Get in the holiday shopping spirit with these local craft fairs

The 2021 Art on the Hill craft fair. Photo courtesy Society for East End Arts

Holiday shopping doesn’t have to be a pain, thanks to several local craft fairs.

It can, in fact, be a whole lot of fun and also a social activity, sometimes with food, drinks and music.

Best of all, holiday shopping can be a wonderful way to support local artists, crafters, food makers and sellers of vintage treasures.

We’ve rounded up a bunch happening at churches, schools and a variety of other venues, starting this weekend and running into December. So, grab your reusable tote bag and start perusing.

Bountiful Fair
9 am to 2 pm Saturday. Stevens Avenue Congregational Church, 790 Stevens Ave., Portland. On Facebook.
Kick off your craft fair season by hitting this one in Portland, where you’ll find all sorts of handmade crafts along with baked goods, Marcia’s Famous Fudge, jewelry, basket raffles and more. It’s OK to arrive with an appetite, as corn chowder will be available at the fair’s lunch counter.

Busy Angel Craft Fair
9 am to 3 pm Saturday. Free Baptist Church, 55 Mussey Road, Scarborough. On Facebook.
Plan a stop in Scarborough, where you’ll find a potpourri of handmade crafts, baked goods, hats, mittens and holiday decorations, including kissing balls. You’ll also shop for bargains in the white elephant room. Take-out lunch will be available.

Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair
9 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Portland Fireside Inn & Suites, 81 Riverside St., Portland, $3, free for 12 and under. newenglandcraftfairs.com
Peruse art and crafts from Maine and New England creators over the course of two days in Portland. Among the offerings are gourmet foods, knit items, lamps and much more, from high-end to highly affordable.

40th Annual Augusta Arts and Crafts Show
9 am to 4 pm Nov. 12, 10 am to 3 pm Dec. 4. Augusta Civic Center, Civic Center Drive, Augusta. unitedmainecraftsmen.com
Wind your way through dozens of vendors with all sorts of items, including handmade jewelry, pottery and ornaments.

30th Annual Holiday Craft Fair
9 am to 3 pm Nov. 12 & 13. Windham High School, 406 Gray Road. On Facebook.
The Windham Raymond Athletic Boosters celebrate their third decade of this fair. Kids can hit the craft corner and get a Santa selfie, and anyone with an appetite can enjoy a crockpot meal.

USM Athletics Department Craft Fair
10 am to 4 pm Nov. 12, 10 am to 3 pm Nov. 13. Costello Sports Complex, Campus Ave., Gorham. usm.maine.edu/athletics/craft-show
The University of Southern Maine Athletics Department puts on a heck of a craft fair that features artisans from Maine and all over New England, with an array of handcrafted products. Shop for woodworking items, photography, jewelry, knit goods, home decor, fabric art, pottery, glass art, gourmet and specialty food items, garden art and more.

A previous Maker’s Market at Thomspon’s Point. Photo by James Liebowitz

Maker’s Market
10 am to 3 pm Nov. 13 & 27, Dec. 4 & 18. Brick South at Thompson’s Point, Resurgam Place, Portland. thompsonspoint.com/makersmarket
You’ve got several chances to hit the Maker’s Market, and you can expect to see some different sellers depending on when you go. The show’s a big one, so plan on spending a few hours perusing the multitudes of handmade, vintage and food items. There’s always music playing and at least a few food trucks on site. Also, the bar makes the best bloody Marys east of the Mississippi, especially if you get the deluxe version with a skewer of olives, pepperoni and such. You can stroll, cocktail in hand, while you shop.

Earrings by Judith Barker. Photo courtesy of Designing Women

Design Women
9 am to 4 pm Nov. 19. Maine Coast Waldorf School, 57 Desert Road, Freeport. designingwoman.org/freeport
This year’s Designing Women is focusing on wearable art like fiber and jewelry. But you’ll also find plenty of glass, pottery and wood items among other fabulous creations. Plus, you’ll be a mother stone’s throw from downtown Freeport, if you need to supplement your shopping with some retail therapy.

Christmas Craft Fair
9 am to 2 pm Nov. 19. White Rock Grange, 33 Wilson Road, Gorham. On Facebook.
Gorham’s White Rock Village welcomes you to shop from more than 30 crafters with jewelry, sewn and knitted items, goat’s milk soap, soy candles and home decor.

Christmas in New England
10 am to 4 pm Nov. 26, 10 am to 4 pm Nov. 27. Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta, $5 admission (good all weekend), 12 and under free. newenglandcraftfairs.com
With around 100 vendors, the Christmas In New England fair will surely fit the bill for even the fussiest person on your list. Choose from a variety of jewelry, stained glass, soaps, floral arrangements, paintings, wool and decorative knits, gourmet food items, photography, pottery, woodworking, whimsical sculptures, pet items and more, at price points to fit most budgets.

Art on the Hill
6-9 p.m. Dec. 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 4. East End Community School, 195 North St., Portland. seaportland.org
The Society of East End Artists has been presenting this three-day show for several years, and as you roam around the cafeteria, gym and hallways, you’ll find more than 60 artists and makers selling their original items, including paintings, woodworking, felt, soap, jewelry, apparel, pottery and much more.

Odd Fellows Bazaar
10 am to 3 pm Dec. 3. Odd Fellows Hall, 651 Forest Ave., 2nd Floor, Portland. woodfordscorner.org/events
Friends of Woodfords Corner invites you to a neighborhood holiday craft fair and encourages you to also visit neighboring Back Cove Books. Food will be available for purchase and there will be several creative types selling a variety of gifts for everyone on your list, including yourself.

Portland Last Call Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair
9 am to 4 pm Dec. 3 & 4. Portland Fireside Inn & Suites, 81 Riverside St., Portland, $3 admission. newenglandcraftfairs.com
You’ll find more than 50 vendors, as well as plenty of food, at this arts and craft fair.

44th Annual Arts & Crafts Show
9 am to 4 pm Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 am to 3 pm Sunday, Dec. 4. Portland Expo, 239 Park Ave., Portland. mainemade.com
Chat with the many makers while you peruse their offerings at a fair that’s been going strong for more than four decades.

Christmas Fair At The Point
9 am to 3 pm Dec. 3. The Point Community Center, 345 Clark’s Pond Parkway, South Portland. thepoint.community
The Point Community Center presents a Christmas-themed craft fair with food trucks, games, arts and crafts for kids, and festive activities for the whole family.

Plate by potter Lacey Goodrich. Photo courtesy of Designing Women

Design Women
9 am to 4 pm Dec. 10. Ocean Avenue School, 150 Ocean Ave., Portland, $3 donation. designingwomen.org/portland
This show dates back to the early 1990s, and you’ll find a dazzling variety of ornaments, jewelry and just about every kind of craft endeavor you can think of, all created by local women. Your donation at the door goes to the host school’s PTO, which helps support education, field trips and community events.

Cozy Winter Market
10 am to 3 pm Dec. 11. Congress Square Park, Portland. congresssquarepark.org
Friends of Congress Square Park presents an outdoor gathering featuring locally made gifts. Don’t worry if it’s cold out, there will be fire pits to warm up by. Eat, drink and be merry with treats from The Pink Waffle, Exile Bakery and The Frying Dutchman, among others. Shopping highlights include BellEarth, Local Chalk, Craft Candle Company and Jesse’s Felt Creatures. You’ll also be treated to jazz tunes from Kafari.

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