For more than 20 years, local residents have been getting their holiday shopping started locally, enjoying the annual Holiday Bazaar put on by the Escalon United Methodist Church.

This year marks the 22nd annual event and it is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28 form 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church, 2000 Jackson Ave., with a homemade soup and pie luncheon served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

With Christmas just around the corner, the time to start shopping is now and the event features handmade gifts and crafts, with holiday items, wood crafts, aprons, baby and children’s items and other handiwork items. There are also jams, jellies, cookies and candies and frozen, ready-to-bake pies. Pies are $10 except for the berry pies, which are $11.

Many items are perfect for hostess gifts or stocking stuffers and if you can’t make it to the Saturday bazaar, the items are also on sale from noon to 1 p.m. each Sunday at the church through Dec. 17.

The Soup and Pie Luncheon features soup, Genova French bread, pie and beverage for $7 and is a sit down meal, with service provided at your table. The day will also include an opportunity quilt drawing of a queen sized quilt, ‘Old Fashioned Rose Garden’ with tickets available at $1 each, six tickets for $5 or 13 tickets for $10. Need not be present to win.

Proceeds from the annual bazaar and lunch help the church support a variety of event ranging from the Escalon High School Sober Grad program to Haven of Peace, the Escalon Youth Center to C.A.R.E., Escalon Ministerial Associate and more.