Holiday shopping bus tour for a good cause

If you still have shopping left this season, there's a new twist coming to Austin next weekend. You can check everyone off your shopping list while having fun and giving back to the community.

'Tis the season to be jolly', that phrase sparked the idea behind a new event. It's called "Tis the Season Holiday Shopping Tour."

"It will help people have a good shopping experience and have some fun while they do their holiday shopping instead of whatever everybody dreads... driving through Austin traffic, dealing with parking, paying for parking, waiting in line," says Brian Hill, founder, Funday Austin Tours and Events.

Brian Hill founded a new way to holiday shop. You'll park at Barton Creek Mall and hop on a luxury charter bus. The tour starts off at The Brass Austin at The Domain, where you can get food and drinks. Then you will head to the 41st annual Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, where you can shop from 160 national and local award-winning artists. By riding the bus, you will get a discounted ticket to enter and skip the line.

"Whatever means it takes to get here; people love this event. I mean, if people come in by the busload, that's even better. The more the merrier," says Bruce Willenzik, executive producer, Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.

Once you step inside, you'll find out why this is such a quintessential Christmas tradition in Austin. It's a mix of live music, fine arts and holiday shopping.

"I'd say less than 1-percent of this is what you can find at the mall. Everything else is hand-made, by care, by either a very fine artist or a very, very distinguished crafts-person. They make this work with love in their hearts. So if you're looking for something that carries more than just the material value, you can find that here," says Willenzik.

Tis the Season Holiday Shopping Tour will have three bus tours next Saturday, the 17th. By signing up, you're giving back to the community.

"In the spirit of the holiday season, we're going to donate 50-percent of the proceeds to Austin homeless shelters and Austin Pets Alive! You know there's people in need, people cold out there. So we're going to give them food and blankets," says Hill.

A win-win for everyone. For more information you can click here.