10 Christmas crafts fairs to get you in the festive spirit
11 November 2021
IRL events are making a comeback this festive season
11 November 2021
After Christmas was cancelled last year, it’s more important than ever to support independent makers in 2021. Luckily, craft markets across the nation are gearing up for festive trading. We've pinpointed a few:
Billed as a ‘down to earth, Village Hall, two day, table-top selling event’, MADE Brighton features 60 makers selling their wares in St Bartholomew’s: a late Victorian Byzantine-inspired church said to have been built to the same dimensions as Noah’s Ark.
26 – 27 November
National Glass Centre, Sunderland
The National Glass Centre celebrates Sunderland’s rich heritage of glassmaking, and its craft fair will put that on show alongside handmade wares in other mediums by local and regional artists.
27 – 28 November
200 designer-makers from in and around Bristol will take over the foyer of the historic Bristol Beacon, which is the only part of the building that has retained its original 'Bristol Byzantine' architectural features. Kids in tow? Check out the programme of child-friendly craft workshops.
Each weekend between 27 November – 12 December
Cockpit Arts, Holborn and Deptford
London favourite Cockpit Arts has two Makers' Market events at its bases in Holborn and Deptford, bringing together work from over 150 of the talented craftspeople working in its studios.
In Holborn from 26-28 November, and in Deptford from 3-5 December
Rydal Mount Christmas Fair, Cockermouth
This two-day event, taking place inside of what was once the home of poet William Wordsworth, will feature a curated selection of the county's glassmakers, ceramists and jewellers. Copies of poetry and other books signed by members of the Wordsworth family will also be on sale.
11 – 12 December
Black-owned Christmas Market, Hackney
Located in Hackney's Bohemia Place, this market is made for Christmas shopping, featuring black-owned businesses with handmade clothing, gifts, and skincare.
27 November
Christmas Art, Craft and Design Fair, Edinburgh
Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms, complete with its period features and opulent chandeliers, will play host to this fair, which includes the work of 120 makers, artists and designers.
4 – 5 December
Robin-shaped Christmas decoration by Amy Panda, one of the makers exhibiting at The Hepworth Wakefield Festive Mini Market
Following its pandemic-induced hiatus last year, the Yorkshire gallery will host a series of Festive Mini-Markets over three consecutive weekends, each featuring a changing line-up of roughly 30 makers.
From 20–21 November; 27–28 November; 4–5 December
Although Blackthorpe Barn in Suffolk held a successful online alternative last year, its fair will return in real life once again. There's a bumper line-up of makers showing their wares in the 16th-century thatched building, which provides a wholesome setting for Christmas shopping.
Each weekend between 6 November – 12 December
If browsing the stalls with a mulled wine in hand is your bag, then Cardiff Christmas Market is for you. The fair offers a treasure trove of handmade wares, alongside all the usual ingredients of a traditional festive pop-up.
11 November – 23 December
