From now through December, the weekends will be filled with craft fairs.
Whether you’re looking for unique gifts or locally made, handmade items for yourself, these fairs offer a chance to shop items you won’t find in big box stores and maybe even meet the people who made them.
In this week’s cover story, we offer a list of upcoming fairs and artisan markets (let us know if we missed any at adiaz@hippopress.com). And, for those who don’t just enjoy shopping crafts but also want to make some themselves, we take a look at some area shops catering to those who sew. From those who can make a quilt or a full outfit to those who are just learning, these businesses help you find community and a new outlet for artistic expression.
Art & community
Sewing offers an outlet for creative expression and a reason to get together
By Chelsea Spear
news@hippopress.com
At first glance the poster-sized portrait of a woman hanging in Jeeni Criscenzo’s studio looks like a photo. The eyes sparkle and the grayscale looks like the many shades of gray you’d see in a vintage photograph. Take a closer look: All those different shades of gray are individual pieces of fabric, arranged like halftone dots across the surface of the quilt. Criscenzo designed and sewed together a quilt portrait as a loving tribute to her mother.
“I created a technique using something called ‘wonder under wear,’” Criscenzo said on a recent Zoom call, gesturing toward the quilt. “It’s almost like making a mosaic with fabric and then quilting over it so you can push the envelope to express things creatively as well as using it in a sustainable way.”
Over the past few years, shops and community centers like DIY Craft and Thrift in Concord, where Criscenzo volunteers as a sewing and quilting instructor, have increased in popularity across New Hampshire. While knitting and crochet had gotten a boost in popularity at the start of the 2000s, with books like the bestselling Stitch & Bitch series, shop owners noticed a renewed interest in sewing in the spring of 2020.
“I really think it started with the pandemic people wanting to learn to sew,” said Carol Lawrence, the owner of Angels Sewing & Quilting in Salem. “We repair all brands [of sewing machines]. You should have seen these old machines we had coming in the store. It was pretty cool. Lots of old featherweight Singers and stuff like that.”
For other sewists, learning to sew allowed them to make some pandemic necessities at home. “During the pandemic, a lot of people were making masks,” Criscenzo said. “I took the time to research what would make a good mask that would actually protect you … I found a very high thread count fabric, then I put a raw silk backing inside, and then another fabric on the back. Based on the testing of those fabrics, I was providing people with something that I felt protected them. And I started selling that online. So then that got me into sewing to make a little money.”
For other business owners, the pandemic offered them an opportunity to reflect on the kind of work they’d like to do.
“A little over six years ago now, I was getting very burnt out from my career,” said Paula Bowen, co-owner of Night Owl Quilting Studio in Goffstown. “I was a director of nursing, and this was right before Covid, and I was getting just tired of the stress of the job. I was looking for a creative outlet, [and I] wanted to own my own business.”
A late-night call inspired Bowen to move forward with her idea.
“I called my mom at 11 p.m. and … I said to her, mom, do you want to start a quilt shop with me? And she’s like, ah, what are you saying? So we just got this idea to just do it for fun,” Bowen said. The shop opened a few nights a week in Goffstown, “and it just exploded. And within a year of being open, my mom retired from her job in the corporation.”
Both Paula Bowen and Jeeni Criscenzo learned to sew from their mothers. For those who didn’t learn to sew as kids or for those looking to pick it back up, communities have formed around sewing, weaving and spinning in New Hampshire and beyond.
Thinking back on a recent trip to a craft store, Criscenzo said: “Wolfeboro Makers Mill had a long-arm quilter that was donated to them. I had to go to a class and get [approved] to use it, but now I can go there. And what I found is they have weaving looms. They have dozens of Janome sewing machines. They have an embroidery machine and even an industrial machine for sewing heavy things. And the people that are there, I found myself driving home just smiling. I don’t know what politics they have, but they certainly have a politics of cooperation. I would love to duplicate that energy of integration.”
A recent New York Times article looked at the growing interest in sewing and pinned some of it to the need to mend ripped or worn clothing. That aspect doesn’t appeal to Lawrence. “Us sewists, we don’t like to mend,” Lawrence says with a laugh. “I don’t even mend my husband’s pants. I’ll cut off with pinking shears. I won’t even hem them.”
“Sewing is no longer just about making garments; it’s about art, it’s about creative expression, and the combination of the craft of sewing and the art is very exciting to me because I’ve always been interested in expressing my creativity through sewing. And it’s a wonderful combination of right and left brain because you can be creative and yet you have to pay attention and think logically about how you’re constructing something,” Criscenzo said.
That creative flair is spreading to areas these crafters wouldn’t have predicted. “Benson Boone had a quilt vest thrown to him in the audience,” Paula Bowen said. “He wore it and it was the thrill of the whole night and everyone’s talking about it.”
Makers in 2025 are seeing the benefits of sewing and are adapting the craft for their own interest. “People gathering to support one another in a craft have something so strong in common that they can let the rest of it go away and they can re-experience that good feeling of working with other people and then hopefully translate that into other parts of their lives,” Criscenzo said. “There’s a mental benefit to sewing in community. There’s a brain benefit in sewing on your own. And then there’s the sustainability, the fact that most of us these days have to struggle to make ends meet. We don’t have these thousand-dollars-a-month clothing budgets that some people have. And so we have to figure out how to make what we have work and last.”
Paula Bowen says succinctly: “The craft world is not going away.”
Sewing shops
Angels Sewing & Quilting 236 N. Broadway in Salem, 898-0777, angelssewing.com
DIY Craft and Thrift 46 N. Main St. in Concord, diycraftandthrift.com
Night Owl Quilting Studio currently 4 Main St. in Goffstown, 384-2557, nightowlquiltingstudio.com. The shop is moving to Amherst soon, according to the website.
Hand crafted
Local fairs offer shoppers a chance to meet artists
Compiled by Amy Diaz
adiaz@hippopress.com
November and December are full of craft fairs, arts markets, artisan fairs and other events where you can find handmade works and probably meet the person who made them. Here are some slated for the coming months. Know of events not mentioned? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.
• The Craftworkers’ Guild shop in Bedford (3a Meetinghouse Road, down the hill in the Library parking lot) will hold its Hearts & Home Shop through Sunday, Nov. 23, open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and its Holiday Shop Friday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 21, open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See thecraftworkersguild.org.
• The Concord Arts Market will be at Intown Concord’s First Friday event on Nov. 7, from 4 to 8 p.m., when the theme is Art Walk, according to firstfridayconcord.com. Find them on Capitol Street, according to concordartsmarket.org.
• First Church of Nashua, 1 Concord St. in Nashua, will hold its Holiday Fair and Silent Auction on Friday, Nov. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring homemade sweets, food to go, gift baskets, craft items, puzzles and more, according to an email from event organizers. Kids can visit with Santa on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., dinner will be available Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., lunch will be available Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the email said.
• The Merrimack Knights of Columbus will hold their 25th annual Fall Craft Fair on Friday, Nov. 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mastricola Upper Elementary School, 26 Baboosic Lake Road in Merrimack. The event will feature more than 40 crafters, a bake table, meals and snacks, an auction and more; admission is free, according to an email from event organizers.
• The United Church of Penacook (Community Drive and Canal Street in Penacook) will hold its Christmas Fair and Bake Sale Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring holiday decorations, home decor, knitted items and more, according to ucpnh.org.
• St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church (300 Route 25, Meredith, stcharlesnh.org) will hold its Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the church website.
• Main Street United Methodist Church, 154 Main St. in Nashua, will hold a Fall/Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring baked goods, crafts, a cookie walk, handmade items, breakfast and lunch items, Christmas and winter crafts and more. See mainstreet-umc.org.
• St. Elizabeth Seton Church(190 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, stelizabethsetonchurch.org) will hold its Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring 50 crafters and artisans, baked items, lunch and more, according to the church website.
• The Granite State Choral Society will hold its Fall 2025 Shop Till You Drop Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center, 150 Wakefield St. in Rochester. The event will feature works by local artisans, a selection of homemade soups, chilis and stews starting at 11 a.m. and more, according to a press release. See gschoralsociety.org.
• The Seacoast Artisans Holiday Fine Arts & Craft Show will take place Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Great Bay Community College, 320 Corporate Drive in the Pease Tradeport in Portsmouth, according to seacoastartisansshows.com. Admission costs $7; ages 14 and under get in for free, the website said.
• Manchester Memorial High School, 1 Crusader Way in Manchester, will hold its annual Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. according to memorial.mansd.org. Admission costs $2 per person, to benefit the Booster Club, and the event features more than 200 tables of crafts as well as raffles, according to information from the event organizer.
•The Nashua YMCA of the YMCA of Greater Nashua, 24 Stadium Drive in Nashua, will hold its Fall Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature concessions, kids activities, local vendors and more, according to nmymca.org/fall-craft-fair.
• The Capital City Holiday Craft & Artisan Show will take place Saturday, Nov. 8, and Sunday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Capital City Sports & Fitness Club, 10 Garvins Falls Road in Concord. The fair will feature 100 exhibitors, speciality foods, live music and an appearance by Santa, according to GNECraftArtisanShows.com. Admission costs $5, valid both days; ages 14 and under get in for free.
• The Bedford Handmade Fair takes place Sunday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bedford High School, 47 Nashua Road. See sites.google.com/bedfordnhk12.net/bedfordhandmade for a map of the fair and a listing of all the vendors. Admission and parking are free and Santa is scheduled to appear at the fair for photos, the website said.
• St. Paul’s United Methodist Church (335 Smyth Road, Manchester; stpaulsumcnh.org) will hold its Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring crafts, a cookie walk, a bake sale, a children’s table, a white elephant sale and more, according to a post on the church’s Facebook page.
• The 2025 Craft Fair at Manchester Community College will take place Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the college’s all-purpose room, 1066 Front St. in Manchester, according to a Facebook page for the event. The event will feature more than 50 vendors, and admission is free, the post said.
• The Pembroke Academy DECA will hold a Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pembroke Academy, 209 Academy Road in Pembroke, according to the Spartan Market Facebook page.
• The Lil Iguana’s Craft Fair & Raffle will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nashua High School North, 8 Titan Way in Nashua, according to liliguanausa.org/craft-fair. The event will feature more than 200 crafters, vendors and area businesses as well as raffles and more, according to the website. Admission is free.
• The Pelham High School Craft Fair, 87 Marsh Road in Pelham, will be Saturday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and feature 40+ vendors, according to the event’s Facebook page.
• Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St. in Bow, will hold its annual Snowman Fair on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day will feature an appearance by Santa, crafts to make for kids, holiday crafts for sale, baked goods and a cafe, themed gift baskets and more, according to an email from event organizers. See bowmillsumc.org.
• St. Patrick Church (34 Amherst St. in Milford, stpatrickmilfordnh.org) will hold a Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring crafts, a cookie walk, penny sale baskets, frozen apple pies, concessions and more, according to an event organizer.
• The United Methodist Women of Hampton United Methodist Church, 525 Lafayette Road in Hampton, will hold their annual Christmas Fair on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring lunch, homemade pies by the slice, attic treasures, bake and treat shop, photos with Santa, a silent auction and more, according to an email from fair organizers. See hamptonnhumc.org.
• The PTO at New Searles Elementary School, 39 Shady Lane in Nashua, will hold a Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring crafters, raffles and more, according to the PTO’s Facebook.
• Holiday Fine Craft & Artisan Show on the Seacoast takes place Saturday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rim Sports Complex in Hampton, according to GNECraftArtisanShows.com. The event will feature 145 exhibitors, food trucks, a juried show, an appearance by Santa and more, the website said. Admission costs $5, valid both days; ages 14 and under get in for free.
• The Picker Artists, 3 Pine St. in Nashua, will host its annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. See pickerartists.com for a listing of artists.
• The Milford 3rd Annual Holiday Fair, hosted by New England Vendor Events, will be held Saturday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at VFW Post, 99 VFW Way in Milford, according to New England Vendor Events’ Facebook page. Admission is free, as are photo opportunities with Santa, the post said.
• The Great New England Holiday Crafts Show will take place Friday, Nov. 28, and Saturday, Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111 in Derry, according to GNECraftArtisanShows.com and labellewinery.com. Parking and admission are free and the show will feature 65 exhibitors, a juried show, food and more, the website said.
• Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, kimballjenkins.com, will feature a “pop up holiday showcase of locally made fine art and craft items featuring local artisans” called The Artisans Nook, according to the website. The shop will be open starting Nov. 29 in the lower level of the Carriage House Mondays through Saturdays from 1 to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m. as well as Friday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 9 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 7, from noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 19 (closed Dec. 11), the website said.
• The Contoocook Artisans Holiday Fair is set for Friday, Dec. 5 , from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Legion Post No. 81 (E.R. Montgomery Event Center, 169 Bound Tree Road, Contoocook), according to the Contoocook Artisans Cooperative Facebook Page.
• The UNH Maker’s Expo will be held at the MUB Granite State Room on Friday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring “cool & creative stuff made by UNH students, staff, and faculty. Engineers who knit! IT folks doing scratch prints! Jewelry from biologists!” according to unh.edu/mub/events/unh-makers-expo.
• The Winter Giftopolis by the Concord Arts Market will take place on Friday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 11 p.m. in the Eagle Square Atrium in downtown Concord during Intown Concord’s Midnight Merriment. See concordartsmarket.org.
• High Mowing School (77 Pine Hill Drive, Wilton) will host its annual Pine Hill Holiday Fair on Friday, Dec. 5, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (for adults only) and Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for all ages, according to pinehill.org.
• The First Baptist Church (121 Manchester St., Nashua, 882-4512, fbcnashua.org) will hold its Old-Fashioned Christmas Fair & Raffle Saturday, Dec. 6, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the church website.
• Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Milford, 20 Elm St. in Milford, will hold its Holiday Fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature crafts, gifts, a cafe for breakfast and lunch and more, according to event organizers.
• The St. Nicholas Fair at Grace Episcopal Church, 30 Eastman St. in Concord, will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature hand-crafted items, second-hand jewelry, baked goods, used books, and white elephant items, according to an email from an organizer.
• Arlington Street United Methodist Church (63 Arlington St., Nashua) will celebrate its Holly Town Fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair will feature handmade items, candies, baked goods and a cookie walk, with lunch available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit asumc.org or call 882-4663.
• The PTO at Broad Street Elementary School, 390 Broad St. in Nashua, will host a Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to sites.google.com/view/broad-street-pto.
• NHSS Athletic Boosters Annual Craft Fair will take place at Nashua High School South, 36 Riverside St. in Nashua, on Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 2p.m., according to the Boosters’ club Facebook.
• The Holiday Craft Fair at Brookline Event Center, 32 Proctor Hill Road in Brookline, will take place Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. See brooklineeventcenter.com/our-events.
• The Somersworth Festival Association will host its Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Somersworth High School (11 Memorial Drive, Somersworth), according to nhfestivals.org.
• Saint Patrick’s Parish (12 Main St., Pelham, 635-3525, stpatricks-pelham.com) will host its Annual Christmas Craft Fair in its Parish Center, Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring local crafters, food, a homemade baked goods table and raffles, according to the church website.
• The 36th annual Christmas in Strafford, featuring more than 50 artists and craftspeople across about 30 locations (stores, studios and other locations), is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days (some stops are open Saturday only), according to christmasinstrafford.com.
• The Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester (669 Union St. in Manchester) will hold its Holiday Fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, according to uumanchester.org, where you can check back for updates.
• The Animal Rescue League of NH (545 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3647, rescueleague.org) will hold a Holiday Fair Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring pet photos with Santa or the Grinch (by appointment), craft vendors, tree sales, a bake sale and more, according to rescueleague.org.
• Sanborn Mills Farm (7097 Sanborn Road in Loudon) will hold its Winter Market on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Fifield Hall, according to an email from the farm. The Market will feature local artisans and craftspeople, farm made lunch and refreshments and festive music, the email said.
• The Nashua 10th Annual Holiday Fair, hosted by New England Vendor Events, will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Birch Hill School, 71 Amherst St. in Nashua, according to New England Vendor Events’ Facebook page. Admission is free, as are photo opportunities with Santa, the post said.
• Chapel + Main, 83 Main St. in Dover, chapelandmain.com, will hold Arts & Drafts on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the website.
• Concord Arts Market and Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, kimballjenkins.com, will host the Gingerbread Marketplace at Kimball Jenkins on Sunday, Dec. 7, from noon to 6 p.m. featuring “sweet treats and gifts for your holiday shopping” as well as Kimball Jenkins’ The Artisans Nook of fine arts and crafts items, according to the website.
• The NH Audubon’s Annual Holiday Craft Fair is Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord; nhaudubon.org) featuring more than 30 local crafters, raffles and more, according to the website.
• The PTO at Main Dunstable Elementary School, 20 Whitford Road in Nashua, will host a Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring crafts by local artisans, baked goods, raffles, silent auctions, kids’ activities, a Santa meet and photo opportunity and more, according to mdespto.com.
• Concord Arts Market will host the Concord Holiday Arts Market at Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, kimballjenkins.com, on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the website.
• Caya Reiki and Healing (caya-healing.square.site) will hold its Winter Wonderland Craft Market & Psychic Fair at the Hooksett American Legion on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find CAYA on Facebook for updates.
• Wrong Brain will hold its annual Holidaze Bizaare on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Community Campus, 100 Campus Drive in Portsmouth, according to Wrong Brain’s Facebook page. Billed as an “alternative craft fair,” the Holidaze Bizaare “will take place in the gymnasium, 2 lobbies, AND we have the art room for workshops & activities,” according to a post.
• The New Hampshire World Market will take place Saturday, Dec. 13, and Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Anheuser Busch Brewery, 221 DW Highway in Merrimack, featuring music, photos with Santa, food, crafts and more, according to nhworldchristmasmarket.com, where you can purchase tickets.
• The Holly Jolly Craft Fair will be held at the DoubleTree Hilton (2 Somerset Plaza, Nashua) on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature items from more than 75 artisans, according to joycescraftshows.com. Items will include holiday decor, country folk art, soy candles, gift baskets, wood art, artwork and more, the website said.
• Wrong Brain will hold its Night Bizaare on Monday, Dec. 22, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Chapel + Main (83 Main St. in Dover), according to Wrong Brain’s Facebook page.
