Ah, the holiday season in central Wisconsin. The air is crisp, the roads are slick, and your bank account is one “Hallmark moment” away from a nervous breakdown. But fear not, Stevens Point. Between now and Christmas, your local artisans, bakers, and candle-pouring magicians have planned a blizzard of markets that promise handmade gifts, warm beverages, and—let’s be honest—mild existential dread wrapped in glitter.
So grab your thermal socks and emotional support coffee mug, because we’re going on a snark-filled sleigh ride through every arts and craft fair between Amherst and Plover. You’ll emerge broke, over-caffeinated, and covered in glitter—but hey, that’s the true spirit of Christmas.
🧶 November 15: Fall Makers Market at Krogwold Farm — Where Rustic Meets Risky
You’ll find this cozy event tucked inside a barn at 10379 County Road V in Amherst. “Wander the barn,” they say—because nothing screams holiday cheer like trying to look festive while dodging a suspiciously territorial goat.
Expect artisanal soaps that smell like “Snowfall at Dusk” (translation: lavender and regret), original artwork that may or may not fit through your front door, and baked goods so fresh they’ll make you forget the gym exists. Bring cash, patience, and a willingness to pretend that $25 for a mason jar of honey is a “steal.”
🍩 November 22: Holiday Makers Market at Rose House — Handmade Gifts and Doughnuts
The Rose House (1140 Clark St.) is back with handmade crafts and the sweet smell of deep-fried temptation. “Features handmade gifts and doughnuts,” the listing says—as if we needed more evidence that central Wisconsin runs on sugar and sentimentality.
The real challenge here isn’t picking out a gift for your in-laws—it’s not eating three maple long johns before you even make it to the jewelry table.
🦌 November 22: Hunting Widows Craft and Vendor Fair — Retail Therapy for the Deer Season Lonely
While the hunters head into the woods, the rest of us head for the Ponderosa Pines Pub in Bancroft, where the scent of Scentsy wax mixes with the faint whiff of empowerment.
You’ll find “Country Side Boutique,” “Arctic Eats,” and “Ryan’s Rustics”—which, if that’s not the name of a country album, it should be. It’s a full sensory experience: handmade jewelry, baked blessings, and enough essential oils to make you question whether you’re spiritually aligned or just dizzy.
🎄 November 23: Tinsel Trail at the Holiday Inn — Glitter, Grit, and Good Intentions
Hosted by the Stevens Point Junior Woman’s Club, this fair at the Holiday Inn (1001 Amber Ave.) promises handmade and upcycled goods—and the noble claim that 100% of the $3 admission fee will be reinvested into Portage County.
Translation: you’re funding next year’s bake sale infrastructure, so spend proudly. Expect booths that turn “junk” into “vintage,” and crafters who can make a lampshade out of a cheese grater. It’s Pinterest in real life—minus the Wi-Fi and with twice the passive aggression.
🎁 November 29: MadeCentral Merry Market — The Indie Darling of Downtown
At The Annex at The Opera House (1124 Main St.), 16 local makers will fill the room with textiles, artisanal treats, and the collective aroma of ambition. It’s free to enter, but good luck leaving without a tote bag, five candles, and a newfound appreciation for the word “bespoke.”
You’ll meet makers who use phrases like “sustainably sourced” and “small batch” with a level of conviction that suggests they survived the Great Etsy Wars of 2020.
🛍️ November 29: Small Business Saturday Market — The Post-Black-Friday Detox
Located at Artist & Fare (1804 Plover Road in Plover), this one’s your chance to atone for your Walmart sins. After elbowing strangers over a discounted air fryer, come cleanse your consumer karma by buying local.
Sip a latte, browse artisan soaps, and say “Oh, I love that for you!” to everyone’s crafts while secretly wondering if that macramé plant hanger matches your aesthetic of “suburban panic.”
🍪 December 6: A Scandinavian Christmas Bake & Craft Sale — Where Butter Meets Faith
Peace Lutheran Church (293 S. Main St., Amherst) will be serving up lefse, krumkake, rosettes, and sandbakkels—also known as “the four food groups of northern European grandmothers.”
This event is less “shopping spree” and more “carb pilgrimage.” You’ll waddle out clutching raffle tickets, a quilt you didn’t plan to buy, and 6,000 calories of cultural pride.
🧵 December 6: Tomorrow River Christmas Craft Show — Boutique Madness, Country Edition
Held at the Jensen Community Center (487 N. Main St.), this show features over 40 vendors and is “set up like a boutique store,” meaning it’s basically Target for people who can sew.
Expect aisles of upcycled decor, vintage woodwork, and soaps with names like “Frosted Fir” and “Cozy Cabin.” You’ll pay $2 admission and leave $200 poorer—but at least you can pay with credit card, because nothing says modern Christmas like going into debt for a hand-crocheted snowman.
🍩 December 13: Holiday Makers Market (Round Two) — The Sequel Nobody Asked For But Everyone Attends
The Rose House returns once again with handmade gifts and—yes—more doughnuts. Because in Wisconsin, if your blood sugar’s not spiking, are you even festive?
It’s your second chance to pretend you “just love shopping local” while actually buying five of the same soy candle for coworkers you barely tolerate.
🦌 December 13: Rudolph Country Christmas — Peak Midwest Holiday Chaos
This one’s not just a market; it’s a full-blown Yuletide circus stretching across downtown Rudolph. There’s a 5K called “Run, Run, Rudolph,” wagon rides, ornament sales, raffles, and—of course—a Christmas rummage sale, because nothing says “holiday spirit” like fighting a stranger over a slightly used snow globe.
If you stay for the parade at 6 p.m., prepare for an unholy combination of twinkle lights, farm equipment, and children hopped up on hot cocoa. It’s small-town charm turned all the way up to eleven—and somehow, you’ll love every chaotic minute.
☕ December 20: Holiday Market at Mission Coffee House — The Final Countdown
Back at Artist & Fare, this event marks your last chance to panic-buy something that looks thoughtful. Browse handmade goods while sipping peppermint mochas strong enough to make you forget you still haven’t mailed Aunt Linda’s gift.
By now, your trunk is a glitter-coated graveyard of shopping bags and broken ornaments. But hey, at least you supported local businesses—and isn’t that the whole point? (Besides the dopamine hit of crossing names off a list.)
🎨 The Emotional Arc of a Stevens Point Holiday Shopper
Phase 1: Denial.
You tell yourself you’ll make DIY gifts this year. You’ll knit scarves, bake cookies, and maybe craft some tasteful ornaments. Two hours later, you’re on Facebook RSVPing to every market within 40 miles because glue guns terrify you.
Phase 2: Discovery.
You wander through barns and church basements, marveling at how many people can make soap. You wonder if you too could sell something—perhaps “Disappointment Candles,” each labeled after a failed New Year’s resolution.
Phase 3: Overconfidence.
You start calling yourself a “conscious consumer” because you bought a handmade mug. You post it on Instagram with the caption “support local 💕,” conveniently cropped to hide the Starbucks cup in the background.
Phase 4: Fatigue.
After your third fair, you’ve smelled 42 kinds of peppermint and been called “hon” by six different vendors. Your credit card begins to smoke. You’ve entered the Glitter Zone, a point of no return where your entire wardrobe sparkles indefinitely.
Phase 5: Enlightenment.
Somewhere between the lefse table and the Norwex booth, you realize: this is it. The essence of Wisconsin. A blend of butter, caffeine, and communal goodwill so potent it could power a snowblower.
💡 Insider Tips for Craft Fair Survival
-
Bring cash, but also backup snacks.
Because the line for kettle corn can and will rival the DMV. -
Embrace the chaos.
If you’re not bumping elbows with someone holding a 3-foot wreath, are you even trying? -
Beware of “limited edition.”
That’s crafter code for “I only had enough supplies to make two.” -
Avoid eye contact with the raffle table.
You don’t need another quilt. You don’t even use the last one. -
Accept that you’ll buy something weird.
A hand-carved reindeer that smells faintly of cinnamon? Sure. It’ll confuse your guests and impress your therapist.
🧤 Why Shopping Local Still Matters (Even When It’s Cold, Crowded, and Cash-Draining)
Snark aside, these fairs are the heartbeat of Stevens Point’s holiday season. They keep small businesses alive, turn barns into community hubs, and remind everyone that Christmas doesn’t have to come in a two-day Amazon box.
When you buy a handmade ornament, you’re helping a neighbor pay their heating bill. When you order lefse from a church bake sale, you’re funding a youth mission trip or a roof repair. And when you buy that slightly uneven mug? You’re saying “I believe in imperfection—and caffeine.”
In a world obsessed with convenience, shopping local is an act of defiance. It’s a glitter-covered middle finger to mass production and a love letter to the messy, earnest artistry of your own backyard.
🎅 The Snarky Shopper’s Closing Prayer
Bless this barn, O Lord,
And the table of knitted snowmen before me.
May my wallet recover swiftly,
My trunk overflow with handmade joy,
And my latte never run cold.Deliver us from glitter,
From overpriced wreaths,
And from the eternal temptation of lefse samples.Amen, and pass the krumkake.
Moral of the story:
If you can’t find the perfect gift in Stevens Point this holiday season, maybe the problem isn’t the selection—it’s your attitude.
So go forth, shop local, and let the scent of cinnamon, coffee, and artisan ambition guide you. Because in this town, every handmade candle, crocheted mitten, and upcycled cheese-grater lamp is proof that holiday magic is alive, well, and mildly overpriced.