With the holidays quickly approaching, it can feel like you have a million things to get done and zero time to do them. Finish off your Christmas shopping this weekend and support local at these holiday markets.
The Public Christmas Market is taking over Fort Edmonton Park from December 9 to 12, giving you ample time to browse over 40 vendors, sample the food and take in the beauty of the park in the winter. Dress warm as this market has both indoor and outdoor areas. Tickets must be purchased in advance and they are timed entry.
If you’d rather shop indoors where it’s warm then there are still plenty of options. The Indigenous Artist Market Collective is hosting the annual A Very Indigenous Holiday Market at the Alberta Aviation Museum from December 10 to 12 with over 85 Indigenous artists, entrepreneurs and creatives. There’s also live entertainment all weekend including a burlesque show, a drag show and a fashion show.
Event organizer Lorrie Lawrence says the theme of the market is appreciate, don’t appropriate. “When you buy stuff directly from Indigenous artists, you’re not just buying a pair of moccasins, you’re buying a story,” says Lawrence. “We want you to wear our stuff and appreciate it and acknowledge the artists.”
Royal Bison is hosting an in-person market from December 10 to 12, and it’s the second in-person market Royal Bison has offered in over a year. The market is located at 8426 Gateway Blvd. and features over 40 vendors including Penrose Press, Hideout Distro, Lunate Design and The Library Apothecary. Royal Bison is also hosting its online market until December 12 for anyone who’d prefer to beat the holiday rush and shop online.
The St. Albert Farmers Market is occupying The Enjoy Centre every Saturday and Sunday until December 19 for an indoor Christmas market. Vendors switch up each day, so there’s always something new to see. Shop from Nest Decor, District Distillery, Fur the Love of Fluff and more than 50 other local businesses.
Find gifts for everyone on your list from parents to children to teachers and even pets at Wholly Handmade in Sherwood Park at the Strathcona County Community Centre. Wholly Handmade is having two weekend markets on December 11 to 12 and December 18 to 19 with over 100 vendors including JACK59, Black Diamond Distillery, JJs Woodworks and Little Bow Studio.
“It’s a last minute Christmas market and it’s designed for you to finish your list or, for the people that haven’t started yet, you can knock people off your list all in one place,” says Vanessa Antoniuk, owner of Kingsley Events.
Whether you make a weekend out of going to multiple markets or you stick to one, there are plenty of options in Edmonton and the surrounding areas.
