2 Christmas markets this weekend
Anyone just starting to check names off their Christmas gift list may want to stop by two Christmas gift markets set for this weekend. Both offer original, one-of-a-kind pieces that will please that hard-to-shop-for person on your list.
CHRISTMAS IN COLLEGEDALE
About 50 food and crafts vendors will gather in the new Collegedale Commons, 4950 Swinyar Drive, on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 24-25, for the second annual Christmas Market. The market will open at 11 a.m. both days.
The covered, 10,000-squarefoot pavilion, which is fitted with a wood-burning fireplace, adds a festive setting for holiday fun. Since Chattanooga Market in First Tennessee Pavilion is taking the weekend off in preparation for its holiday market inside the Chattanooga Convention Center next month, visitors might find some familiar faces from those downtown vendors in Collegedale this weekend.
Shoppers can also expect some new vendors (a chai tea booth), in addition to those favorites selling soaps, jewelry, pottery and specialty food items. Santa will be on hand for photos and visits with children from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days.
“Since The Commons was first sketched out on the back of a church bulletin, bringing events like the Collegedale Christmas Market was a priority,” says David Barto, director of the Collegedale Foundation,
The Commons will continue to host the Collegedale Market throughout coming weeks with a special Winter Market before next spring’s regular season resumes.
For more information: 423648-2442.
CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE AND ARTIST SHOWCASE
About three dozen area artists will offer their handmade wares in the Christmas Open House and Artist Showcase at the Museum Center at Five Points, 200 E. Inman St., in Cleveland, Tennessee.
The gift market will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25.
This show will offer jewelry, pottery, woodcrafts, textiles, bath items, stationary, fine art and photography. There will be artist demonstrations throughout the afternoon and even a visit from Santa.