DECK THE WALLS
More than 200 professional craftspeople from many parts of the United States will have their wares available for sale from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday at the Baltimore Convention Center.
At the first National Craft Fair, which is intended to become an annual attraction, you'll find fine jewelry, blown glass, raku-fired stoneware, original etchings, leather travel bags, porcelain vases, hand-made dolls, designer clothing and metal sculpture.
Organizers are expecting nearly 10,000 people to attend. The fair is produced by National Crafts Ltd., which has organized such fairs nationally since 1975, including annual events in Frederick and Gaithersburg. The fair, in conjunction with the Maryland Food Bank, requests that persons attending bring an item of nonperishable food for the holiday food drive. Admission is $6 for
all over 12.
MORE HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
There's plenty going on around the Inner Harbor and nearby for this weekend:
* It's better than 76 trombones! It's 150 tubas and euphoniums for a "Merry Tuba Christmas," oom-pah-pahing away on carols from 6 o'clock to 7 o'clock tonight at the Harborplace Amphitheater. Free.
* The Top of the World, at the top of the World Trade Center, 401 E. Pratt St., will have the "Merry Caroler" and decorated trees from Baltimore's sister cities around the world from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow. Admission: $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens and children 5 to 15. Children 4 and under free.
* Look and learn during "A Traditional Christmas Dinner, Cooked at the Hearth," at the 1840 House, 800 E. Lombard St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., tomorrow. The workshop costs $15 for City Life Museum members and $20 for nonmembers. Information: 396-3279.
* It's not all that far from the Inner Harbor, so visit Carroll Park this weekend and its charming, colonial Mount Clare Mansion, the registered National Historical Landmark built in 1760 by Charles Carroll, barrister. "Christmas at Mount Clare" from noon to 4 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday will feature sights, sounds and sensations of a traditional 18th-century holiday. The Monumental City Fife and Drum Corps will perform tomorrow from noon to 3 p.m. Admission, $4 for adults, $1 for children under 12. Information: 837-3262.
SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
Last week, we reported on two activities for a buck apiece; this week, here are a couple of freebies:
* You can visit the Maryland Science Center, which normally charges admission, for free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday. All exhibits, demonstrations and the IMAX Theater will open. The idea is to observe the anniversary of the first rendezvous in space, which took place Dec. 15, 1965, between the Gemini VII and the Gemini VI-A capsules. Information: 685:5225.
* If you just want to roam about and enjoy your inner self, remember the Inner Harbor Promenade, where at this time of year a beautiful display of lights abounds.