Holiday Market Choices Around the DC Area

The 19th Annual Downtown Holiday Market, Washington D.C.’s outdoor shopping village, kicks off the holiday season Friday, November 17. The beloved outdoor market continues to support small businesses and entrepreneurs across the region, welcoming shoppers for a safe, secure and enhanced shopping experience in the heart of the District this year.

Operated by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) and Diverse Markets Management, this year’s market will again take over two entire blocks of F Street NW, from 7th to 9th Streets NW. With its main grand entrance located on the sidewalk in front of the National Portrait Gallery, the outdoor shopping village’s expansive footprint allows for wide aisles for shopping, browsing and enjoying the foods and live entertainment.

This year’s retail lineup will feature more than 70 exhibitors including Black-owned and minority-owned businesses from the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development’s (DSLBD) Made in DC program. Six food vendors will provide tasty treats and hot beverages, spread across the market.  
Additional exciting and entertaining new features include a live stage of exceptional regional performers.

Be sure to save room for food from Old Blue BBQ, a craft BBQ kitchen specializing in regional barbecue flavors, eclectic southern specialties, and homemade favorites or Migue’s Mini Donuts, Vegan, flavored and plain mini donuts made fresh on site, hot beverages, coffee and more.  You can buy German foods like stollen or bratwurst at A Taste of Germany or speciality cheeses from around the world at A Little Slice of Europe, 

In addition to the food available at the Holiday Market, there are treats to be enjoyed at nearby restaurants.

CHINA CHILCANO : Starting November 18th, guests can show their receipt or DHM bag for their choice of a free plate of Shishito Peppers or a Chilcano cocktail (Caravedo pisco, lime, Amargo Chuncho bitters, Fever-Tree ginger ale).
JALEO : 10% off the total check in the bar only, Monday – Sunday.
OYAMEL : one free taco per person. Excludes Chapulines taco. Can not be combined with Hora Feliz (bar area, 4pm to 6pm M-F)

The Market Stage will be presenting a musical feast of more than 75 shows by some of the area’s best blues, rock, jazz, soul, country, world, and contemporary artists. And of course, it wouldn’t be a “holiday” market without some of your favorite seasonal standards.

I love going to the Holiday market, particularly because it is right next to the National Portrait Gallery, so you can combine a bit of culture with holiday shopping!

The Del Ray Holiday Market is open for the first three weekends in December (Dec 1-3, Dec 8-10, and Dec 15-17), plus this year we will also be open Dec 22-23 (Friday and Saturday only) for last minute shoppers.

The Market offers unique handmade fine arts and fine crafts from local artists presenting a variety of media, including fiber/textiles, glass, jewelry, mixed media, mosaics, painting, paper crafting, photography, pottery/ceramics, sculpture, watercolor, wood turning, and more! Different artists are featured each weekend! In addition, 2024 wall calendars featuring art by Del Ray Artisans members will be available for purchase.

Holiday Market hours are Fridays 6-9pm, and Saturdays & Sundays 11am-6pm; plus open 3-9pm on Friday, December 22. The market is at Del Ray Artisans gallery in the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22301.

Doesn’t the word Norway conjure up images of mulled wine, cozy wool sweaters and reindeer? At the Norwegian festival in Fairfax, VA, you can browse an exciting lineup of giftware, linens, books, cookware, Dale sweaters, and Norwegian foods including cheeses, Freia chocolates, fiskeballer, lefse, Solo drinks, Norwegian coffee, jams, marzipan and more. 

At the outdoor Norwegian Cafe you can buy  Lefse, fresh waffles, pea soup, Norwegian style  hotdogs and baked goods. No reservations needed!  I’m looking forward to seeing the Lundehunds and the Fjord horses and hearing the Viking Storytelling.

Festival Location: Norway House, 3846 Meredith Drive Fairfax, VA 22030.

Festival dates are

• Saturday, November 4 (10-5), 

• Sunday, November 5 (11-4), 

• Friday, December 1 (10-5), 

• Saturday, December 2 (10-5).

History, mulled wine, and German inspirations come together in the Heurich House Museum’s Castle Garden for the annual Christmas Markt. The lineup this December features more than 50 small-scale makers, an exhibition about Chr. Heurich Brewing Co.’s Senate Beer, and ornament-making for children ($12).

From December 1-3, 2023, stroll through the museum’s festive holiday craft market with a Glühwein in hand and find the perfect holiday gifts for your loved ones.

The event will take place in the Heurich House Museum’s Castle Garden at 1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW in Washington, DC, which is one block from the Dupont South Metro station, bus stops including the Circulator, and bike lanes.  I love the idea of a holiday market in the Heurich House garden!

The Friends of the National Arboretum are hosting the Winter Festival and Christmas Tree Sale on December 2 at the National Arboretum’s New York Avenue Parking Lot (see map below).  The Christmas Tree Sale will also take place on December 3.  Enter the Arboretum through either the R Street entrance (2400 R Street NE) or New York Ave entrance (3501 New York Ave NE).

After the event, explore all the National Arboretum has to offer in winter. The Gotelli Conifer Collection, Camellia Collection, and National Bonsai & Penjing Museum all offer spectacular things to see during the winter months. Download the Arboretum’s mobile app (iOS or Android) to explore what’s in season.