Traditions are something we value throughout the year, but I think many of us put more focus on them during the holiday season. One of my favorite Oxford Christmas traditions is to attend the Annual Holiday Ornament Auction put on by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.

This year’s party is sponsored by YAC, MAC and Cathead Vodka. The event is tonight at the Powerhouse from 7-9 p.m., tonight.

This party is one of the most popular during the season as many arts council members and supporters come to bid on artisan made ornaments to help raise money for the council and to find unique treasures to decorate their trees.

The council is celebrating their 45th anniversary and they have so many reasons to celebrate including a full season of events at the Old Armory Paviliso, great festivals they host including the Oxford Fiber Arts Festival, the Oxford Film Festival, Miss-i-ppin’, Sarahfest, and the Art-er Limits Fringe Festival.

In addition to the above, they put on fun events such as the Small Hall Concert Series, the Summer Concert Series, the Food Truck Fight, 3 Blind Wines and the Oxford Art Crawl. Classes, concerts, a gallery series, artist incubator series, and more round out the offerings at this busy and creative “powerhouse” of community centers.

By becoming a member of the arts council, you contribute support to all the above endeavors that the council takes on each year. A fabulous perk of being a member is admission to the annual ornament auction which is catered this year by the following: Boneheads, Canoodle by Oxford Canteen, City Grocery, Fat Eddies, Grit, Gus’ Fried Chicken, McEwen’s, Mesquite Chop House, Party Waiting to Happen, Ravine, Second Line and Taylor Grocery. Cocktails provided by Cathead Vodka and a beer tasting by Yalobusha Brewery will add to the fun offerings.

The real stars of the show though are the ornaments themselves which hang merrily to entice bidders to take them home. It is a gallery of miniature artworks in a way featuring every sort of ornament you can imagine: funny, nostalgic, edgy, creative, inventive and whimsical. Choosing which ones to bid on will be the hardest part of the evening but do not stress as the food, drink and live music make a great background to the festivities and the celebratory mood that permeates the annual party.

A raffle for one of Jere Allen’s famous Christmas Angel paintings adds another element to the night and tickets are $25 a chance, with four tickets going for $90 giving you a discount worth springing for.

A performance from spectacularly fun local group, the Yes Virginias will provide lots of festive frivolity to the mix as you eat, drink, be merry and bid on ornaments for your tree.

I encourage you to come out, become a member and donate to the arts council which gets you discounts throughout the year to classes and events put on by the council.

Happy bidding!

ANDI BEDSWORTH is owner of Art To Go, which brings free art opportunities to children in the community.