Holiday Craft Fairs & Christmas Markets in Vermont 2026: A Weekend-by-Weekend Guide

This guide lists Vermont's holiday craft fairs, Christmas markets and village holiday weekends for November and December 2026, grouped by weekend. Every date below was checked against the organizer's own website in late September 2026, and anything we could not confirm is marked or left out. The biggest single show is the Vermont Holiday Market at the Champlain Valley Exposition, December 5–6.

Biggest holiday events in Vermont

• Vermont Holiday Market, Essex Junction, December 5–6: 125+ vendors under one roof at the Champlain Valley Exposition. $10 for adults at the door, kids under 12 free.
• Merry Barre Holidays Craft Fair, Barre, November 28–29: billed by its organizer as Central Vermont's largest craft fair. Free.
• Wassail Weekend, Woodstock, December 11–13: the 42nd year of Woodstock's village celebration, with a horse parade, an artisan market on the green and a craft fair at the Masonic Hall.
• St. J Sparkles, St. Johnsbury, December 11–12: 50+ downtown activities over a Friday night and a Saturday.

Willing to drive? The New England Christmas Festival at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut (November 6–8) is a big multi-day holiday craft show, and Maine's Kennebunkport Christmas Prelude and Portsmouth's Strawbery Banke Candlelight Stroll both run in December. Each has its own guide, linked at the bottom of this page.

Weekend of November 7–8

• Williston Craft Show, Williston, Saturday, November 7, 9am–4pm. 100+ crafters, artists and specialty food vendors at Williston Central School. Everything is handmade by the seller. Free admission and parking; food trucks in the courtyard. It's a school fundraiser, and the show runs a one-way traffic pattern, so check the map on its site.
• Vermont Crafters Expo, Essex Junction, Saturday–Sunday, November 7–8, 10am–5pm. A new show at the Champlain Valley Exposition, and not a traditional craft fair: it's built for people who make things, with tools, materials, demonstrations and workshops. $20 for one day, $30 for both, kids under 12 free.
• Vermont Farmers Market Fall Holiday Fair, Rutland, Sunday, November 8, 9am–3pm. Over 50 Vermont vendors at the Vermont Farmers Food Center, 251 West St: maple, honey, baked goods, knits, jewelry, holiday decor and hot food. Free admission and free parking. The market holds this fair on the second Sunday of November; confirm the date with the market before you go.

Weekend of November 14–15

• Touch of Vermont Holiday Gift Market, Montpelier, Saturday, November 14, 10am–4pm. More than 40 Vermont artisans at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, 100 State St. Free and accessible to all.
• Fall Makers Market, Newfane, Sunday, November 15, 10
  –3
  . 25+ local makers at NewBrook Fire and Rescue, 698 Vermont Route 30, with food from Bumbles Birria.

Weekend of November 21–22

• Celebrate Craft Holiday Fair, South Burlington, Saturday–Sunday, November 21–22. 90+ juried artists and makers on two floors of the DoubleTree by Hilton Expo Center, plus Vermont wine, spirits, craft beer and specialty foods. Check the official site for current hours.

Thanksgiving weekend: November 28–29

• Merry Barre Holidays Craft Fair, Barre, Saturday–Sunday, November 28–29, 9am–3pm both days, at the Barre Auditorium. Ornament makers, knitters, chocolatiers, candle makers, wreath makers, glassblowers, quilters, silversmiths and more. Free admission, free parking, handicap accessible, with food and seating.

Weekend of December 5–6

• Vermont Holiday Market, Essex Junction, Saturday–Sunday, December 5–6, 10am–5pm. The 6th annual market at the Champlain Valley Exposition, 105 Pearl St, with 125+ vendors from Vermont and New England: woodcraft, pottery, jewelry, maple, spices and teas, leather, meads, wines and spirits. $10 for adults at the door, kids under 12 free, free parking. Free gift wrapping is offered, with donations going to the Josh Pallotta Fund. The first 200 guests each day get a free tote bag.

Weekend of December 11–13

• Wassail Weekend, Woodstock, Friday–Sunday, December 11–13. Friday starts with a candle-lit walk at 4
  from East End Park to the Village Green. The Wassail Artisan Market runs on the green December 11–12, and the Wassail Holiday Craft Fair at the Masonic Hall (over 25 artisans, now in its 20th year) runs December 12–13. On Saturday the Wassail Cafe serves warm wassail from 10am to 3pm, the horse parade steps off at 2pm, the Memory Tree and Yule log bonfire are lit at 3pm, and the luminaries at 4pm. Billings Farm & Museum holds a ticketed Winter Celebration all three days.
• St. J Sparkles Holiday Weekend, St. Johnsbury, Friday–Saturday, December 11–12. Friday evening nightlife and a full Saturday of family activities across downtown. Past years have included Friday fireworks, a Saturday craft and vendor event at the St. Johnsbury School, free photos with Santa and a free concert at the Athenaeum. The 2026 schedule wasn't posted yet in late September; in past years printed programs have been available at the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center.
• Vermont Farmers Market Christmas Holiday Fair, Rutland, Sunday, December 13, 9am–3pm. The December edition of the Rutland holiday fair, with over 50 vendors at the Vermont Farmers Food Center. Free admission and parking. It runs on the second Sunday of December; confirm the date with the market.

Winter farmers markets for holiday shopping

The Rutland Winter Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 10am–2pm, from the first Saturday in November to the first Saturday in May at the Vermont Farmers Food Center. Over 50 vendors sell produce, meat, cheese, bread, maple, honey, wine and spirits, and artisan crafts, which makes it a good stop for food gifts. Our Vermont farmers markets guide covers the other markets around the state.

Q: When do Christmas craft fairs start in Vermont?

The season opens on the first weekend of November. In 2026 that means the Williston Craft Show on Saturday, November 7, the Vermont Crafters Expo in Essex Junction on November 7–8, and the Rutland holiday fair on Sunday, November 8. The bigger holiday shows follow on Thanksgiving weekend and in early December.

Q: Are holiday craft fairs in Vermont free?

Most of them are. The Williston Craft Show, the Touch of Vermont Holiday Gift Market, Merry Barre Holidays and both Rutland holiday fairs are free. The Vermont Holiday Market charges $10 for adults at the door (kids under 12 free), and the Vermont Crafters Expo is $20 for one day or $30 for both.

Q: What is the biggest holiday craft show in Vermont?

The Vermont Holiday Market in Essex Junction, December 5–6, 2026, with more than 125 vendors at the Champlain Valley Exposition. Merry Barre Holidays, on Thanksgiving weekend, is billed by its organizer as Central Vermont's largest fair.

Q: Where can I find a Christmas market in Vermont in mid-December?

On December 11–13, Woodstock's Wassail Weekend has an artisan market on the Village Green and a holiday craft fair at the Masonic Hall, and St. Johnsbury's St. J Sparkles weekend includes a Saturday craft and vendor event. On Sunday, December 13, the Vermont Farmers Market holds its Christmas Holiday Fair in Rutland.

Related reading

• Craft fairs in Vermont 2026: a vendor's and visitor's guide
• Vermont farmers markets 2026
• Vermont agricultural fairs 2026
• New England Christmas Festival 2026: the big holiday craft show at Mohegan Sun
• Kennebunkport Christmas Prelude 2026
• Strawbery Banke Candlelight Stroll 2026

Details in this guide come from each organizer's website as of late September 2026: Vermont Gatherings, The Barre Partnership, the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce, Discover St. Johnsbury, the Vermont Farmers Market, StarBird Events, Touch of Vermont, the Williston Craft Show and the Vermont Public events calendar. Small fairs change plans, so confirm dates, hours and admission on each event's official site before you go.

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Last updated: September 2026