Avoid A Christmas Cliche With The Best Alternative Christmas Markets

Posted: 16/11/11

MyDaily Staff

Follow: Christmas, Christmas Markets, Christmas Shopping, Escape, In The Know, Travel

When it comes to strudel and mulled wine everyone has their limits - so when the corn dolls and customised gingerbread hearts become too much of a Christmas cliche, where do you go for gifts that don't come stuffed with lavender? From indie crafts, to vintage binges, the next six weeks are chock full of festive markets that offer a refreshing retail alternative.

Alternative Christmas markets

Duckie Christmas Market, London
 London's Barbican Centre opens its doors to the <a href="http://www.duckie.co.uk" target="blank">Duckie</a> collective from December 10 to 30, who are bringing with them 60 of the indie craft mafia to flog all manner of Christmas handmade kitsch and artisan edibles. From renegade gingerbread cookies to alternative kid's costumes (who needs Spiderman when you can dress your toddler up as a <a href="http://www.iwishiwasa.net" target="blank">Mexican wrestler?</a>) the market is the ideal antidote to commercial Christmas overkill, and will run alongside Duckie's Copyright Christmas theatre performance and a series of indie craft workshops. 10-30 December The Barbican Silk Street London, EC2Y 8DS <a href="http://www.barbican.org.uk" target="blank">www.barbican.org.uk</a>
It's Darling! Bath
 Christmas shopping probably doesn't get more picturesque and feel-good than wandering through Bath of a nippy Saturday afternoon. Combine all that Jane Austen/ afternoon tea cosiness with cherry-picked vintage clothing, costume jewellery and chintzy cake stands and you pretty much have Christmas sewn-up. The It's Darling! vintage fair is every bit as quaint as its name suggests and with restorative tea and cake being served all weekend, Bath's Guildhall becomes a little shopping sanctuary. On Saturday 19th, shoppers can also get an early indication of what 2012 has in-store by getting their tea leaves read by the fabulous-sounding Indigo Starseed. 19-20 November The Guildhall Bath, BA1 4BX <a href="http://itsdarlingfair.blogspot.com" target="blank">itsdarlingfair.blogspot.com</a>
We Are Made In The Shade Holiday Hullabaloo, Glasgow
 Purveyor's of Glasgow's indie craft scene, We Are Made In The Shade are an entrepreneurial duo of clever creative folk who not only run the lovely Masionette boutique in Glasgow's West End but who also sporadically decide to put on a right good market. Popping up at The Lighthouse Gallery, the first We Are Made In The Shade market for over a year will see a host of over 40 stall holders celebrate the season of Goodwill with choice cuts of vintage clothing, statement jewellery (check out <a href="http://www.purebrassneck.co.uk" target="blank">Pure Brass Neck</a>), feathered millinery, cotton candy, whoopee pies and a mini-pop up cinema. And as if that wasn't too much Christmas for one person to handle, there'll also be workshops, a blogger Q&A, live music and live fashion illustration happening on the day too. December 10 The Lighthouse Gallery Mitchell Lane Glasgow, G1 3NU <a href="http://www.wearemadeintheshade.com" target="blank">www.wearemadeintheshade.com</a>
Candlelit Christmas Market, Petersham Nurseries
 Appealing to all the Christmas senses with candle light, mulled wine, carol singing and the scent of cinnamon - the ever-green Petersham Nurseries embraces the festive season with two late night market events, selling gifts that would be hard to find anywhere else, including beautiful handblown glass baubles from India, angora goat socks, hand-tied Christmas crackers and rose-scented beauty products. Christmas at Petersham's is everything that you always wanted Christmas to be (it's like Ultimate Christmas) with roasting chestnuts, twinkling fairy lights, brandy butter, homemade mine pies and, of course, real spruce pine trees. I December 7 & 14 6-9pm off Petersham Road Petersham, TW10 7AG <a href="http://www.petershamnurseries.com" target="blank">www.petershamnurseries.com</a>
Kitsch and Stitch, Kent
 Can you get more quaint than a Christmas market held in The Vestry? Restoring your faith in the humble handmade and the vintage congregate, Kitsch and Stitch are all about the beautifully arranged stalls brimming with spoils - from bone china teacups and fabric jewellery to vintage kitchenalia and embroidered Christmas decorations. December 3 The Vestry Hall Stone Street Cranbrook Kent, TN17 3HA <a href="http://kitschandstitchfair.blogspot.com" target="blank">kitschandstitchfair.blogspot.com</a>
The Vintage Kilo, London
 Christmas is all about giving, but what not forgetting the me, me, me aspect - The Vintage Kilo Market lands in London just in the nick of time for all those Christmas cocktail parties we're always hearing about. Bag yourself a new frock, indeed a whole outfit if you're thrifty enough, for the princely sum of just £15 per kilo. December 17 The Rag Factory 16 Heneage Street London, E1 5LJ <a href="http://www.vintagefair.co.uk" target="blank">www.vintagefair.co.uk</a>
Milgi Boutique Market, Cardiff
 Truly embracing The Rule of Three, Cardiff's art bar/vintage market/veggie bistro, Milgi is picking up where it left off last month after winning three runner-up nods in the Observer Food Awards, by holding the holy triptych of Christmas markets; their regular monthly vintage market is back for the first Sunday of December where drunk-shopping will positively be encouraged by the aroma of hot spiced cider being brewed in the kitchen, the following week its all about the handmade crafts and then just as you start to despair that there's NO WAY I CAN AFORD TO BUY ANYTHING FOR ANYONE THIS YEAR - all hail the £1 Christmas jumble sale, which will be held on the 18th. December 4 (vintage) December 11 (handmade) December 18 (£1 jumble) 213 City Road Cardiff, CF24 3JD <a href="http://www.milgilounge.com" target="blank">www.milgilounge.com</a>
Made in Clerkenwell, London
 While thrifting for Christmas presents may be all well and good, some people just won't appreciate that hard-won taffeta prom dress you wrestled over in the kilo market - so stepping in to save the day, and ensure at least some people get a tasteful Christmas present, Made in Clerkenwell offers the chance to shop direct from over 100 artisans and crafters, who are the top of their game when it comes to beautiful, one-off, handmade products. The open studio event at Craft Central's two Victorian buildings, is a 4-day market where shoppers can step inside this fervent creative community and fill their Christmas stockings with seriously covetable products. We want Esther Coombs' delicate illustrated tea cups and one of Sarah Herrior's striking geometric rings please. November 24- 27 Craft Central 33-35 St John's Square London, EC1M 4DS 21 Clerkenwell Green London, EC1R 0DX <a href="http://craftcentral.org.uk/madeinclerkenwellwinter2011" target="blank">craftcentral.org.uk</a>
The Spitalfields Vintage Fair, London
 For more vintage kicks, the Spitalfields Vintage Fair plans an all-out assault with 50 carefully selected vintage traders, a vintage tea party, a hair and beauty salon run by <a href="http://www.lipstickandcurls.co.uk" target="blank">Lipstick & Curls</a> and a curated line-up of performers and entertainers. While the intention might be to buy some one-off vintage gifts for the family, the opportunity is ripe to get your entire Christmas party look sorted,quite literally, from your perm to your pedicure. December 10 Christchurch Spitalfields Commercial Street London <a href="http://https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124350460995783" target="blank">https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124350460995783</a>
Christmas Steps Artisan Market, Bristol
 Winding down through Bristol's old quarter, hidden among the nooks and crannies of the Christmas Steps (genuine name, so couldn't be more fitting) are a cluster of independent boutiques, who once a month have been known to throw open their doors and pitch up outside for the monthly Steps Artisan Market. For the festive edition, the market kicks off on December 3rd with a boutique selection of stalls showcasing the best of Bristol's indie creative scene - from vintage clothing to handmade musical instruments, old fashioned sweets and screen prints by local artists and illustrators. Mulled cider will indeed be served to aide proceedings. December 3 Christmas Steps Bristol, BS1 4SR <a href="http://christmasstepsartisanmarket.blogspot.com" target="blank">https://christmasstepsartisanmarket.blogspot.com</a>