The open studio crowd at Pony Ride.

The holiday shopping season has Detroit humming with DIY prospects and the cream of the crop of new entrepreneurship that has manifested in recent years into various collaborative maker spaces. Over in Corktown, Pony Ride held open studios on Friday, December 6th, with dozens of the tenant nonprofits, eateries and vendors on hand to pitch their wares.

Detroit SOUP at Pony Ride.

Some of the vendors at Pony Ride were making customized work during the open studio.

Ocelot Print Shop was open for holiday antics, including a special Holiday Gift Printing Class on December 10 and 11, a Noel Night open house and live printing demo, and a returning presence to the Detroit Urban Craft Fair. The DUCF took place on December 7 and 8, and featured not only some returning favorites, such as VG Kids from Ypsilanti, but a number of new vendors as well, doing brisk DIY trade.

Bayard Kurth from Ocelot going for perfect exposure.

Congrats to Stacey Malasky from the OPS crew, on her new assistant, Leo.

Of course, there was the 41st annual Noel Night, which seems to gain momentum every year, closing down the intersection of Warren and Woodward with an ever-expanding panoply of vendors and activities, including special Noel Night reading at the Scarab Club. If you missed the action last weekend, never despair. Upcoming on the DIY gift-buying front is the Detroit Mercantile’s Merry Market, which will take place on the 14th and 15th and feature more than 40 unique vendors. And as always, Ferndale’s Rust Belt Market provides a go-to destination for unique and locally made items, with extended shopping hours that run right up to the last moments before Christmas.

If you’ve gotta shop, shop local!

Pony Ride: 1401 Vermont St., Detroit; www.ponyride.org Ocelot Print Shop: 3535 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-573-4853; ocelotprintshop.com Detroit Mercantile: 3434 Russell St., Detroit; 313-831-9000; www.detroitmercantile.com The Rust Belt Market: 22801 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; www.rustbeltmarket.com