‘Tis the season to start thinking about holiday gifts to warm the hearts of your friends and loved ones.
It’s also the perfect time of year to support local artisans and makers who craft and harvest their treasures by hand. Tick two boxes by shopping local and sourcing one-of-a-kind gifts with this guide to vendor fairs in and around Lawrence.
Are we missing an event? Please find our contact info at the bottom of this article to let us know!
Coming up this weekend:
• Born in 1988, Bizarre Bazaar returns for another year of “hippie love vibes,” as the founder calls it. Quirky and distinctive local art will be available, including fiber work, prints, stained glass and more. Tune in to the Facebook event for posts about scheduled vendors. The bazaar will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29 at the Lawrence Art Center, 940 New Hampshire St.
• Pendleton’s Country Market kicked off its holiday open house last week and is open again from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29 and Sunday, Nov. 30. The open house features a host of local makers, bakers and farmers. Attendees can expect to shop books for tots, wines, crochet and knitwear, woodworking, chestnuts, lavender, honey, hanging stained glass pieces, leather bags and wallets, holiday pottery and the list goes on. The market is at 1446 East 1850 Road, about a mile east of the edge of town and a mile north of Kansas Highway 10 (see it on a map here). See a list of vendors at this link.
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• The annual Eudora Holiday Market paired with the mayor’s Christmas tree lighting the same evening is the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit with handmade crafts from adults and kids alike. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, there will be live music, food trucks and vendors, including a Youth Maker’s Market. The market will be at the Eudora Recreation Center, 1630 Elm St. in Eudora.
• Pine’s Garden & Market will have a vendors market with crafts, baked goods and more, as well as a free ornament decorating for little ones at the store’s holiday market, set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29 at 1320 N. Third St.; see a map here. In addition to hot cocoa and market samples, they will also have fresh-cut Christmas trees, wreaths and garland coming in from North Carolina.
• Admission is free to the NoLaw Art Fest, featuring local artisans, a photo booth, and holiday cocktails from a fully stocked bar. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30 at Venue 1235, 1235 North Third St.
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• Deck your halls with holiday trees, roped wreaths and poinsettias at Vinland Valley Nursery’s Plantaland! Pop-Up Tropical Holiday Mall. Cut and live trees will be available, along with a host of gifts for gardeners. Different workshop stations will allow visitors to construct terrariums, garlands and winter ornaments, while the vendor mall and food court promise baked and canned goods, botanical toiletries, bioregionally adapted seeds, ceramics, thrifting and, of course, local art. See the complete vendor list here. Plantaland is free to attend and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30 at 1606 North 600 Road in Baldwin.
• Adornment, Van Go’s annual art show and holiday market, will debut from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29 at Van Go, 715 New Jersey St. in East Lawrence. They will unveil artwork from young artists in The Arts Train and JAMS programs. Saturday is “your chance to see what we’ve been up to all year and get your hands on some incredible handmade goods as this event will be our first night of shopping of the season,” according to the event page. Snacks and refreshments will be available, with items priced as low as $3. The market is open through Dec. 21; see gallery hours on the event page.
Week of Monday, Dec. 1 – Sunday, Dec. 7
• The City of Lawrence’s Holiday Extravaganza Artisan Fair boasts “goods from local artisans such as jewelry, paintings, textiles, pottery, home décor, and much more from community entrepreneurs,” according to the event page. Vendor applications are open on the website through Monday, Dec. 1, before the event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, 100 Rock Chalk Lane.
• Art Emergency’s holiday art market will double as a food drive this year, “showcasing over 20 local artists & gathering donations for Just Food,” according to a message from the group. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 at 721 E. Ninth St.
• Back for the seventh time, River Rat Print and Skate’s Holiday Art Market will host more than 15 local artist vendors, food from The Roost, drinks from Lawrence Beer Co., a hot cider bar, music by the fire and more. That’s set for 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 at River Rat, 608 N. Second St.
• The Astra Holiday Market, featuring more than 20 artists and makers, will also offer attendees food, cocktails and beats from DJ Candy Cane. That market goes from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at Van Go, 715 New Jersey St. in East Lawrence.
• LOLA Giant — that’s Lovers of Lawrence Art — is calling all art fanatics to don their ugliest holiday sweaters and roll up to their holiday market for art and kittens. This year’s one-day event is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 at Van Go, 715 New Jersey St. in East Lawrence. There will be treasures from ceramics to eco-friendly skincare to macrame and more. See a full vendor list at this link.
• The Small World International Folk Art Market will feature crafted treasures from artist Zoriana Lylo-Ostkevych and friends, representing work from “Lviv, Ukraine, Huichol, Mexico, Cairo, Egypt, Lawrence, KS and Lakota, USA,” according to the event page. Some pieces are priced as low as $3 and there will be a free crafting table for kids. That will run from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, in the Northlight Gallery at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lawrence, 1236 North 1100 Road.
• Support some aspiring younger creators at the Lawrence Youth Makers Market, started by a young entrepreneur and her mother in 2023. “Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at our one-day marketplace,” according to the event page. Check it out from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 at Holcom Park Recreation Center, 2700 W. 27th St.
Week of Monday, Dec. 8 and beyond
• Saturday, Dec. 13 will see the return of the Holiday Farmers Market nestled under the pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, featuring tried and true Lawrence Farmers Market vendors. “Wide aisles, hot food and drink, artisan crafts, locally grown and produced foods, gifts and box sets, and so much more” can be expected, per the event page. That runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• The Lawrence Art Guild is asking folks to save the date for their seasonal art fair featuring handcrafted goods. They’ll open shop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 at Cider Gallery, 810 Pennsylvania St. in East Lawrence.
• The Inclusive Winter Market will feature around 100 vendors and food, “embracing the vibrant cultures that make Douglas County special,” per the event site. That’s set for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Lied Center, 1600 Stewart Drive.
• Prairie Moon Waldorf School’s Winter Light Faire is set to be “a magical evening for parents and children alike” with food, shopping, activities and lights. More information on vendors and activities is forthcoming, but the time is scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 at the school, 1853 East 1600 Road.
• The Holiday Suites Showcase, which first ran Sunday, Nov. 23, returns from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. It is hosted by 4801 Building.
What are we missing?
We made a list and checked it twice, but please let us know if there’s another event that we should include here.
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Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
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