To market, to market
Celebrate the season—and the creativity of Southern Appalachia—at one or more of these markets, fairs, and arts communities.
Gatlinburg Christmas Craft Show
The annual Christmas Craft Show at the Gatlinburg Convention Center offers a one-stop shop for buying holiday gifts made in the Smoky Mountains. More than 100 local artisans—including broom makers, weavers, wood turners, and photographers—from the nearby Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community (thought to be the largest group of independent artisans in North America) gather under one roof for seven days of demonstrations and sales. No worries if you can’t make it to their annual holiday show: The same vendors have workshops and galleries open year-round along the eight-mile Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community Trail, a historic loop road located three miles from downtown. Craft Show: November 28 to December 4; Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; Gatlinburg Convention Center, Tennessee; gatlinburgcrafts.com.
Toe River Holiday Studio Tour
Follow the roads less traveled to discover secluded art and craft studios, many of which typically aren’t open to the public. The self-guided Toe River Holiday Studio Tour route leads into bucolic hollows and past scenic vistas between Mount Mitchell and Roan Mountain. Stops include the working studios of more than 70 artists and craftspeople (some share a studio) plus nine galleries. Except for one or two invited guest artists, all of the people on the tour live and create in Yancey or Mitchell Counties. There’s something for sale (such as clay, fiber, glass, and metals) at every studio, and at some stops you can watch artists at work. Studio Tour: December 2 to 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; Yancey and Mitchell Counties, North Carolina; download tour maps at toeriverarts.org.
Knoxville’s Market Square Holiday Market Downtown
Knoxville’s decorated rooftop trees and twinkling lights add a festive backdrop to the Market Square Holiday Market, hosted by Nourish Knoxville (an East Tennessee nonprofit cultivating deeper connections between local farmers, artisanal producers, and the community). The outdoor market showcases vendors who live within 150 miles of Knoxville, and who grow or make the items they sell. Shop for holiday gifts ranging from honey, jams, and beef jerky to clothing, jewelry, cutting boards, and children’s toys. There’s also a farmers market (open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) where you can pick up potatoes, whole turkeys, eggs, butternut squash, and other ingredients for your holiday feast. Holiday Market: December 3, 10, and 17, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; nourishknoxville.org.
Asheville’s Big Crafty Hand to Heart Holiday
Voted Best Arts/Crafts Fair eight years in a row in the annual Mountain Xpress readers’ poll, the Big Crafty is held twice a year—outdoors on Pack Square in July and indoors at the U.S. Cellular Center in December. Whether inside or out, the Big Crafty is all Asheville: quirky, welcoming, fun, and devoted to “keeping it weird.” The Hand to Heart Holiday edition features a juried group of more than 150 indie artists, crafters, and makers. Past participants include Those Kooky Chickens, a self-taught folk artist couple who primarily create whimsical (you guessed it) chicken-themed pieces from recycled and reclaimed wood, gourds, and other materials. Big Crafty: December 4, noon to 6 p.m.; U.S. Cellular Center; thebigcrafty.com.
Fireside Sale at John C. Campbell Folk School
There’s no place like home for the holidays, particularly when “home” is the rambling Craftsman bungalow Keith House at the heart of the John C. Campbell Folk School. During the annual Fireside Sale, guests are welcomed in with a crackling fire, sweet and savory treats, and halls decked with handcrafted wreaths and ornaments. Browse the selection of traditional and Appalachian crafts—such as turned-wood and clay bowls, quilts, and jewelry—on display in Keith House and in the Music Studio at Davidson Hall (where you can visit with local and regional artists). As an added bonus, everything in the Folk School’s Craft Shop, which represents more than 300 juried craftspeople, is 15 percent off throughout December. Fireside Sale: December 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Brasstown, North Carolina; folkschool.org.
Asheville’s River Arts District
Make most any day an open studio tour day in the River Arts District (RAD) of Asheville. Located along a roughly one-mile section of the French Broad River, the RAD is home to some 200 working artists including potters, painters, textile artists, and bookbinders. New in time for holiday shopping is the Eco-Deport Marketplace (ecodepotmarketplace.com). Artists here either donate a percentage of profits to environmental groups, or create art from recycled or reused materials. Visit the marketplace to see how artist Nancy Basket turns invasive kudzu vines into lampshades, greeting cards, sculptures, and, yes, baskets. Year-round, days and times vary. Download a 2016 Studio Guide at riverartsdistrict.com to see what studios are open when (some are by appointment only).