San Diego Bay Parade of Lights<\/a>.<\/p>\nOffered in conjunction with the Port of San Diego, this handmade shopping festival will feature many local and regional makers, emerging brands, and artists.<\/p>\n
More than simply a market, the event offers up creativity, community, and most importantly, helping out small, local businesses.<\/p>\n
Times of San Diego caught up recently with Makers Arcade communications director Brittany Wiczek to discuss all this event has to offer San Diegans and visitors to the area.<\/p>\n
TOSD:\u00a0How has this event grown over time?<\/p>\n
Wiczek:\u00a0Makers Arcade Holiday Fair first began back in 2014, created by two local creatives, Rebecca Chase and Jen Byard, who set out to build a welcoming space where people could come together around art, handmade goods, and community.<\/p>\n
While we weren\u2019t the ones who originally started Makers Arcade, we\u2019ve been proud to carry it forward and continue building on what they created, always keeping the spirit of their mission at the center of the event. In the early years, the market was much smaller, but by 2017, it was already recognized as the largest indie craft event in the city, gathering more than 100 makers. <\/p>\n
Since then, the Holiday Fair has continued to grow and evolve. The 2025 event brings together over 140 local makers alongside live music, gourmet food trucks, craft-cocktail and mocktail bars, interactive art and play areas, and a full kids\u2019 zone. It has also expanded beyond the traditional vendor model to include photo booths, make-and-take craft stations, and other thoughtful experiences that make the weekend feel like a festive community celebration. <\/p>\n
What started as a grassroots gathering has truly become a polished, citywide holiday tradition \u2014 and we\u2019re honored to help shape its next chapter while staying true to the heart of what the founders envisioned.<\/p>\n
TOSD:\u00a0What should attendees expect from this year\u2019s event?<\/p>\n
Wiczek: This year\u2019s event continues that evolution in such a fun way. Attendees can expect more than just shopping from over 140 makers \u2014 the weekend is packed with live music, craft cocktails and mocktails, gourmet food trucks, holiday photo ops, a kids\u2019 play area, hands-on wreath-making, and all the cozy, creative energy that makes Makers Arcade feel so special. <\/p>\n
Sunday night is extra magical, with the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights passing right by the pier. Guests can sip hot cocoa, wander the market, and watch the decorated boats drift by \u2014 it\u2019s one of those rare holiday moments that feels both exciting and completely homegrown. <\/p>\n
We\u2019ve also been able to lower the already nominal entry fee to $5 (kids under 10 are free) thanks to the support of the grant by the City of San Diego\u2019s Commission for Arts and Culture, which was a huge honor. All proceeds help support our 501c3 organization, providing opportunities and resources for local creatives.<\/p>\n
TOSD:\u00a0How important have volunteers been to this event over time?<\/p>\n
Wiczek: From the earliest markets to this year\u2019s two-day festival on the pier, they\u2019ve helped with everything from setup and vendor support to keeping the energy welcoming and the experience smooth for everyone. <\/p>\n
Their commitment and enthusiasm are a big reason Makers Arcade has been able to stay community-centered and accessible while continuing to grow. The event simply wouldn\u2019t be what it is without them, and every year their impact is felt in countless ways.<\/p>\n
Tickets<\/a> can be purchased online or at the entrance to the event. Those pre-purchasing tickets will be entered into a drawing to win a prize pack.\u00a0 The first 100 guests both days will take home free gift bags with items supplied by participating vendors.\u00a0<\/p>\nREAD NEXT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Overview: Makers Arcade Holiday Fair The annual event takes place Saturday (Dec. 13) from 10 a.m. to 5…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91577,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[20302,5196,1404,50595,50596,50597,74,76,75,11515],"class_list":{"0":"post-91576","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-broadway-pier","9":"tag-downtown-san-diego","10":"tag-festival","11":"tag-makers-arcade","12":"tag-makers-arcade-holiday-fair","13":"tag-makers-fair","14":"tag-san-diego","15":"tag-san-diego-headlines","16":"tag-san-diego-news","17":"tag-shopping"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}