Looks like this might be a nice weather weekend, which is good,  because there is lots to do around the Marlton area. So get out and enjoy the weekend and check out the events around town.

Friday 11/20/2008

For Everyone:

Philcon 2009 – Crowne Plaza Hotel – Call for start time and ticket information: 856-665-6666. This annual convention celebrates science fiction, fantasy and horror, with a focus on the literary aspects of the genres. This year's guests include authors Cory Doctorow and Catharine Asaro as well as artist Frank Wu. Price: $55 advance, $60 day of event; $25 ages 7-25; free for children under 7. 2349 W. Marlton Pike Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

South Jersey Camera Club Show – Medford Leas Gallery 9am-8pm – Enjoy a wide array of photographs taken by members of the South Jersey Camera Club. Admission is free. 1 Medford Leas Way Medford, NJ Phone: 609-654-3007.

Beauty and Mystery of the Pine Barrens Art Exhibit – Mount Laurel Public Library 9:30am-9pm – The library will host Irvane Spracklin's exhibit, "Beauty and Mystery of the Pine Barrens." 100 Walt Whitman Avenue Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 Phone: 856-234-7319

Cherry Hill Library Book Sale – Cherry Hill Public Library 9:30am-4pm – Hardcovers, paperbacks, children's books, DVDs, CDs, cassettes, audio and video tapes, records, games and more. All proceeds benefit library programs and activities. Sponsored by the Friends of the Cherry Hill Public Library. 1100 Kings Highway Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Phone: 856-667-0300.

Shop 'til You Drop – The Saints Prison Ministry Office 4pm-9pm – his event will be an opportunity to purchase cash & carry items, as well as catalog merchandise from independent consultants. Buy holiday gifts from Premier Designs Jewelry, Thirty-One, Signature Homestyles, Avon, PartyLite, Discovery Toys, Tastefully Simple, Simply Fun, MaryKay, Tupperware, homemade coffee blends, Longaberger and Pampered Chef. A percentage of the evening's proceeds will go directly to The Saints Prison Ministry. 101C Foster Road Moorestown, NJ 08057 Phone: 856-866-9428.

Cherokee Chiefs HS vs Williamstown HS – Cherokee High School 7pm – Nj State Semi-Final Playoff game. Tomlinson Mill Rd Marlton, NJ 08053.

Connection Beyond Gallery with Medium Marisa Liza Pell – Pilates Core Center & Dragonfly Yoga 7pm – A two hour event connecting guests with messages of strength, hope and love from those who passed on, A Question and Answer period to follow. For ticket information, click here (http://www.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=222232) 1919 Greentree Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Phone: 877-218-0228.

Kilmer School Holiday Shop – Kilmer School 7pm-9:30pm – Kilmer School Shop 'til You Drop' Bazaar. Setup begins at 5-30. Shows runs from 7pm to 9:30pm. $25 w/o table, $30 w/ table. Call for more info/app – 2900 W Chapel Ave Cherry Hill NJ 08002.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Memphis Grizzlies – Wachovia Center 7pm Philadelphia PA.

For Kids and Family:

Babes in Toyland – Ritz Theatre 10am All tickets, $8 – Two unhappy children run away from home to Toyland, a magical land of spirited toys. As the parents and toys search for the children, the characters and audience discover the true meaning of Christmas. 915 White Horse Pike Haddon Township, NJ (856)858-5230.

Time for Twos – Pinelands/Medford Branch Library 10:30am – Join Mrs. King for stories and a simple craft. This program is for 2-year-olds and their caregivers. 39 Allen Avenue Medford, NJ Phone: 609-654-6113.

Pajama Program Drop Off Site – Exit Realty of Cherry Hill 9am – 7pm – Collection of pajamas and books for children age newborn through teen, to be distributed in Camden County by the Pajama Program, NJ Chapter. 100 Barclay Pavilion West Cherry Hill , NJ 08034 Phone: 856-216-0400. http://pajamaprogram.org

Saturday 11/21/2008

For Everyone:

Collingswood Farmers Market – Downtown Collingswood 8am – This market offers Jersey Fresh products, local produce and flowers, honey, plants, gourmet homemade baked goods, cheese and more. The farmers' market, set up between Collings and Irvin Avenues, takes place rain or shine. Haddon Avenue Collingswood NJ 08108 Phone: 856-854-0720.

Cherokee High School Holiday Craft Fair – Cherokee High School 9am-3pm Free Admission – The 60+ vendors will feature crafts, needlework, woodcrafts, jewelry, pottery, clothing and more. Various school clubs will host an International Food Court with table seating. Proceeds benefit the Cherokee Class of 2010 and other school organizations. 120 Tomlinson Mill Road Marlton, NJ 08053 North Cafeteria Phone: 856-983-5140

Church Craft Bazaar – Masonville-Rancocas United Methodist Church 9am-2pm – Baked goods, soup and lunch available. Call (856) 722-9717 to reserve a space for $5. 200 Masonville Road Mount Laurel, NJ 08054.

South Jersey Camera Club Show – Medford Leas Gallery 9am-8pm – Enjoy a wide array of photographs taken by members of the South Jersey Camera Club. Admission is free. 1 Medford Leas Way Medford, NJ Phone: 609-654-3007.

Cherry Hill Library Book Sale – Cherry Hill Public Library 9:30am-4pm – Hardcovers, paperbacks, children's books, DVDs, CDs, cassettes, audio and video tapes, records, games and more. All proceeds benefit library programs and activities. Sponsored by the Friends of the Cherry Hill Public Library. 1100 Kings Highway Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Phone: 856-667-0300

Estate Planning Seminar – Cherry Hill Public Library 10am-12pm – Event is free – 1100 Kings Highway Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034 Phone; 856-663-3800

For Kids and Family:

Children's Dance Class – Ashland Church 10am-10:45am – Dance class every Saturday for preschool to 2nd graders. Kids will learn basic dance moves and work on dances for special events and services. Open to all (you don't have to be members). Suggested donation: $10 for year (not required). 33 E. Evesham Road Voorhees, NJ 08043 Phone: 856-429-8844

Pilgrims, Indians and Pumpkin Pie – M. Allan Vogelson Regional Branch Library 11am – For children ages 3-7: Listen to stories about the first Thanksgiving. 203 Laurel Road Voorhees, NJ 08043 Phone: 856-772-1636.

Santa's Arrival – Voorhees Town Center 12pm-2am – The mall kicks of the season with a celebration on the plaza (weather permitting) that includes Santa and strolling entertainers. Kids' activities will also take place inside the mall. Burnt Mill and Somerdale roads Phone: 856-772-1950.

Don't forget Santa will also be at the Cherry Hill mall during the weekend.

Babes in Toyland – Ritz Theatre 1pm All tickets, $8 – Two unhappy children run away from home to Toyland, a magical land of spirited toys. As the parents and toys search for the children, the characters and audience discover the true meaning of Christmas. 915 White Horse Pike Haddon Township, NJ (856)858-5230.

Saturday 11/22/2008

For Everyone:

South Jersey Camera Club Show – Medford Leas Gallery 9am-8pm – Enjoy a wide array of photographs taken by members of the South Jersey Camera Club. Admission is free. 1 Medford Leas Way Medford, NJ Phone: 609-654-3007.

Holiday Craft Bazaar – Congregation M'kor Shalom 10am-2pm – More than 40 vendors will be selling stationery, food, clothing, jewelry, baby goods, pottery, handbags, make-up and more. For more information, contact the synagogue office at (856) 424-4220 or visit www.Mkorshalom.org. 850 E. Evesham Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Phone: 856-424-4304.

For Kids and Family:

Rubber Band Race Car Craft -

M. Allan Vogelson Regional Branch Library 1:30pm – Grades 3-5. Kids will make their own rubber band race car and see how far it goes. Caregiver assistance required. 203 Laurel Road Voorhees, NJ 08043 Phone: 856-772-1636.

When it comes to gift cards, the "one size fits all gift" makes it easy when giving to someone who is hard to shop for. But with simplicity comes some hidden facts about gift cards, giving or getting, that you should be aware.

To get maxium value from gift cards, especially general purpose cards that can be used anywhere, USA Today recently published tips for gift card and getters that you may not have known:

Giving Gift Cards:

Be Aware Of Upfront Fees -  General-purpose gift cards, such as those issued by MasterCard, American Express or Visa, typically charge fees ranging from $4 to $7 per card. If you have a long gift list, those fees can add up.

Pay Attention To Expiration Dates And Inactivity Fees -  Many general-purpose gift cards charge fees of up to $4.95 a month if the card isn't used after a certain period of time. These fees can reduce or wipe out the value of the card.

A credit card reform bill signed into law this year prohibits gift cards from expiring in less than five years and bars issuers from charging fees if the card is used in the first 12 months. The restrictions won't become effective until August 2010. In September, though, American Express announced that it's eliminating monthly fees on all of its gift cards, including those that have already been purchased.

Consider A Retail Card – If you know the recipient likes a particular store or restaurant, consider giving a retail card instead of a general-purpose card. Most retailers don't charge a fee for their gift cards. You'll just pay the face amount on the card. And most retail cards don't expire or charge inactivity fees.

Receiving A Gift Card

Use It Quickly -  You won't have to worry about inactivity fees or expiration dates.

Save Gift Card Package And Receipt – That way, you'll be able to replace a lost or stolen card.

Know Your Balance – Many gift card providers let you check your balance on their websites.

Source: USA Today

Well, the count down has begun and the biggest shopping day of the year – Black Friday is just around the corner. This is the day retailers kick off the holiday frenzy with deals and savings to get you in the buying mood. But to really save, you must find those hot deals.

Sure, you can scour the newspaper and local ad circulars for business that has the latest gadget, toys, clothes, etc, on sale…but that is doing it the old way.

It's time to bring technology to your Black Friday research and use the Internet to keep you up to date with the biggest Black Friday deals as well as new hours retailers will be opening and closing during the holiday shopping season. But the real advantage will be reading feedback from people about their experiences as well as where to find items that may not exist in stores that were sold out.

One way is to visit the Black Friday web site at brads.net. This site is the hub for all the updates from retailers as well as news and hot deals. You can search by stores, and view actual advertisements.

If you are more into the social networking scene such as Facebook, one site you want to follow is blackfridayinfo. Most of the ads are similar to bfrads.net, but they have over 180,000 Facebook fans who are very active via comments. Make sure you connect with blackfriday.info and way stay up to date before going out to shop. It will save you frustration, time and money.

If you are the one who just want quick information, then Twitter is for you. Just do a  Twitter search for Black Friday and you will be connected to the world in an instance. Many companies now use Twitter to market their products and will often "tweet" valuable information, before it hits the newspaper, radio or TV to get their message out.

As always, tech items are the hottest must have when shopping during the holidays. The best way to stay up to date is to check out engadgetHD Black Friday section and engadgetmobile for the mobile world.

And finally, you can always come back to this page on Discover Marlton to check out the latest on Black Friday deals below.

Happy shopping…and as always, shop local in Marlton NJ!