It’s the holiday season again, and you know what that means: time to buy presents. If you’re the type of person who likes to start early and get interesting, meaningful gifts, look no further this year than the Eugene Holiday Market.
A continuation of the Eugene Saturday Market, the Holiday Market runs every weekend from mid-November to Christmas Eve. If you’re in Eugene until the weekend after finals, you don’t want to miss checking it out. Located at the Lane County Fairgrounds, the Market is indoors, where shoppers can look at locally made crafts, artwork and more away from the cold weather.
“It’s like a mall, but it’s not a mall. It’s a community thing,” Market Promotions Manager Kim Still said.@@http://chow.eugeneweekly.com/chow/node/465@@
The atmosphere is festive with live music, a “food court” and friendly conversations between vendors and customers. Indoors, the booths don’t need to be taken down every day, so some vendors have decorated their spots with twinkle lights, adding to the cheerful ambiance.
“We’re not stressed out about the holidays, we’re just having fun,” she said. “There’s stuff in here you would not find anywhere else.”
University freshman and Eugene native Tessa Cranor@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Tessa+Cranor+@@ has been coming to the Eugene Saturday Market’s Holiday Market since she was little, and she said it’s a great place to do holiday shopping.
“They have a whole bunch of random cool stuff, so it’s perfect,” she said.
Vendors’ wares range in price and in substance. You can find small pieces for as cheap as five dollars and larger, intricate works of art for up to a thousand — as well as everything in between. Items for sale include winter boots, tea, transparent lamp shades with silhouette patterns, stained and blown glass, every type of jewelry imaginable, clothes, bags, dishes, traditional photography and paintings, candles, fragrant soaps, quilts, skateboards and more.
Kimberly Gladen@@http://www.holidaymarket.org/artisanswk4.html@@ is a mixed-media artist who has been selling her art at both the Saturday Market and Holiday Market for over 15 years, and her wares can be found this year at Booth 30. Her “Webs of Light” look like dream catchers, but she prefers to call them “fairy webs”: She says fairies are mischievous beings who can play tricks on humans (Those car keys you can’t find? The fairies hid them).

“The webs keep your fairies happy,” she said.
They also brighten up a window, a car or a Christmas tree with color and reflective light. Made of metal hoops, colorful yarn, and shiny beads and crystals, the webs draw the eye immediately. The last in a generational line of lacemakers, Gladen said her webs are her take on lace doilies. Prices range between $8, $22 or over a hundred, depending on the size, different colors of yarn and number of crystals.
Another vendor of note is Denise Davis@@hhttp://www.eugenesaturdaymarket.org/vendorlist/ceramics.html@@ of Karmadilo Clayworks, who has been selling her ceramics for 10 years at the Eugene markets. Found this year at Booth 21, her decorative pottery includes plates, bowls, tiles and hanging ornaments of varying sizes. Each piece is imprinted with real leaves or flowers, fired in a kiln and then hand-painted in hues of yellow, purple, brown and green.
“I like bringing nature in,” she said. “Especially this time of year.”
Not only is the Market a great way to find unique gifts for friends and family, in the process, shoppers also support local artisans.
“Because everything is such good quality, people don’t always understand that people — the vendors — made it themselves,” Still said. “It’s pretty amazing.”
Everyone at the Market is aware of the local artisans, craftwork and what it means to buy local.
“It’s a very magical place,” Gladen said of the Market. “It gives people the opportunity to talk to the artist. Every person here is a member of your community, and the money stays in your community.”
Holiday Market is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The fairgrounds are located at 796 W. 13th Ave., and admission to the Holiday Market is free. Getting there from the University is simple, too. If you drive, parking is available and free. The bus is another option, either the EmX to Eugene Station and walking a few blocks or finding a connecting bus, like Route 33 to Jefferson Street. Biking is also easy — simply ride there and back using 12th Avenue, following the bike route signs.