Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel in Milwaukee is opening its doors for a free weekend of local holiday shopping, with its Holiday Marketplace set for Saturday, Nov. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 29, running both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event bills itself as a creative and social alternative to fighting mall crowds, pairing handmade gifts with live local music and art inside the hotel.
According to Saint Kate's official event page, shoppers can expect over 75 local artists and vendors set up for the weekend, though a listing on Tock puts the number at over 60 vendors. The hotel's page says attendees will find jewelry, accessories, home décor, fine art, children's gifts, pet items, edible treats and stocking stuffers scattered throughout the space, and no reservation or purchase is required just to walk in and browse.
Where Exactly to Find It
Saint Kate's own event page names the ARC Theatre as the marketplace's venue this year. A separate roundup from Milwaukee Magazine, however, describes the market as located in the hotel's Simone Ballroom, so shoppers heading to the arts hotel on South Water Street may want to confirm room signage once they arrive. Despite that mismatch, both sources agree on the same Nov. 28-29 dates and the same 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. window.
Rick Schlenther, Saint Kate's director of retail and design, joined WTMJ's Sandy Maxx to preview the event, discussing what shoppers can expect from this year's lineup. Schlenther's appearance was part of a segment published by WTMJ ahead of the market, which the station describes as Saint Kate's sixth annual Holiday Marketplace. The station also reports that more than 100 local artisans and makers will be set up throughout the hotel, and that half of this year's vendors are new to the marketplace.
A Sold-Out Listing, but Walk-Ins Still Welcome
Tock's listing for the event currently shows the Holiday Marketplace as sold out. That status sits alongside Saint Kate's own messaging that no reservation or purchase is necessary to attend, so the free, come-as-you-are shopping experience the hotel describes appears to remain open even as ticketed signups on Tock have closed.
The marketplace has grown and shifted over its history, based on past coverage of the event. An earlier edition covered by OnMilwaukee described the market returning for its second year, running Dec. 10-11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and spreading more than 125 artists, makers and vendors across two floors of the hotel. A separate Milwaukee Magazine listing for a different year placed the market on Dec. 9-10 with more than 80 Milwaukee artists, holiday decorations and live music throughout the floors. Taken together, the listings show a market that has moved between dates, floors and vendor counts from year to year, though the available records do not pin down a clear year-over-year pattern.
Planning a Visit
For this year's event, the basics are consistent across Saint Kate's own page: free admission, no ticket required, and two full days of browsing set for the weekend after Thanksgiving. Whether shoppers end up in the ARC Theatre or the Simone Ballroom, the hotel's pitch remains the same — local music, local art and local gifts under one roof in downtown Milwaukee.
