This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn money or products from the highlighted keywords or companies or banners mentioned in this post.
Newcastle
If you prefer to shop inside rather than out, head north-east. The vast Biscuit Factory gallery is hosting its winter exhibition from now until 1 March, with work by 400 artists. Exhibits range from Jade Mellor’s weighty geological jewellery to paintings by Anthony Marshall. Making festive shopping a little more, well, festive, it’s running a “24 Days of Christmas” calendar of offers, from free giftwrapping to 10% off. Close by, Northern Print is also putting on a festive exhibition, until 20 December.
Edinburgh
Once a vet school, now an arts hub, Summerhall hosts a one-day festival of Caledonian consumerism on 14 December (£2 entry). If the sound of 50 stalls, ranging from Pickering’s gin to Miya Hayes’ jewellery and Ocelot chocolate, doesn’t spice up your Christmas shopping, Ninja Buns’ take on a gua bao surely will. More cash to splash? Scotland Redesigned has a pop-up store running in Leith’s Ocean Terminal until the end of January; think dram-sized, tartan-injected Harvey Nichols. For four floors of working artists’ studios, head to Christmas Open Studios at Coburg House this weekend, or Selected at Dovecot Studios, until 21 December.
Birmingham
If it’s gingerbread hearts, Santa hats and a singing moose you’re after, Birmingham’s vast German market delivers. But if you want an alternative to yet another wooden nutcracker, you’ll find creative stocking fillers at the Christmas Craft Markets running at the Mac arts complex on the weekends of 6 and 13 December. Stalls focus on contemporary ceramics, jewellery and paintings by local makers, including Leila Arzaghi’s jewellery, Sarah Phelps’ printed bags and Jess Williams’ homewares.
London
Deptford and Christmas shopping might not go together like turkey and tinsel, but add it to your radar on 6-7 December, when Cockpit Arts hosts a Christmas Open Studios at its southern outpost (Friday free, Saturday and Sunday £3 entry). Find work by some of the capital’s classiest designer-makers, among them Petite Albion’s children’s knitwear and Josie Shenoy’s illustrated lampshades. The latter’s River Thames map design will be handy for helping you find your way to some of London’s other festive bazaars, including Crafty Fox, in Brixton on 6-7 December and Peckham 13-14 December; Creative Clerkenwell’s Christmas pop-up, from 16-23 December; the Bust Christmas Craftacular in Islington, on 14 December (£3 entry); and Dazzle at Oxo Tower Wharf, until 11 January.
Glasgow
Dennistoun, in Glasgow’s East End, is on the up, with a new craft beer bar and kitchen and Wasps Studios, housed in an old tobacco factory. Don’t partake too much of the former before heading to the latter’s Christmas sale on 6-7 December. On 5 December, pick up Laura Spring bags, Alison Macleod jewellery or a Katy West jelly mould at Grey Wolf Studios’ festive sale in the north of the city.
Bath and Bristol
Bath is a Georgian floozy of a city, and makes the most of its assets with the Bath Christmas market: one of the prettiest in the country, it’s spread around the floodlit abbey until 14 December. Over 70% of traders are from the south-west. If you really must do things differently, wait until 14 December, when Bath Artisan Christmas Market takes over Green Park station, sprinkling its upcycled, vintage, art and food stalls with seasonal jolliness. Or stock up in Bristol, on 7 and 13 December at the Made in Bristol Gift Fair, or anytime between now and 23 December at the Christmas Design Temporium.
Wakefield
On 6-7 December, a Yorkshire-made Christmas market comes to The Calder art space in Wakefield’s Hepworth Gallery. If you’re after jewellery, ceramics or paintings made in God’s own country, this is your chance. Its proximity to an adventure playground makes it a rare shopping possibility if you have small people in tow.
Cornwall
Satsumas are old hat: if you want a stocking filled with 21st-century gourmet gifts, detour to Padstow on 6-7 December, when 100 Cornish artisan producers will be taking part in the Padstow Christmas Festival. Jewellery, craft and fashion are all represented, but this is essentially one for gluttons: graze on everything from seasalt brownies to jalfrezi, as you stock up on Cornish charcuterie. If you’d rather say it with indie craft than korma, put Falmouth’s Outlaw Craft Fair Christmas Market in your diary for 11-13 December.
Manchester
Forget those failsafe Christmas socks: up the present-buying ante this year with a trip to Castlefield Market’s Off The High Street Christmas market, any Saturday or Sunday until 21 December. Stuffed with more locally crafted gifts than you could shake a sausage-on-a-stick at (not to mention some of Manchester’s best street food), this year’s traders include jewellery from The Magpie’s Daughter and jam from Corrie’s own Jennie McAlpine (anniesteashop.com). For high-quality contemporary craft, head out of town to Hale, and The Little Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, running tomorrow only.
Cardiff
As with Bath’s, Cardiff’s Christmas Market is better than most when it comes to tracking down locally produced, hand-crafted gifts, from art to food. Chocolate is a winning theme, from Sarah Bunton’s handmade goods to Coco Caravan’s prettily packaged raw ones, and then there are Pip’s, designed for dunking into hot milk. Or browse the Makers Guild in Wales Christmas Show. Open until 11 January, you’ll find Ruth Pullan’s dinky leather satchels and Sally Weatherill’s woven animals among the carefully selected stalls.
• All events free unless prices listed
Powered by WPeMatico
