CNN.com has a great article about the 17 BEST Christmas Markets around the world.
I would love to travel to them all, but that just isn’t in the cards for me so I watch them be featured in Hallmark Christmas movies and dream. I would LOVE to travel to those markets and fairs that have all the town interactive, but the closest I come to that here is running into everyone I know at the local ones as well as the parade that is coming up on the 16th.
I do try and participate, as well as shop at the markets and fairs locally around me. And by around me I mean within 100 miles or so for the most part.
A girlfriend and I traveled 225 miles last month for the best one we have been to this year. It was held at a large Fairgrounds and was in 3 separate buildings with vendor trailers peppered in between the buildings. We were fortunate that day that it was also beautiful weather. It was so fruitful that we made a couple trips back to the car to unload ourselves of bags.
Last week I visited our local county fairgrounds for their annual event which I have adored in years past. But, sadly this year was quite disappointing with a lot of repetitive vendors and even many with not so hand crafted items. 🙁
Then last weekend when her daughter was visiting we ventured to another one in the opposite direction and loved what they had to sell, but it was an outdoor market, in the rain and extremely LONG check out lines because they had such cute stuff.
We have certainly done our part to shop local and not have everything delivered by Amazon or from discount stores. Unfortunately, many of the things I was hoping to purchase as gifts just weren’t available this year from the same vendors or the vendors I was hoping for have closed up shop.
My Eagles group has adopted some local foster kids and we have been shopping for them also. I also have a family from social services I’m shopping for, but they are in need of more practical items like bedding and such. I am making them each stockings though to add in some fun items that aren’t on their needs lists. One of the kids on my list is developmentally challenged and needs some sensory items that just aren’t easily available her in our rural community and I did have to resort to Amazon for those things.