Believe it or not, the holiday season isn't that far away. A few months may seem like a long time, but if you're an event-planner or a baker or pastry chef or candy-maker or chocolatier, it's really not. Which is why we're already inviting you to a holiday party. This year we wanted to have a different kind of food and drink event, one that showcases and celebrates our town's best bakers and pastry chefs and bartenders, while at the same time having a party where you can buy holiday gifts AND we can raise money for a worthy cause.

So this December 7, on a Sunday afternoon in The Majestic and The Reserve downtown, we're having a holiday dessert and cocktail party, to which you're invited to come and eat cookies and drink holiday cocktails, buy some new cookbooks by local chefs and shop for gifts and give some money to Food Forward, which will also make sure that no cookie gets left behind. Called Sips & Sweets, you can even bring your kids to this one. Happy holidays ? a few months early! So who's coming?

]Bakers and pastry chefs so far confirmed:

Mariah Swan of bld

Annie Miler of Clementine

Roxana Jullapat of Cookâ??????s County

Shannon Swindle of Craft LA

Nicole Mournian of Gjusta

Clemence Gosset of the Gourmandise School

David Rodriguez of Heirloom LA

Sarah Lange of Ladies Gunboat Society

Ann Kirk of Little Dom's

Christina Olufson of Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern

McConnell's Ice Cream

Dahlia Narvaez of Mozza

Na Young Ma of Proof

Rose Lawrence of Red Bread

Sharlena Fong of Semisweet Bakery

Kei Okemura Sugarbird Sweets & Teas

The Patina Group

Barbara Monderine of The Village Bakery

Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections

Hans Röckenwagner

And bartenders and mixologists:

The Chestnut Club

Christiaan Rollich of A.O.C.

Ben Scott of Sassafras

Danielle Crouch of Ca?a Rum Bar

Beau du Bois of The Corner Door

François Vera of Pour Vous

Robin Chopra of Coraz??_n y Miel

Darwin Manahan of PUNCH

Karen Grill of The 1933 Group

John Kelly O'Hare of Sonny's Hideaway

Along with the amazing baked goods and desserts and drinks and other items brought by these lovely people, there will be a vendor village, a cookbook corner, and the folks from the food-reclamation charity Food Forward ? to whom a portion of your ticket sales are already going ? will be on-hand to collect any donations, as well as any leftovers.

Sips & Sweets will take place on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 2 - 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 for those over 21 and $15 for those under 21. This includes unlimited food and 8 cocktails (there will be non-boozy drinks too) and access to shopping.To get tickets, use this link. (Here's your presale code: SIPSBLOG.)

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