Holiday Auction Week 4: Cigar City, NC vacation, CL’s cover and lots more!

Just 10 more days left in CL's Holiday Auction for The Children's Home, and the latest batch of items might just be the most covetable of all.

An amazing brew-to-bottle package from Cigar City; a weeklong escape from the heat of Florida to the cool of North Carolina; a chance to turn the tables on CL's food critic and put his food to the taste test (we promise you, he's a damned good cook); VIP entry to Gasparilla music and filmfests; and all kinds of fabulous offers in photography, food, music, art, shopping and more. And, of course, this is the week we auction off the most competitive prize of all: the cover of Creative Loafing.

Read on after the jump to link to individual items on eBay, or  go to ebay.com/usr/cltampa. Auction Week Four began at 9 a.m. this morning and ends at 9 a.m. on Sun., Dec. 14.

And if you haven’t yet bid in Auction Week Three, you may still have time; those items don’t close till Sun., Dec. 7, at 9 a.m. And remember, your winning bids benefit The Children’s Home!

Cigar City Brewing wants to brew with you: The perfect, personalized beer Join the Cigar City team and create your own beer with one of America’s most popular craft breweries. You’ll work with CC Head Brewer Wayne Wambles to come up with your perfect recipe, then actually brew the beer alongside Wayne and Founder & CEO Joey Redner. Marketing Director Geiger Powell will create your label graphics from scratch, and when your brew is ready to drink, Tampa’s Brew Bus will pick you up — along with nine of your friends — and bring you to the release party for your very own beer at the Cigar City tasting room. Plus, you’ll take home 10 cases of 22 oz.-bottles (or the equivalent in kegs) to show off and enjoy. Value: Priceless.

A seven-night vacation getaway on Lake Lure, NC Escape the Florida heat in August: Enjoy a seven-night stay Aug. 1-7, 2015, at Foxrun Resort on Lake Lure, North Carolina. Foxrun offers luxurious, fully equipped two-bedroom two-bath villas that can accommodate families and larger groups. All villas have a jacuzzi and fireplace and boast either a fairway or mountain/woods view. Vacationers can enjoy golf, tennis, and water activities on beautiful Lake Lure or Bald Mountain Lake. Value: $1,200.

The cover of Creative Loafing The most coveted prize of all. Win this item and you get the cover of Creative Loafing on a mutually agreed-upon date to do with what you will (with CL approval, of course). Value: Priceless.

Life on the Edge: Killer deals from St. Pete’s EDGE District The enterprising entrepreneurs of Downtown St. Pete’s vibrant new EDGE District have put together an irresistible sampler package: brunch for two (good for up to $20) at Ricky P’s Orleans Bistro; a $50 gift card from Green Bench Brewing Co.; a $70 gift card from Pinot’s Palette; a $100 gift card from ARTicles Art Gallery & Custom Framing; 30 days free yoga from Peace of Yoga ($55); a goodie basket including a T-shirt, an artwork and a free portrait from Creative Clay; and a bottle of Van Gogh PBJ Vodka ($24.99), a $10 bar tab, and 25 percent discount cards from the friendly-to-everybody bar, Enigma. Value: $400.

Two 2-day VIP passes to Gasparilla Music Festival Last year’s GMF lineup included the Flaming Lips, Trombone Shorty, Benjamin Booker and Los Amigos Invisibles. Early Bird VIP passes have already sold out, and last year advance VIP passes sold out several weeks before the event. So get yours now and ensure premium viewing at both the main Curtis Hixon and Kiley Garden stages, access to the VIP tents with private bars and lounge areas, air-conditioned restrooms, and three complimentary drinks plus snacks and other goodies throughout the day. Value: $300.

The Get Healthier Package: Harbour Island Athletic Club, Yoga Loft, Swami Juice and Don Me Now Win this package and you’ll be so beautiful you won’t know what to do with yourself. It includes: a month of unlimited yoga at Yoga Loft Tampa in Ybor City; a one-day juice cleanse from Swami Juice in South Tampa; a gym and spa package from Harbour Island Athletic Club and Spa, including a one-month membership, two personal training sessions and a 50-minute massage; and a two-hour personal styling session at Don Me Now in Hyde Park Village. Value: $535 (Harbour Island Club: $325; Yoga Loft: $100; Swami Juice: $60; Don Me Now: $50).

Tampa Museum of Art & Sono Café Swag Bag An offer as gorgeous as the museum that’s offering it, the Tampa Museum of Art, this package includes a Sustainer Membership, which includes member benefits and privileges for two adults and children living at the same address; free admission and privileges when visiting more than 700 cultural institutions and museums across the continent; and four free admission tickets to give as gifts. It also includes museum catalogs to three of TMA’s biggest blockbusters, My Generation, Graphicstudio, and Poseidon; two museum T-shirts; two museum hats; two coffee cups; and brunch for two at Sono Cafe, the museum’s Mise en Place-run restaurant, which boasts one of the city’s best views. Value: $335.

Foursome for the Stars and Pars Celebrity Golf Classic Play with sports and media personalities in the 33rd annual Stars and Pars Classic, one of the longest-running and most respected golf tournaments in the area. Also included: eight tickets to the Stars and Pars Celebrity Pairings Party and Auction on Feb. 22, 2015. Value: $1,200.

Vinyl shopping spree with CL Music Editor Leilani Polk For this much-bid-upon vinyl lovers’ auction item, the CL Music Editor takes you to five indie music shops around the Bay area — Microgroove and Mojo Books & Records in Tampa, Daddy Kool, Bananas, and Planet Retro in St. Petersburg. The winning bid includes two LPs from each for a grand total of 10 records, and Leilani tags along to offer sage advice. Value: $240.

The magnificent Mahaffey package Two tickets and one parking pass to each of the following 2015 shows at St. Pete’s sparkling waterfront concert venue: The State Ballet Theatre of Russia presents Swan Lake, Sat, Jan 3, 7:30 p.m.; Merle Haggard, Tues., Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m.; Indigo Girls, Fri., Feb. 28, 8 p.m.; Pink Floyd Experience, Fri., March 6, 8 p.m.; Chef Robert Irvine, Sun., Apr. 19, 7 p.m. Value: $500.

A behind-the-scenes, on-the-air experience on WDAE's Ron and Ian Show Join Ron Diaz and Ian Beckles for a guest appearance on 620 WDAE’s Ron and Ian Show. Give a radio shout-out to your friends, and experience what it’s like behind the scenes of this popular Tampa Bay sports radio show. The show airs weekdays from 12-3; your appearance will take place at a time and date TBD during the first quarter of 2015. Value: Priceless.

The Shutterbug Family Pack: Photo 101 at CL Space, kids’ workshops at FMoPA, and two beautiful books Sharpen your focus with this combo item. It includes: a five-week Tuesday-night Photo 101 class starting in January 2015 at CL Space with photojournalist Chip Weiner; two gift certificates for children’s photography workshops at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts; and two photo books: One Day Tampa Bay 2013 and INSTANT: The Story of Polaroid. Value: $293.95 (Photo 101: $139; FMoPa workshops: $90; Books: $64.95).

Rollin’ on the river: An eBoat cruise Get a new view of the city with a two-hour rental from eBoats Tampa. Use your time for a leisurely cruise, a museum-to-museum tour, or perhaps even a riverfront bar hop. You may never look at Tampa the same way again. Value: $170.

South Tampa eat-around-town extravaganza Eat your way around South Tampa with this merry-go-round of culinary deals: $50 gift cards from Mad Dogs and Englishmen and The Wine Exchange; a $40 gift card from Square 1 Burgers; and five $10 gift certificates to Fruitwood Standup Market, a delicious recent addition to the Hyde Park scene. Value: $190.

A charcoal portrait by Carrie Jadus A chance to have a charcoal drawing of yourself or a loved one done by acclaimed artist Carrie Jadus, who is known for the quality and sensitivity of her portraiture on both a large and small scale. Go for a sitting at Softwater Studios in St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District or send her a photo to work with. The size of the portrait, which will show a single view of the subject, will be 18"x24". Value: $250 (Minimum bid: $50).

CL's Food Critic Cooks Dinner for YOU Creative Loafing Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge has spent his life stealing ideas from the world’s great chefs on his annual visits to vineyards across the globe. Now he will work with you to plan a 10-course haute cuisine menu for four (with matching wines from his private cellar) that he will cook and serve in his own waterview condo overlooking the Dunedin marina. What can you expect? Well, during his six-year stint on the board of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, his dinners were a sought-after item as part of the live auction fundraiser — regularly exceeding bids of $2,500. This evening offers ultimate flexibility for your guests to participate as a cooking class, to take part in a seminar on food & wine-matching alchemy, or just to sit back and luxuriate; the choice is yours. One thing is for sure — it will be an indulgent gastronomic tsunami that you’ll never forget, complete with sparkling crystal, fine china, sterling silver, crisp linens . . . and food, glorious food!

A country music cornucopia The perfect gift for the CMA fan: a collection of autographed CDs by more than 20 of country’s hottest artists. In addition to solo albums by the likes of Luke Bryan, Jennifer Nettles, Dierks Bentley, and Darius Rucker, you also get the star-studded Alabama & Friends CD, featuring (among others) Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line, Trisha Yearwood, and (of course) Alabama. Value: Priceless.

Yuengling personal tour and tasting You and up to 24 friends and family members can get a once-in-a-lifetime look behind the scenes of the Tampa location of America’s oldest active brewery. Afterward, you’ll be taken to the tasting room to sample the fruits of these passionate, professional brewers’ efforts. Value: Priceless.

Gasparilla International Film Festival VIP memberships Tampa’s Gasparilla International Film Festival takes place next year from Mar. 24-29 at Channelside Theaters, reopened especially for the festival. With this package you get two GIFF $500 memberships, which means you get two of everything, including unlimited screening passes; passes to the VIP opening night reception, the Filmmaker Lounge, and the Signature Gala; and six additional tickets to any films during GIFF. Value: $1,000 ($500 per membership).

A year of free deliveries from FoodNow Don’t want to go out, but still want to enjoy your favorite cuisine? This package removes 100 percent of the delivery fee every time you make an order from FoodNow Restaurant Delivery Service, which delivers meals from nearly 150 local restaurants to residences, businesses, and hotels throughout Pinellas County. This offer doesn’t include the cost of the meals, but how nice to be able to go out to dinner without leaving home — and save time and gas money while doing it. Value: $250-$500 depending on number of deliveries.

Visit the MFA in St. Pete, paint and sip at Pinot’s Palette in Oldsmar With this package you get 4 passes and a commemorative exhibition catalogue for Jamie Wyeth’s Portraits of Nureyev, the acclaimed exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts. Plus, do some painting yourself with a two-hour class for two at Pinot's, plus a nice bottle of wine, two custom wine glasses, and two custom paintbrush pens, all in a holiday-themed basket. Value: $208 (Pinot’s: $120; MFA: $88). Note that this offer is only good for the Oldsmar Pinot’s Palette.

Antique picking with Larry Schiller, shopping at Sherry’s, breakfast at Pinky’s With this auction item, you get to accompany Larry Schiller of Schiller’s Architectural Salvage in Tampa on a tour of his favorite vintage hunting grounds. Before you forage, have breakfast at Best of the Bay-winning Pinky’s, and later on stop at Sherry’s Yesterdaze, the vintage clothing-lover’s haven in Seminole Heights. Value: $250 (Schiller: $200; Pinky’s: Breakfast for two, $25; Sherry’s: $25 gift certificate).

Listening Room Festival VIP Package The Best of the Bay-winning Listening Room Festival has perfected the art of the house concert. With this package you get four VIP tickets to the Listening Room Festival Finale, April 26, 2015, at The Palladium; two copies of the Listening Room Festival compilation CD; and maybe the biggest prize of all, a TenTen living room concert (10 songs for 10 guests) by the founder of the festival himself, singer/songwriter Fran Snyder. Value: $800+ (Finale: $300; TenTen Concert: $500).

Tarpon Springs post-holiday date night A $50 gift certificate for dinner at the popular Costa Restaurant in the Sponge Docks district, and two tickets to the Tarpons Springs Cultural Arts Center to see David Burgess, one of today’s outstanding guitarists, on Jan. 10, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. Value: $86.

This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2014.