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2026 holiday season
169 holiday markets, Christmas bazaars, and craft shows across Illinois, from Nov 1, 2026 through Christmas Eve. Dates, venues, and booth fees for each one.
Every craft fair and market from November 1 through Christmas Eve is listed, since that is when holiday shopping happens. 🎄 Holiday marks the 81 whose name says holiday.
Tents, tables, displays, card readers, packaging and signage.
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Illinois's holiday season opens with Aurora Stationery Fest in Aurora on Nov 1, 2026 and runs through Dec 20, 2026. Of the 169 listed fairs, 109 are in November, and 60 in December. The busiest single day is Saturday, Nov 14, 2026, when 20 fairs run at once.
Chicago has the most holiday markets with 38, followed by Grayslake (7) and Aurora (6). Smaller towns often have a single church or school bazaar that draws the whole area, so it is worth checking the full Illinois list for anything scheduled before Nov 1, 2026 or after Christmas.
For vendors, holiday shows are the highest-attendance events of the year and the first to fill. 17 Illinois holiday fairs are still taking applications; the next deadline is Oct 20, 2026 for Sharing Hope For the Holidays Craft and Food Fair. Booth fees on the fairs that publish them run from $10 to $790, averaging about $228. Use the booth ROI calculator to decide which shows are worth the fee.
TheCraftMap lists 169 holiday craft fairs, Christmas markets, and bazaars in Illinois between Nov 1, 2026 and Dec 20, 2026. 109 are in November, and 60 in December. The single busiest day is Saturday, Nov 14, 2026, with 20 fairs.
Chicago (38), Grayslake (7), Aurora (6) have the most holiday craft fairs and Christmas markets listed in Illinois this season.
Among Illinois holiday fairs that publish fees, booths start around $10 and average about $228, with the largest shows charging up to $790. Holiday shows usually cost more than the same organizer's spring or summer events because attendance is higher.
17 Illinois holiday fairs still have open vendor applications; the next deadline is Oct 20, 2026 for Sharing Hope For the Holidays Craft and Food Fair. Most holiday shows close applications one to three months before the event, and juried shows fill earliest. Open the fair's listing for its application link, and read the Illinois permit and sales tax guide before your first show.
States not listed here have fewer than 3 holiday fairs so far this season.