Bay Area holiday craft fairs offer handmade goods, unique gifts
Whether it's a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge from a never-before-seen angle, a handmade burnished clay pot or a Peruvian alpaca shawl, holiday craft fairs all over the Bay Area offer wares ranging from the whimsical to the useful and always original.
The Bay Area has some of the country's best craft fairs, and in addition to finding one-of-a-kind, handcrafted items, shoppers can expect to be regaled by such amusements as carolers, Santa visits, food, DJs and even snow.
This year, vendors and venues are pulling out all the stops to please. (One venue even offers cuddle time with kittens, a sure cure for holiday stress.) Here's our guide to holiday-focused Bay Area craft fairs, grouped by city.
San Francisco
Fort Mason Holiday Night Market 2024
Shoppers can expect over 100 artist and designer craft merchants, 10 food trucks and Santa Claus, along with holiday ornament-making workshops and live music by performers including Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers. (Organizers also promise "fresh-falling snow on the waterfront," which sounds especially intriguing.) Goods on sale include both fine art and functional items.
4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13. Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., S.F. Free admission. More info here.
KQED Holiday Night Market
Tasty and tasteful goodies from dumpling chefs, chocolatiers, food creators, chili oil makers, candle artisans, painters, textile artists and bakers will be on display, and attendees can also get a look at KQED headquarters, where the event is taking place. The admission fee includes a food or drink coupon.
5 p.m. Dec. 13. KQED Headquarters 2601 Mariposa St., S.F. Admission $11.50. More info here.
1890 Bryant Street Studios Festive Holiday Show 2024
This fair gives visitors a chance to see artists in their studios up front, close and personal, an especially good opportunity for those who missed this year's Open Studios event. Forty artists at 1890 Bryant Street Studios are exhibiting items including prints, fine art, ceramics, jewelry and stationery.
Noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 14-15. 1890 Bryant St.., S.F. Free admission. More info here.
San Francisco Arts Commission 2024 Holiday Art Vendor Market
This pop-up market in the lobby of the War Memorial Veterans Building promises to have a cornucopia of first-rate treasures. Guitarist Lisa Liu will perform at noon.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 18. War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness, S.F. Free admission. More info here.
Berkeley
Mexico By Hand 20th Anniversary Celebration Exhibit & Sale
Mexico By Hand's crafts and folk art come from the state of Michoacán, home to over 100,000 artesanos (craftspeople) who create their works entirely by hand out of clay, wood, fiber and metal. For the practical, there's such things as hand-decorated serving bowls and cloth napkins in bright blues, golds and oranges. For the decorative, there's a variety of wares including sculpture and silver earrings.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 14. Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St., Berkeley. Free admission. More info here.
41st Annual Telegraph Avenue Holiday Street Fair
Great news! Organizers have announced that this time-honored Berkeley event is once again taking place on Telegraph Avenue. Telegraph has a storied place in the world of craft fairs, having long been recognized as a sort of running street fair in the vicinity of the University of California campus. Shoppers can expect such traditional offerings as tie-dyed T-shirts, leather belts, bags and sandals, along with other items from more than 200 vendors over the six-day span of the event. Every item is handmade.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 14-15 and Dec. 21-24. Telegraph Avenue between Bancroft Way and Haste Street, Berkeley. Free admission. More info here.
Berkeley Herbal Center Winter Wellness & Craft Fair
For those into self-care, this quintessentially Berkeley fair should be just the thing. The artisans on hand are selling handcrafted herbal products like teas, salves, lotions, flower essences, elixirs, broth and body butter, as well as beaded earrings and flower crafts. There will also be a few practitioners offering services such as tarot readings, energy readings, and body work. They will serve complimentary teas, refreshments and soup.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16. 1250 Addison St., Berkeley. Free admission. More info here.
Malcolm X Craft Fair
Vivid orange and blue clay masks inspired by Kathakali, a genre of Indian classical dance, macrame plant holders (1970s rule!) and Siamese fighting fish are some of the unusual selections at this fair, all made by hand (well, except the fish). Twenty local artisans and about 15 student vendors from Malcolm X Elementary School are exhibiting their wares. A chorus performance, a bake sale and a gift wrap table are also on tap.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 14. Malcolm X Elementary School, 1731 Prince St., Berkeley. Free admission. More info here.
San Jose
SJMADE Winter Wonder Market
The event features over 250 makers, artists, designers, bakers and small businesses, one of the largest in the Bay Area. And here's its hidden superpower: Admission is free, but for $15, attendees can spend 15 minutes cuddling with kittens. Mini Cat Town, a nonprofit 501(c)-3 rescue organization, is bringing about 30 adoptable kittens.
Starts 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 14-15. South Hall, 435 S Market St., San Jose. Free admission. More info here.
Santa Rosa
Third Annual So-ho-ho Holiday Market
This event at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds takes place four days before Christmas, a boon for procrastinators. More than 150 artisans will be exhibiting, the group Platform Live will play covers of Christmas hits, food vendors will ply their wares and Santa Claus will make an appearance. Note: Admission is free, but there is a $10 fee to park at the fairground.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 21. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. Free admission. More info here.
