If you're looking for homegrown gifts this holiday season, the Tenderloin and Civic Center are offering a host of holiday markets, all featuring shopping opportunities from local artists and vendors. Here's a roundup of all the events.
SF Arts Commission holiday markets
Today, the San Francisco Arts Commission is hosting the second of three Friday holiday markets in the Veteran’s Building lobby at 401 Van Ness Ave., from 11:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Local artists will offer handmade work for sale, and shoppers can also peruse the Arts Commission's on-site gallery.
The same marketplace will reopen for a third and final afternoon next Friday, December 7.
City Hall pop-up shop
Moving into next week, the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development is hosting a pop-up shopping day at City Hall on Tuesday, December 4. It will feature products from more than 40 local artisans and merchants, all based in San Francisco.
Holiday sales at the Lower Polk/Tenderloin art walk
The Lower Polk/Tenderloin first Thursday art walk will be especially festive this month, with holiday sales and an afterparty at Emperor Norton’s BoozeLand. More than 30 local businesses will stay open late on December 6 to sell items from local makers, including a Holiday Marketplace Pop-up at 1217 Polk St.
As part of the art walk, Fleet Wood will host an opening reception for its fourth annual "100 under $100" group art show, from 4-10 p.m. on December 6th. Download the entire art walk map at https://sffirstthursday.com/map/.
Make holiday cards and crafts to benefit fire victims
Aspiring artists can join the SF Wellness and Arts Pop-Up and Everyday Solstice to make their own holiday cards and crafts — while also raising money to support people displaced by the recent wildfires across California.
On Monday, December 10, participants will be able to make customized essential oil-based gifts and cards at the pop-up, located at 1500 Market St. All donations collected during the gift-making event will go to Marin County firefighters that recently lost their homes.
Last-minute shopping open houses
Finally, we have two events for last-minute shoppers. On December 20, leather-goods shop Billie Marie (709 Hyde St.) is hosting a holiday ornament-making event featuring festive drinks and music. Crafters attending the event, which starts at 5 p.m., will also be able to peruse the shop’s small-batch leather accessories and meet store owner Lake Taylor.
The event is free to attend, but donations will be accepted to help defray the costs of ornament-making supplies and to raise money for a local nonprofit still to be chosen.
Also on December 20, Fleet Wood is hosting a holiday open house from 6-9 p.m., featuring locally made candles, bags and jewelry, screenprinted tees and accessories, and edible gifts.
There will be live screenprinting, free gift wrapping, rotating DJs, hot cider, and local brews from Pine Street Brewery. Fleet Wood will also be collecting cold-weather supply donations for the neighborhood’s unhoused population.
Did we miss anything? If you have an upcoming holiday craft sale or gift-making event planned for the Civic Center or Tenderloin neighborhood, let us know!
