More than 250 local crafters and artisans are setting up shop inside the Kenan Center Civic Arena in Lockport for Rustic Buffalo’s Holiday Sip & Shop, a three-day holiday market packed with handcrafted goods, food, drinks, basket raffles, and a 50/50 giveaway. Admission is five dollars per person, and that fee comes with a bonus: a $5 shopping coupon good toward any purchase over $25.
The event is organized by Rustic Buffalo, which is described as hosting the annual Holiday Sip & Shop, according to WGRZ. Shoppers can expect handcrafted items from local and regional artisans, along with food, drinks, basket raffles, and 50/50 giveaways spread across the Kenan Center’s arena space in Lockport. The event listing from Step Out Buffalo describes it as a three-day shopping event and fundraiser, with the vendor network drawing from over 250 local crafters and artisans.
Beyond the shopping tables, the listing promises live music, hot food, specialty drinks, and food tastings to keep visitors fed and entertained while they browse. Kids under 5 get in free, making it an easy family outing alongside the holiday gift hunt.
Raffles and Giveaways Fund Kenan Center
The weekend doubles as a fundraiser for the host venue. Raffle offerings include a 50/50 raffle, more than 50 themed raffle baskets, and a liquor giveaway valued at more than $800, per the same Step Out Buffalo listing. All raffle proceeds benefit The Kenan Center, the listing notes.
A year earlier, a report on the 2025 edition of the Holiday Sip & Shop described it as an annual event featuring more than 170 crafters and artisans, with that three-day run scheduled for Nov. 14 through Nov. 16 inside the Kenan Arena, according to the Niagara-Wheatfield Tribune. That same report said all proceeds directly supported the mission of The Kenan Center and listed a liquor giveaway valued at over $500. The dossier does not clarify whether the gap between the 170-plus and 250-plus artisan counts, or the differing liquor giveaway values, reflects growth between editions or simply different counting methods.
A Spring Counterpart at the Same Venue
The Kenan Center has run this kind of partnership with Rustic Buffalo before. The venue previously teamed up with Rustic Buffalo for a separate four-day Spring Sip and Shop, according to WKBW. That spring edition featured more than 170 artisans and vendors, along with live music, raffles, and wine and liquor tastings, the station reported.
WKBW also reported that admission to the Spring Sip and Shop cost five dollars, with proceeds going toward Kenan Center local programming, after-school programs, and a new arena. The pricing mirrors what shoppers will pay at the Holiday Sip & Shop at the Kenan Center Civic Arena, located at 433 Locust Street in Lockport.
