Holiday Craft Fairs Come to Brooklyn

Now that the first snow flurries of December have passed it's time for some serious holiday shopping.

Luckily, in Prospect Heights you don't have to go far. Over the next two weekends, three neighborhood craft fairs complete with food, music and even a few workshops are available just a short walk away in Park Slope.

Winter shopping doesn't have to involve the stress of packed escalators at the mall or a rerun of last year's gifts in this year's colors.  Local holiday fairs offer an alternative shopping experience as well as unique gifts and the benefit of contributing to a local economy. So shoppers, start your engines.



Saturday December 11th, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Opening the season is the Annual Holiday Craft Fair at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. The craft fair is free and will have a variety of food, desserts, raffles and merriment to accompany a bevy of handcrafted goods. Gift-giving options range from fine art and antiques to locally crafted jewelry and soaps.  This fair is great for the shoppers looking to get a head start on shopping since it's early in the month. Even if you're not ready to shop, the fair always boasts a bounty of good eats. Feast, shop and be merry.

The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture (53 Prospect Park West at Second Street)

Brooklyn Craft Central's Legendary Holiday Market

Saturday December 18th, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Sunday December 19th, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Next weekend, hit Brooklyn Craft Central's Legendary Holiday Market. The third of its kind, this year's market will feature over 70 local vendors and be held at two locations over one weekend.

The Legendary Holiday market may indeed be legend to some familiar with its past incarnations at the Lyceum. The market has expanded and evolved this year to its two new locations both orchestrated by "Brooklyn Indie Champion" Deb Klein whose hand-made and eco-friendly bent are part of the package.

The shopping party is complete with silkscreening and hand-dyeing workshops and chair massages on Saturday at both locations, Littlefield Performance Space and the Textile Arts Center. At Littlefield, DJ's Whistlepunk and Area-D will curate the tunes, and the bar dish out beverages to thirsty shoppers.

Shoppers will find a selection of jewelry, pillows, soaps, paper and goods—this market promises to appeal to a variety of budgets and tastes.  Some of the vendors to expect include Pop Chart Lab offering sleek posters and t-shirts, Girls Can Tell with their illustrated coffee-lover themed napkins and felt coasters, and the beloved Sourpuss Pickles.

Littlefield Performance and Art Space (622 Degraw Street between Third and Fourth avenues); Textile Arts Center (505 Carroll Street between Third and Fourth avenues.