Why This Year’s Enfield Holiday Market Might Be the Best One Yet

Christina Tetreault has a very specific challenge for this year's Enfield Holiday Market: how do you build a crafts fair that appeals not just to women, but to the people who are hardest to shop for—men?

"I'm trying to make a market that will cater to shopping that everyone needs to do," said Tetreault, a market organizer. And that means a market has items that offer potential gifts, which may be great gifts for men. She has made it a mission to increase the variety and depth of the market.

Town Support Matters

The Enfield Holiday Market is unique. The Town of Enfield sponsors the event and provides the space at no cost. The town's support goes a long way to helping makers of independent crafts survive. The November-December timeframe accounts for most of their sales and determines whether they break even for the year.

This year's market begins Saturday, Nov. 29, at Fermi -- Enfield Annex -- at 10 a.m. and runs through 2 p.m. It continues on Sundays through Dec. 21. There are about 50 vendors, and probably more by the time the doors open.

Additionally, the Friends of the Enfield Library will open their book-sale room -- also in the Annex and steps away from the craft fair-- for at least the first two weekends of the market.

Custom Gifts You Won't Find Online

Tetreault encourages people to talk to vendors about their work and not to shy away from seeking customizations for specific uses.

"If you take the time to get to know your vendors, they'll surprise you," Tetreault said. "It's amazing what they can do."

Building a fair that also has gifts that may appeal to men is something that Tetreault has invested some time in.

Gifts for Hard-to-Shop-For Men

Men-friendly options will be easier to find this year, thanks to Tetreault's push to broaden what a holiday market typically offers. She pointed to artisan spice blends from Two Food Dudes, a natural fit for anyone who cooks or grills; handcrafted woodworking from Yingling's Wood Things, including bowls, boards, and carved pieces; and even the quirky, literary "blind date books," wrapped in brown paper with only a hint of the plot revealed. She's also hoping a steelwork vendor—who welds metal into sculptural pieces—will join the lineup.

"I have sons and a husband I need to shop for," she said. "And I know a lot of other people do, too."