Boston craft fairs: 21 markets before Christmas

Below is every Boston craft fair, makers market and holiday market we could confirm with the organizer, in date order, with the weekend each one falls on. Every listing links straight to the organizer, so you can double-check hours before you go.

Sundays through Nov 15

The last SoWa Open Markets of the year

The SoWa Open Market runs Sundays only, and its final day of 2026 is Sun, Nov 15. That leaves four Sundays: Oct 25, Nov 1, Nov 8 and Nov 15, all 11 AM to 5 PM and free. It’s one of the biggest open-air farmer and artist markets in the city, set among the artist studios, galleries and shops on pedestrian-only Thayer Street in the South End.

Fri, Nov 6 and Fri, Dec 4

SoWa First Fridays

On the first Friday of every month, the studios, galleries and shops at 450 and 460 Harrison Ave open their doors from 5 to 9 PM for SoWa First Fridays. It’s free and family friendly, and you’re buying straight from the artists in their own workspaces. The next two are Nov 6 and Dec 4. On Dec 4, the SoWa Christmas Market is open next door until 10 PM, so you can do both in one night.

Weekend of Nov 13 to 15

Topsfield, the art book fair, the MFA and Cambridge

This is the busiest craft weekend of the fall, with four good options.

The New England Craft & Specialty Food Fair is in its 30th year at the Topsfield Fairgrounds Indoor Arena, 207 Boston St in Topsfield. Hours are Fri, Nov 13 and Sat, Nov 14 from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sun, Nov 15 from 10 AM to 4 PM. A $12 adult ticket is good for all three days.

Back in the South End, the Boston Art Book Fair brings more than 130 exhibitors, artists and publishers to the BCA Cyclorama at 539 Tremont St. Think artist books, zines, comics, prints and experimental publications, many of them handmade. It’s free to the public on Sat, Nov 14 (noon to 6 PM) and Sun, Nov 15 (noon to 5 PM). If you want first look, the ticketed preview party on Fri, Nov 13 opens to exhibitors at 7 PM.

On Sat, Nov 14 only, the MFA Artisan Market sets up in the museum’s Shapiro Family Courtyard from 10 AM to 5 PM, with local jewelry, fashion, ceramics, stationery and other gifts. It’s included with general admission, and MFA members get 10 percent off everything. Author Eric Jay Dolin and chef Joanne Chang are signing books from 11 AM to 1 PM.

That same afternoon, the Unruly Maker’s Market from Rebel Rebel Wine Bar fills Dear Annie at 1741 Massachusetts Ave in Cambridge from 2 to 6 PM with local artists and craftspeople. RSVP on the Eventbrite page.

Starting Fri, Nov 6

Snowport in the Seaport

The Snowport Holiday Market opens Fri, Nov 6 at 100 Seaport Blvd and stays open seven days a week through Sun, Dec 27, with 125+ makers, food, cocktail bars and live music. Getting in is free every day through the general admission line. On Saturdays and Sundays you can also buy a Fast Pass through the Seaport Insider app if you’d rather skip the wait.

Through Dec 6, hours are Monday to Thursday 3 to 8 PM, Friday 11 AM to 9 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 9 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 8 PM. From Dec 7, weekdays open earlier, at 11 AM. Snowport is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and closes at 6 PM on Christmas Eve.

Starting Fri, Nov 20

The SoWa Christmas Market

The SoWa Christmas Market opens Fri, Nov 20 (4 to 9 PM) inside the SoWa Power Station, 550 Harrison Ave in the South End, and runs through Sun, Dec 27. Expect more than 100 makers, artists, designers and specialty food vendors under one roof. Admission is $10, kids 12 and under are free, and there’s no re-entry, so finish your coffee first.

In November, the market is open Tuesday to Thursday 4 to 8 PM, Friday 4 to 9 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 9 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 7 PM, plus Black Friday from 10 AM to 7 PM. Starting Dec 1, hours stretch to 9 PM on weeknights, 10 PM on Friday and 10 AM to 10 PM on Saturday, with Sunday still 10 AM to 7 PM. It’s closed Mondays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and open 10 AM to 4 PM on Christmas Eve. Parking nearby is $10, cash only.

Weekend of Nov 20 to 22

Marlborough, Somerville and Union Square

Paradise City Arts Festival brings 175 artists and makers to 181 Royal Plaza Dr West in Marlborough on Nov 20, 21 and 22, with live demonstrations and two cafes. Hours are Friday and Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM. General admission is $16 ($14 early bird), students pay $10 with ID, a three-day pass is $24, and kids 15 and under get in free. Parking is free.

On Sun, Nov 22, Somerville has two. The Holiday Plant Market fills two floors of Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, from 10 AM to 4 PM with local artists, small businesses and handcrafted goods for the plant lovers on your list. A few blocks away in Union Square, the Boston Women’s Holiday Market takes over Warehouse XI, 11 Sanborn Ct, from 11 AM to 4 PM with about 35 vendors.

Thanksgiving weekend, Nov 27 to 29

Wilmington, Worcester and the Armory

The day after Thanksgiving is a big one for craft shows. The Original Castleberry Faire, now in its 31st year, is back at the Shriners Auditorium, 99 Fordham Rd in Wilmington. Hours are Fri, Nov 27 from 9 AM to 5 PM, Sat from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sun from 10 AM to 4 PM, and a $12 adult ticket covers all three days.

Out in Worcester, the 44th Holiday Festival of Crafts turns the Worcester Center for Crafts, 25 Sagamore Road, into a juried holiday market that usually has more than 50 fine craft artists. It runs Nov 27 and 28 from 10 AM to 5 PM and Nov 29 from 11 AM to 4 PM. Admission is $5, and parking is free.

Closer to home, the Boston Women’s Holiday Market at The Armory fills two floors at 191 Highland Ave in Somerville on Sun, Nov 29, from 11 AM to 4 PM, with about 35 vendors.

Sat, Dec 5

A French market in Back Bay and a German one in Allston

The French Library’s Marché de Noël is in its 23rd year at 53 Marlborough St in Back Bay, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Shop French-inspired jewelry, housewares, books and gourmet treats, grab crêpes, and sample food, wine and spirits. Tickets are $5, or $3 if you buy early, and members and kids under 14 get in free.

That afternoon, the German International School Boston hosts its Christkindlmarkt at 57 Holton St from 3 to 7 PM, with music, shopping, kids’ activities, food and drinks. The school notes the event is pending license approval from the City of Boston, so check the page before you go.

Weekends of Dec 11 to 13 and Dec 18 to 20

Harvard Square

The Harvard Square Holiday Fair has been running since 1986, and admission is free. It’s a juried fair with craftspeople from around the region alongside importers, on the lower level of the Galeria building at the corner of JFK and Winthrop Streets. It runs two weekends, Dec 11 to 13 and Dec 18 to 20, with hours of noon to 7 PM on Fridays, 11 AM to 7 PM on Saturdays and noon to 6 PM on Sundays.

Sat, Dec 12 and Sun, Dec 13

Cultural Survival Bazaar

The Cultural Survival Bazaar brings a winter solstice Indigenous art holiday market to the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St, from 10 AM to 6 PM both days. You can meet the artists, make an Indigenous craft, catch music and dance, and swap a gently used Indigenous book. Suggested admission is $10, anyone under 18 is free, and if you bring a friend on day two with your day-one ticket, you both get in free.

Sat, Dec 19

Holiday market at Night Shift Brewing

The Boston Women’s Holiday Market at Night Shift Brewing, 87 Santilli Hwy in Everett, runs from noon to 5 PM. The organizer describes it as a family-friendly holiday party with giveaways, ornament decorating and special cocktails, plus a food truck and parking on site.

How to find craft fairs this weekend

Start with our Boston events calendar. Tap “This weekend” and the Markets & Shopping category, and you’ll see every market submitted to us, with the venue linked to its page. Our things to do in Boston this weekend guide rounds up the best of it, and the weekly calendar email goes to 45,000 subscribers every Thursday, just in time to plan.

Then go to the organizer. Craft fair dates move, hours change for the holidays, and a market that ran in a church hall last year can move across town. The organizer’s own page is always the final word, which is why every listing above links to it.

A few organizers run several markets a season, so they’re worth bookmarking. SoWa runs the Open Market, First Fridays and the Christmas Market in the South End. Castleberry Fairs runs juried craft festivals north of Boston, on the Cape and in New Hampshire. The Boston Women’s Market pops up all over Greater Boston. Markets for Makers held its Boston fall market at the SoWa Power Station on Oct 10 and 11, and its Boston page is the place to watch for the next one.

FAQ

Are there craft fairs near me this weekend?

For the weekend of Oct 24 and 25, 2026, the Castleberry Fall Craft Festival is in Wilmington ($10, good for both days), the Affordable Art Fair is at the SoWa Power Station in the South End through Sunday ($20 general admission), and the free SoWa Open Market runs Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM. For any other weekend, use the date headings in this guide or the “This weekend” filter on our events calendar.

What are the best craft fairs in Massachusetts this weekend and next?

This weekend, Castleberry’s fall festival in Wilmington is the big handmade show. The weekend of Nov 13 to 15 is the busiest of the fall, with the New England Craft & Specialty Food Fair in Topsfield, the free Boston Art Book Fair in the South End, the MFA Artisan Market (Nov 14) and the Unruly Maker’s Market in Cambridge (Nov 14). Paradise City Arts Festival in Marlborough follows on Nov 20 to 22, and the Original Castleberry Faire in Wilmington and the Holiday Festival of Crafts in Worcester both run Thanksgiving weekend.

Where can I find craft shows next weekend near me?

Next weekend is Oct 31 and Nov 1. SoWa Open Market is open Sunday, Nov 1, from 11 AM to 5 PM, and it’s free. After that, the next big handmade weekends are Nov 13 to 15 and Nov 20 to 22. Check our events calendar for new markets, since organizers keep adding them through the season.

What is the biggest Boston craft fair?

Of the markets in this guide, Paradise City Arts Festival lists 175 artists and makers, Snowport lists 125+ makers, and the Boston Art Book Fair lists more than 130 exhibitors. The SoWa Christmas Market has more than 100 makers and food vendors and runs the longest stretch indoors, from Nov 20 to Dec 27.

Are there free craft fairs in Boston?

Yes. Snowport (free general admission every day), the Harvard Square Holiday Fair, SoWa First Fridays, the SoWa Open Market and the Boston Art Book Fair (Saturday and Sunday) are all free to get into. The SoWa Christmas Market is $10, and kids 12 and under are free.

What’s happening in Boston in November 2026?

Snowport opens in the Seaport on Fri, Nov 6, and the SoWa Christmas Market opens in the South End on Fri, Nov 20. In between, Nov 13 to 15 brings the Boston Art Book Fair, the MFA Artisan Market and the New England Craft & Specialty Food Fair in Topsfield. Somerville has two markets on Sun, Nov 22, and Thanksgiving weekend has craft shows in Wilmington, Worcester and Somerville. For concerts, shows and everything else on in November, browse our events calendar.

What happened to the Boston Christmas Festival?

The Boston Christmas Festival’s old web address, bostonchristmasfestival.com, now goes to the New England Christmas Festival, which is at the Mohegan Sun Earth Expo Center in Connecticut on Nov 6, 7 and 8, 2026, with 400+ artisans. Hours are 9 AM to 6 PM Friday and Saturday and 9 AM to 5 PM Sunday. If you want a big holiday craft show in Massachusetts, Paradise City in Marlborough and the Original Castleberry Faire in Wilmington are the closest matches.