When I think of the holidays, I think of hot cocoa warm in my hands as I pass by twinkling lights and saguaros adorned with Santa hats.
I think of sweater weather, Mariah Careyโs iconic โAll I Want for Christmasโ and a glazed ham in the middle of the dinner table.
But I also think of tents โ lines of white tents along closed streets and dirt parking lots. Peek inside, and youโll find the magic of local art, makers themselves sitting alongside wares they spent hours creating.
While shopping local is encouraged all the time โ and you can find a local market somewhere in Tucson every single weekend โ the holiday season is extra special. Here are 13 markets happening before Christmas.
Creative Kind & Friends Holiday Markets
Over the summer, the community was crushed when Creative Kind had to vacate its space at La Encantada Shopping Center. Known for their adorable designs on greeting cards, Creative Kindโs absence was felt.
Like we all do in tough times, Creative Kind pivoted. The stationery brand still makes the Tucson-themed pens and stickers that we love, but theyโve mostly been online since the summer โ until now.
Creative Kind has found a home at SAACAโs CATALYST space in Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road. Theyโre hosting mini markets featuring their products and the crafts of others from 3-7 p.m. Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 22.
Find more information at creativekindshop.com.
Oro Valley Festival of the Arts
This is the holiday party of all holiday parties.
Hosted by SAACA, the Oro Valley Festival of the Arts boasts 130-plus artisan vendors, who will sell everything from metalwork and paintings to framed photography and bars of soap.
The festival not only acts as a market for holiday shopping, but a slew of activities are in store, including Santaโs Workshop where attendees can decorate cookies, paint nutcrackers, build 3D snowmen and craft candy cane reindeer. There will also be a giant snow globe, 11 food vendors and a very long list of live performances. Of course, Santa will be in attendance.
The heart of the event is the lighting of the Christmas tree, adorned with 1,000 handmade ornaments.
The festival takes place 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at Oro Valley Marketplace, 12155 N. Oracle Road. The tree lighting is slated for 6:15 p.m. Saturday.
Find more information at saaca.org.
Makers Market at The Tuxon
Weโve said it once, but weโll say it again. This market is a launchpad for new creatives.
Organizer Cyn McManus โ who also helps organize the biannual Making Black History Market, all while creating jewelry under the name Lilith + Daughters โ started the market three years ago as a way for all artists to show off their work, whether thatโs seasoned creatives or the newest of beginners.
Now, the Makers Market at The Tuxon is a quarterly market.
โItโs about community. Itโs about people being able to have the opportunity to do something they might not be able to do in another space,โ she said earlier this year. โI want everybody to get their chance in the sun to do what they really want to do.โ
The market will be back at The Tuxon, 960 S. Freeway, from 1-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 7-8. Expect about 30 different vendors each day, ranging from ceramics to jewelry to baked goods.
Find more information at instagram.com/ makersmarkettuxon.
Tanque Verde Market
Thanks to Michelle Bullock, markets are now a biannual occurrence on the far-east side.
She started the first Tanque Verde Market in late 2023, originally at the Forty Niner Country Club. The next market is set to debut at a new location, featuring more than four dozen vendors selling candles, paper goods, skin-care products, plants and more.
Stop by from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Tucson Country Day School, 9239 E. Wrightstown Road.
โItโs easy to go to a big store or shop online and I want to make it just as easy for people to shop in person, to shop with local businesses,โ Bullock said earlier this year. โThe reason why I think small business is so important is because spending your money within the community and supporting the talent thatโs already here, itโs better for the families youโre supporting, itโs better for the environment because itโs closer to home.โ
Find more information at tanqueverdemarket.com.
Queer Bazaar
Tucson Hop Shop has long been a hub for local community with its live music, fundraisers for mutual-aid groups, permanent jewelry pop-ups and games of chicken poop bingo in collaboration with Tucson Village Farm.
It should come as no surprise that Tucson Hop Shop is also the scene of the biannual Queer Bazaar, this time featuring about three dozen vendors alongside a live DJ set. Shop paper goods, jewelry, apparel and more from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at 3230 N. Dodge Blvd.
Find more information at tucsonhopshop.com.
Foothills Community Markets
Every weekend, tents pop up in the parking lot of what used to be Foothills Mall.
At Foothills Community Markets, expect to find around 70 vendors selling wood decor, soaps and lotions, jewelry and more, including snacks like freeze-dried candy. Food trucks are part of the fun!
The markets take place every weekend. For the holidays, that means 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays through Dec. 22 at 7325 N. La Cholla Blvd.
Find more information at facebook.com/@foothillscommunitymarkets.
Sonoran Sundays
Bruja shop Yolia Botรกnica is home to floral bundles for smoke cleansing, artisan-made altar cloths, zodiac candles and loads of spiritual books.
Owned by Lulu Tineo, Yolia Botรกnica expanded this year into a space four times larger than its original location. That means thereโs space for more products and more workshops โ and events like Sonoran Sundays.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 22, stop by the west-side shop for slower-paced markets, expected to include 8-12 vendors bringing items like clay earrings, stickers and prints. Yolia Botรกnica is located at 1307 W. Saint Marys Road.
โLetโs make this a celebration of community, culture and connection. Support small businesses, shop intentionally and discover items made with love and care,โ Tineo says.
Find more information at instagram.com/ yoliabotanica.
Mercado Flea
For seven seasons, this flea market has graced the Mercado District with antiques, collectibles and vintage finds like funky cowboy boots, old records and lots of trinkets.
The Mercado Flea takes place 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every second Sunday through May in the Mercado District, 100 S. Avenida del Convento. Expect about 50 local vendors.
Find more information at mercadodistrict.com.
Fourth Avenue
Street Fair
If youโve lived in Tucson for any length of time, thereโs a good chance youโve walked through the hordes of people and tents during the Fourth Avenue Street Fair.
The biannual market features 350 artists from around the globe, in addition to live music and carnival-style food. Itโs where you can find a bonsai tree and wind chimes, all while sipping on lemonade served in a cup that looks like a gigantic baby bottle.
The Fourth Avenue Street Fair takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 13-14; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, along North Fourth Avenue.
Find more information at fourthavenue.org.
Desert Artisans Market
The goal of this market is to bring together local artists and community. Event organizer and candlemaker Jasmine McEachern is doing exactly that since the first Desert Artisans Market debuted last year.
The market is monthly, with the next one slated for noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 at CATALYST in Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road. Past markets have included vendors selling items like jewelry, acrylic paint pours, hand-painted coasters and more.
Find more information at desertartisansmarket.com.
The Happy Hive Holiday Brunch Market
Madi Depiero is the founder behind The Happy Hive, hoping to boost community among small businesses. She started in 2022 and this year partnered with The Omni Tucson for a series of markets that not only include local artisans, but also food and activities.
The upcoming Happy Hive event is a market paired with brunch favorites: breakfast burritos, crispy potatoes and a pancake bar. Youโll get to decorate cookies all while shopping from 16 local makers selling pan dulce, candles, tumblers and jewelry.
โWhen youโre supporting a small business, youโre not just supporting someoneโs dream, but youโre putting food on the table for their family and youโre paying for someoneโs childโs ballet classes, youโre paying for a summer membership to the Elevate Trampoline Park because itโs so hot outside,โ Depiero said last year.
The market takes place 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 14 at Omni Tucson, 2727 W. Club Dr.
Find more information at thehappyhivemarket.com.
Holiday Bazaar
If you plan to peruse markets for holiday shopping this year, this one might be your last chance.
Each year, the Mercado District throws a three-day shopping experience featuring candles, jewelry, clothing and lots more artwork. This year, the Holiday Bazaar will also feature a photo booth from flower shop Bloom Maven.
The bash takes place 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 20-21; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, in the Mercado District (both the MSA Annex and the Mercado San Agustin), 100 S. Avenida del Convento.
Find more information at mercadodistrict.com.
Desert Haze Market
If you know someone who loves vintage clothing, this is the spot to be.
Once a month, the Desert Haze Market turns Hotel Congress into a hub of vintage, courtesy Gabby Smoyer who also runs curated shop Cowtail Vintage.
Desert Haze began in 2023 with a teeny market held at a brewery. When Smoyer realized the market had very quickly outgrown the space, Hotel Congress came to the rescue.
Expect to find around 13-15 vendors with racks upon racks of vintage clothing. Most vendors are from Tucson, but you might find a few who made the trek from Flagstaff and Phoenix.
The next Desert Haze takes place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
Find more information at instagram.com/deserthazemarket.
