For the second year in a row, Brown University is supporting the City of Providence’s Buy Providence/Buy Art initiative with its own “Brown Shops Local.” On Thursday, Dec. 5, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., faculty, staff, and students who visit the Brown Shops Local table at the Brown Bookstore will receive a Brown tote bag, a ticket for a beverage at the College Hill Cafe, offers from the Bookstore, and offers from local retail hubs: Hope Street, South Main Street, Wayland Square, and Downcity. Launched last year, Brown Shops Local invites members of the Brown community to sample the quality and variety of retail offerings available in Providence. There are special holiday events in store: Hope Street’s annual holiday stroll (Thursday evening, Dec. 5), South Main Street’s holiday stroll (Saturday, Dec. 7), Santa at Grant's Block in Downcity (Saturdays through Dec. 21), and festivities at Wayland Square throughout December. For more information about Brown Shops Local and special holiday events, visit brown.edu/web/providence.