood Audubon Center. This is the seventh year for the unique shopping party which offers special treasures from 18 museums in our area. You'll find lots of handmade items, many that you can't find elsewhere.

Admission is free and you'll be missing out if you don't allow extra time to enjoy the natural surroundings. Take the kids.

New nonprofits are added each year, this time around its the Randolph Twp. Historical Society and the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. Both the Dayton Visual Arts Center and the Dayton Art Institute are returning.

"We'll be bringing an Umbra chess set, and we're going green with our Tie Tote Bags, an assortment of purses created from recycled juice boxes," says the DAI shop's Pat Kendall. "We'll also have children's gifts ranging from light-up jelly rings to monster bowling kits."

Friends of the Arcade will be taking orders for the new Dayton Arcade book and selling bookmarks, CDs and note cards.

Many participants will be emphasizing green gifts. At Aullwood, for example, you'll find a line of bamboo products ranging from wood utensils to bamboo fiber throws. The EcoUsable stainless steel water bottles would make a great gift.

In addition to these museums, others include the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Carillon Historical Park, Darke County Historical Society, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park, Dayton International Peace Museum, Garst Museum, Glen Helen Ecology Institute, Preble County Historical Society, SunWatch Indian Village, WACO Historical Society Westcott House Foundation and Wegerzyn Foundation Gift and Garden Shop.

Aullwood is at 1000 Aullwood Road in Butler Twp. For information, call (937) 890-7360.

Contact this reporter at (937)

225-2440 or mmoss@DaytonDaily

News.com.