Holiday shopping heats up with gift, craft markets
Call them Colorado’s gift to picky gift givers. Holiday shopping season is here, and with it comes a gaggle of holiday gift and craft markets around the Denver metro area. These festive gatherings of the arts and craftsy provide one-of-a-kind opportunities for shoppers and independent merchants and artisans alike.
If you want proof, look no further than the calendar for the Denver Mart. The wholesale marketplace this weekend will host the Colorado Country Christmas Gift Show. The three-day event, which ends today, will feature oodles of handmade Christmas decorations, gifts and more.
It’s just one of a bunch of craft and gift fairs coming to the metro area over the next two months. The events provide one-of-kind opportunities for shoppers and sellers alike, advocates say.
“There are so many unique, creative people who are making so many great things that often don’t make it to the big box stores,” said Laura Sherman, co-founder of Created in Colorado, a website that promotes local artisans and craft makers and connects shoppers with their goods. “These craft fairs can be their main source of income.”
Meanwhile, the events give shoppers a chance to revive the lost of art of personalized gift giving, Sherman said.
Demand for unique gifts and an abundance of local gift-makers is nothing new in the Denver metro area and the fair/festival/ market lineup this year speaks to their popularity.
Horseshoe Market will be bringing its holiday market back to northwest Denver later this month, but, for the first time, it will also host a December market in Lakewood’s Belmar neighborhood, founder and director Amy Yetman said. She said a second market makes room for more art, furniture and other goods after 300 ven- dors applied for just 100 slots at the Denver event.
The idea of a craft fair has evolved well beyond clichéd images of people gathered in a church basement, Yetman said. She said she is continually impressed by the quality products made in Colorado and shoppers’ appetite for them.
“For makers and entrepreneurs, this is the place to be,” she said. “There is so much support for it.”
Here is a sampling of events this season:
Colorado Country Christmas Gift Show:
Sunday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Denver Mart, 451 E. 58th Ave., Denver; admission $11.50 to $14.50
This show boasts 450 unique displays covering all corners of the craft and gift realm. Ceramics, home decor, specialty food items; it’s all here. Ample shopping will be complemented by special features including a cooking demonstration stage, model train display and the allimportant chance to get pictures with Santa.
Holiday Food & Gift Festival: Nov. 17-18, 10
a.m.-7 p.m.; Nov. 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St., Denver; admission $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and kids 13-17
In its 31st year, this Denver celebration of the giftgiving tradition is moving into a new venue at the National Western Complex. There, more than 400 exhibitors will fill 100,000 square feet with the sights and smells of the season. Fine art, original clothing, toys and food are just a few of the categories covered here. The Denver festival follows an event at Colorado Springs’ Altered Reality Event Center, 3960 Palmer Park Blvd., Nov. 10-12.
Horseshoe Holiday Market: Nov. 25-26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Highlands Masonic Event Center, 3550 Federal Blvd., Denver; admission free
The official vendor list has not been released, but Horseshoe’s holiday market will feature 100 vendors this year, some inside the historic Highlands Masonic Temple and others outside in two heated tents. Kicking off on Small Business Saturday, vintage Christmas decor, handmade leather bags and jewelry are just a few highlights. Food trucks and live holiday music will add to the atmosphere. Donations will be collected on sitefor Children’s Hospital Colorado’s creative arts therapy program.
Holiday Flea: Dec. 1, 6-9 p.m.; Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sportscastle, 1000 Broadway, Denver; admission $35 for Friday night party, $5 for Saturday and Sunday
Denver Flea spreads holiday cheer in style, kicking off its annual holiday market with a party featuring seasonal drinks and “groovy tunes,” according to its website. The weekend market will offer tons of unique merchandise from makers of all stripes, and all in the historic setting of Denver’s iconic Sportscastle building.
Horseshoe Holiday Market at Belmar: Dec.
16, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Dec. 17, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; 429 S. Teller St., Lakewood; admission free
If you’re the last-minute type, Horseshoe Market has you covered with a mid-december market. The Lakewood edition will feature more than 70 vendors in 25,000 square feet adjacent to the skating rink in Belmar’s central plaza. And this event is dogfriendly.
Joe Rubino: 303-954-2953, jrubino@denverpost.com or @Rubinojc