The Rustic Fox’s annual Holiday Market ran Nov. 6-8 at the home decor and furniture boutique in North Aurora. The Chicago Tribune reported that thousands shopped over the weekend.
Vendor counts describe different parts of the event
The market added gift, craft and food sellers to the shop’s regular home decor offerings. The Rustic Fox’s event page described Saturday, Nov. 7, as Holiday Market Day, with outdoor pop-ups alongside more than 100 curated boutiques inside the store. Naperville Magazine’s listing described more than 80 curated pop-up vendors for the event and listed free admission. The listings do not establish that the more-than-80 figure refers specifically to outdoor vendors. Both listed Saturday hours as 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Naperville Magazine listed Friday and Sunday hours as 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A separate Rustic Fox market used an outdoor format
The North Aurora holiday weekend was not the only market format associated with the business. The Daily Herald reported in April 2025 that The Rustic Fox planned a Farmer & Artisan Market in Carol Stream, at 570 S. Schmale Road, on the first and third Saturdays from May 3 through Oct. 18. That recurring outdoor market was a separate event in a different suburb, not part of the North Aurora holiday weekend.
Small businesses’ statewide role
The vendors’ presence at a single market does not establish their size or employment practices. As broader economic context, the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy reported that Illinois small businesses employed 2.4 million people in 2020, or 44.1 percent of the state’s total employment. The statewide figure describes the sector, not the vendors at The Rustic Fox.
