You want to support artists and makers, shop small, and shop local all the time, and especially during the holidays, and we’re here to help. This gathering of markets is presented chronologically, so last-minute shoppers can go right to the date and know their options. But don’t wait! The first several are already open for business.

Through December 22

Valley Arts Center Gift Shop

For the Valley Arts Center Gift Gallery Shop, VAC members submit work to sell, with most pieces under $200.

VALLEY ARTS CENTER

Through December 30

Heights Arts Holiday Store

The annual Heights Arts Holiday Store has expanded to fill two additional gallery spaces this year, offering the work of 120 artists and creators. There’s holiday-themed stuff, such as cards and ornaments, as well as original handmade artwork. There are plenty of small, affordable items such as mugs, T-shirts and journals, along with fine art prints, paintings and photography. Some artists are contributors to the gallery’s regular exhibition schedule, but Heights features at least 20 new artists each year to keep things fresh. The shop also offers CDs and books by locals, handmade Judaica, and a gift registry. Starting November 29, it’s open seven days a week except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

HEIGHTS ARTS

November 19–December 30

BAYarts Holiday Shop

BAYarts launches its holiday season on Saturday, November 19 from 11am to 7pm, with a Holiday Shop Open House & Extravaganza from 3 to 7pm across its entire campus. There’s a tree lighting at 5pm and tree decorating from 6 to 7pm, plus ornament making, a visit from Santa Claus, a hot chocolate station, a PTA bake sale, a food truck, a cash bar, live holiday music, a gift-wrapping station and more. After that it’ll be open 7 days a week, through 1pm Christmas Eve. The shop offers the work of more than 100 local makers, featuring jewelry, mugs, ornaments, soaps, candles, wall art, holiday cards, holiday decor, apparel & fine art, as well as gift cards for BAYarts classes. There are special shopping days too: noon-3pm Saturdays, December 10 & 17 and noon-3pm Sundays, December 11 & 18 are kids’ shopping days when BAYarts staff will help kids choose and wrap gifts for friends and family. On December 15 from 6 to 9pm they’re having their holiday trunk show with vendors, food and drink.

BAYARTS

November 19–December 24

Mansfield Art Center Holiday Fair

Mansfield Art Center’s 53rd Annual Holiday Fair fills all its galleries with a showcase of fine art, functional crafts and gifts for the holiday season. Find work in a range of media including paintings, prints, photography, drawings, furniture, leather, jewelry, wood, glass, fiber, ceramics, children’s items and pieces with a holiday theme. Framed work will be on the walls, with unframed pieces in bins, and artists are invited to submit multiple pieces, giving browsers more to choose from.

MANSFIELD ART CENTER

November 22–December 22

Morgan Conservatory Holiday Market

The Morgan Conservatory’s holiday market features handmade items by staff and members. Many are paper-based, made in the Morgan’s own studio, ranging from cards and low-priced novelties to elaborate artist books, although this is one show that admits non-paper artwork too. You can also pick up some of the Morgan’s handmade papers for your artist friends. The market is open during the Morgan’s regular hours, 10am-4pm Tuesday–Saturday.

MORGAN CONSERVATORY

November 23–January 8

Peninsula Art Academy Holiday Show

The Peninsula Art Academy’s annual Holiday Show, featuring work by PAA instructors and community members, is next up in its gallery. The juried show is open to works in any medium, as long as they have a holiday theme or would make distinctive gifts.

PENINSULA ART ACADEMY

November 25

Black Friday Shopping Experience at 78th Street Studios

The Black Friday Shopping Experience at 78th Street Studios is always festive, and a great post-Thanksgiving boost, with dozens of studios and galleries and other vendors open for business. You’ll find fine art in your favorite galleries, a multitude of collectibles, crafts, jewelry, fashion, and of course treats. It’s 10am-4pm, but check with specific artists or galleries for variations on those hours.

THE BLACK FRIDAY EXPERIENCE AT 78th STREET STUDIOS

November 25

CAN Market

The CAN Market returns this year, featuring some spectacular CAN and CAN Triennial swag, plus art by members of our staff and board of directors. We’ll be open Black Friday (November 25), Small Business Saturday (November 26), Third Friday (December 16), and other select days. All your purchases support this magazine and help us keep doing what we do.

CAN MARKET AT 78th STREET STUDIOS

November 26

Small Business Saturday at 78th Street Studios

You simply do not want to go to a shopping mall on this day. What you want to do is go see people who made beautiful, clever, endearing, enduring things themselves, and their friends, and your friends, and support them. Hours are 10am-2pm Saturday, November 26.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY AT 78th STREET STUDIOS

November 26

Music & Friends Garage Sale Holiday Edition

The Music & Friends Garage Sale Holiday Edition at the Music Box Supper Club grew out of a couple of pandemic events held outside on the Nautica Boardwalk to give musicians and others working in and around the music scene a chance to bolster their budgets during that dead time. A huge success, it now moves indoors and will feature a lot of local artists, music business types and collectors offering obscure recordings, rare memorabilia, concert photos, music books, posters and more, most of it music-related. Hours are 11am-3pm.

MUSIC BOX SUPPER CLUB

November 26

Winterland Cleveland Bazaar

Cleveland’s Winterfest in Public Square and surrounding downtown spaces has been renamed WinterLand. But it still includes the Cleveland Bazaar Market inside the 5th Street Arcades, featuring local artists, makers and entrepreneurs with handcrafted items of all types to sell to shoppers and revelers on Small Business Saturday. This year, Cleveland Bazaar vendors will also be in Tower City in the new indoor park. Find them in both spaces 10am-6pm and then rush outside for the fireworks at 6pm.

5th STREET ARCADES & TOWER CITY INDOOR PARK

November 26

Holiday at the Hildebrandt

Holiday at the Hildebrandt invites shoppers into yet another manufacturing building (a former meat processing plant) repurposed as artist studios and small maker spaces. It’s now home to ceramics artists and woodworkers, painters and photographers, jewelry makers, a yarn shop and several artisan food businesses making honey, fermented foods, tea and coffee. Not only can you visit the resident artists and makers, but they’ll have additional guest vendors in their new Vendor Mall. The market runs 10am-6pm.

HILDEBRANDT BUILDING

November 26 & 27

Crafty Mart

Crafty Mart, Akron’s handmade market, celebrates its 14th annual holiday show at downtown Akron’s Bounce Innovation Hub where Crafty Mart has its permanent location now. Dozens of regional crafters and artists will offer handcrafted wares, with local food vendors offering both prepared food and giftable edibles. There are holiday DIY workshops, a gift-wrapping station, beer & wine, live music, raffles and more to create a fully festive event. Hours are 11am-4pm Saturday, November 26 and 11am-3pm Sunday, November 27.

BOUNCE INNOVATION HUB

November 26–December 18

Waterloo Arts Holiday Co-Op Sale

Waterloo Arts’ annual Holiday Co-op Sale will be open to shop on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays. With many vendors from the surrounding community who help work the gallery during open hours, there’s a good chance you’ll get to buy a unique handmade (and mostly very affordable) item directly from the artist.

WATERLOO ARTS

December 2 & 3

CIA Student Holiday Sale

The Cleveland Institute of Art’s annual Student Holiday Sale offers one-of-the-kind gifts made by some of the most talented young people in town. There’ll be items in virtually every medium you can think of for sale in CIA’s Jack, Joseph & Morton Mandel Atrium. Hours are 5-9pm Friday, December 2 and 10am-6pm Saturday, December 3. Also going on at the same time is the 100 Show + Sale where art by students, faculty and friends of CIA is sold for $100 or multiples thereof to benefit the students’ annual spring break museum trip.

CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART

December 2–4

Little Italy Holiday Art Walk

The annual Little Italy Holiday Art Walk is one of the area’s longest running art walks, and an ideal time to rediscover the city’s original art neighborhood. It’s filled with small shops and galleries, including artist studios in the old Murray Hill School, wine and gelato shops, bakeries, and local artist storefronts offering everything from handmade prints to designer glass. Plan to have a meal in one of the area’s restaurants, some contemporary and some still serving Italian specialties popular a century ago. Hours are 5-9pm Friday, December 2, noon-9pm Saturday, December 3 and noon-5pm Sunday, December 4.

LITTLE ITALY NEGHBORHOOD

December 3

Cleveland Bazaar at Lake Affect Studios

Each year, the Cleveland Bazaar, which has been sponsoring handmade fairs in the area for 20 years, presents this “teaser” market for its huge annual holiday bazaar at 78th Street Studios the following weekend. It takes place at the Lake Affect Studios in the Superior Arts District where the crowd-averse can enjoy a more manageable shopping experience, with a smaller but still a generous mix of both funky and upscale items from 10am to 6pm There’s a bar and vendors offering ready-to-eat foods so you can take a breather while shopping.

LAKE AFFECT STUDIOS

December 3–22

Off The Wall Holiday Sale

Zygote Press, Praxis Fiber Workshop and SPACES Gallery have joined forces in a reciprocal membership program and extend the relationship with their Artpass Off-the-Wall Holiday Sale. A membership at any of these organizations gets you member benefits at all three. The Holiday Sale comes with a reception at each location with refreshments and holiday cheer from 5 to 8pm on successive Fridays: December 2 at Praxis Fiber Workshop, December 9 at Zygote Press, and December 16 at SPACES Gallery. You’ll find handmade, local, original works of art at all three locations, and at all price points!

ARTPASS OFF-THE-WALL HOLIDAY SALE

December 3 & 4

Artcraft Artists at the Twist Drill Building

The Artcraft Building was one of the first in the Superior Arts District to host artist studios, and for more 34 years it’s held its holiday sale there. But with the building sold and many artists moving out, they’ve moved the event over to the Twist Drill Building at 1242 East 49th Street for the Artists at the Twist Holiday Art Sale. More than 75 local artists and makers, some Artcraft stalwarts, others new to the event, will be sharing their handmade, homemade items 10am-7pm Saturday, December 3 and 11am-5pm Sunday, December 4.

ARTCRAFT ARTISTS AT THE TWIST DRILL BUILDING

December 3 & 4

Youngstown Holiday Flea

The Youngstown Flea’s Holiday Flea returns, and will take place for the first time in its newly purchased space at 365 E. Boardman. Expect to see some of the same vendors you see at the market every month plus about 75 more, many of them with special items for the holidays, such as candles, body products, mugs, jewelry, wearable accessories, T-shirts and edibles. Be warned that heating and parking are limited, and there’s no Wifi, so bring cash! Hours are 9am-3pm Saturday, December 3 and 11am-4pm Sunday, December 4.

YOUNGSTOWN FLEA

December 7 & 8

Made @ Myers

The Made @ Myers Holiday Shop returns to the University of Akron, featuring work by students, faculty, staff and alumni of its art school, showcased in its atrium and projects gallery. Hours are 10am-7pm Wednesday, December 7 and 10am-5pm Thursday, December 8.

UNIVERSITY OF AKRON MYERS SCHOOL OF ART

December 9 & 10

Holiday Market at Reithoffer’s

Cleveland Art is hosting its second annual Holiday Markets at Reithoffer’s Art, Spirits and Entertainment in Chagrin Falls’ Auburn Arts District. Local artisans will be selling products such as infused honey, maple syrup, handmade crafts, and a new line of furniture made from materials recovered from Terminal Tower. The market is open 3-8pm Friday, December 9 and 11am-6pm Saturday, December 10. Local beverages and charcuterie will be available to enjoy on the spot.

REITHOFFER’S SPIRITS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

December 9 & 16

818 Studios Holiday Market

Barb Merritt, owner of Tremont’s 818 Studios, is gathering together some of the local artisans and artists in her large network for two successive holiday markets 4-9pm on Fridays, December 9 & 16, the former coinciding with the monthly Walkabout Tremont. There’ll be cookies and gift items as well as fine art, including Barb’s own photos and mixed media works.

818 STUDIOS

December 9–January 3

Stella’s Holiday Market

Stella’s Art Gallery turns its main gallery into a Christmas wonderland for its annual holiday artists market, with artists setting up extra booths inside the space, for a total of more than 65. They’ll be offering small affordable gifts, ornaments, cards and fine art, including paintings, photography, prints, upcycled art, pottery, mosaics and stained glass, wood and glass items, and mixed media art. On opening night, 6-9pm Friday, December 9, all the artists will be present at their stations. Also on Friday and Saturday of opening weekend, the gallery will display gingerbread houses, and visitors can vote for their favorite.

STELLA’S ART GALLERY

December 10

Jingle Bell Holiday Shop

The Jingle Bell Holiday Shop at the Grog Shop & B-Side Liquor Lounge is part of Coventry Village’s festive shopping season. The two venues host more than 50 vendors, some offering wares with music or pop culture connections but many selling other types of items, mostly very affordable. It runs 11am-4pm and yes, the bars are open for fortification, but it’s still a very family-friendly market.

GROG SHOP AND B-SIDE LIQUOR LOUNGE

December 10 & 11

Cleveland Bazaar

The Cleveland Bazaar was the first maker market in northeast Ohio and it’s been holding its huge Holiday Bazaar since 2004. It’s exploded in size, occupying all of 78th Street Studios’ event spaces and many of the galleries. Add to that some of the resident artists and galleries opening their doors and you’ve got hundreds of artists, makers and other vendors from Northeast Ohio and beyond, including familiar faces and some who don’t do every handcrafted market out there. You’ll find almost everything here from jewelry to body products, stationery to chocolates, vintage clothing to handcrafted leather bags, covering all styles, tastes and price ranges. It’s open 10am-9pm Saturday, December 10 and 10am-6pm Sunday, December 11.

78th STREET STUDIOS

December 10 & 11

Queer The Halls Artisan Market

The Queer the Halls Artisan Market at LGBT Community Center launched in 2019 to showcase artists who are LGBTQ+ and allies of the community. While you’ll find lots of LGBTQ+-themed stuff, there’ll also be vendors with handmade products and items that could appeal to anyone on your gift list. Food, drink and entertainment make this a fun event as well as a way to support the community.

LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER

December 16

Waterloo Arts Art of the Ornament

In 2019, Waterloo Arts debuted its Art of the Ornament event, a benefit for the gallery’s community education programs. It solicits small works of art—anything that can hang on a tree—from community artists and then invites people to stop in one night only from 6 to 9pm to bid on the ornaments, silent-auction style. Winners are announced at the end of the night so they can take their prizes. The event also features free food and a cash bar.

WATERLOO ARTS

December 16–18

Screw Factory Artists Holiday Open House

Lakewood’s Lake Erie Building aka the Screw Factory is still a functioning manufacturing building, but its top two floors, where cars were once made, are filled with artist studios. For its annual Holiday Open House, many of them open their doors to sell their work, with some hosting additional artists to join them in selling jewelry, pottery, prints, paintings, and more. And a plethora of guest artists fills the building’s event spaces, bringing additional handmade items ranging from lanterns to candles to lamps made from recycled items to vintage and flea market finds. Hours are 6-10pm Friday, December 16, 10am-6pm Saturday, December 17 and 10am-3pm Sunday, December 18.

SCREW FACTORY

December 17

Beachland Holiday Flea

The Beachland Holiday Flea is heavy on vendors selling items that appeal to rock & rollers, including vinyl, DVDs, posters, music collectibles, vintage clothing, pop-culture jewelry and retro chic items of all types. Hours are 10am-3pm and you can expect the bar to be open to fuel your shopping.

BEACHLAND BALLROOM