If shopping bags have been weighing down your arms and emptying your wallet, it's time to relax. Listen to some distinctive music, learn about small business or figure out the tricks to social change -- they're all free and described below.

For more events around town, visit our online Westword calendar; if we missed any great free activities, let us know in the comments section below.

See also: Donna Bryson, Author of It's a Black/White Thing, Talks About Racism and Reconciliation

SOLOS / DUOS Denver Avant-Garde Music Society at Strange Grounds Coffee (Monday, free) The Denver Avant-Garde Music Society keeps original noise relevant in our town. From using normal instruments in unique ways to creating their own instruments from scratch, the group's members create many cool sounds. Head to their jam tonight featuring Animal/ object to hear something we're sure you've never heard before. And if you want to add to the sound, sign up here.

Gifted: A Handmade Holiday Market at McNichols Building (Wednesday, free) Warm Cookies will get in the holiday spirit with a special market -- and, of course, plenty of free speech, as well as free hot cocoa and live music. Join the discussion about the true costs and benefits of gift-giving, and then browse through the present possibilities at tables stocked by Fancy Tiger Crafts, Sweet Action Ice Cream, Tootsie's, Rakun and a slew of others. Using Social Media for Activist Movements at Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library (Wednesday, free) For people who demand change in the world, social media is now the way to organize. Still, without the numbers, it's hard to get anything done. Learn the tricks of using social media for activism at this discussion led by Jo Cusick.

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