Last year, The Astorian described a gray Sunday morning at the Astoria Armory just before the holiday market opened. Vendors were wheeling in carts stacked with jars of jam and trays of baked goods, and a hammer dulcimer player was warming up at the back of the hall. The market returns to 1636 Exchange St. this year on three Sundays: Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entry is free.
The three Sundays are three different markets that happen to share a room. The organizers post a separate vendor list for each date, and the lists don't match. If you have a jeweler, a cheesemaker or a fudge maker in mind, the published roster tells you which Sunday to show up. Showing up once and assuming you've seen everything is how you miss them.
The Rosters Are Published, Date by Date
The Astoria Holiday Market is now in its fourth year. The Astoria Sunday Market runs it with the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association. The organizers promise 60-plus vendors each week and say plainly that "the vendor mix will be different each week, so plan to attend more than once."
Market manager Tamara Cameron explained how it works when she spoke with The Astorian ahead of the 2025 season. That year the market filled 65 spots each week from a list of more than 90 vendors. "This means the market will be different each week, and people should plan to attend all three," she told the paper. She also said the market began in 2023 as a way for Sunday Market vendors to keep selling over the holidays. The list has since grown to include makers who sell only in winter.
The 2026 lists posted so far show how the rotation plays out across the three Sundays. The organizers add a caveat worth keeping in mind: "Like life, this list is subject to change."
Vendors Listed for Only One Sunday
These are the names that appear on a single date's list. If one of them is on your gift list, you have one chance to find them at the Armory.
| Sunday | Vendors listed only on this date |
|---|---|
| Nov. 29 | Brevin's Solid Gold Fudge, Tam's Sweets, Kanobi Candle Co., Hart Strings Art, Oso Made, Vozee Leather and Dye |
| Dec. 6 | Sweater Heads, Sweetbookshelf, Sisu Stitchery, Clark Family Farms |
| Dec. 13 | We Must Mustard, Chakra Flames, Ghost Cat Embroidery, Atrum Arte |
The opening Sunday has the most one-time sweets. Brevin's Solid Gold Fudge and Tam's Sweets are both listed for Nov. 29 and nowhere else. If you buy edible gifts for the people you'll see over Thanksgiving, that's useful to know, because the market opens the Sunday after the holiday.
Two Groups That Overlap Differently
The one-day names are only part of the rotation. Two larger groups each show up on two of the three dates, and their schedules overlap in different ways.
The first group is listed for Nov. 29 and Dec. 13 but skips Dec. 6:
- 503 Distilling, LLC
- Flat Four Coffee Co
- Adrian's Woods and Michael Peroni Woodworking
- Sidedoor Ceramics
- Mary's Milk Monsters
- OMENS, Nae & J Crafts, Tracy Blom and S. Michael Medicinals
- Willapa River Goods and Wooden It Be Beautiful
The second group first appears on Dec. 6 and stays for Dec. 13. It includes Angela Raines Art, Kate Speranza Jewelry Studio, Designs by Nancy Lee, Ramblin' Leather Goods, Roza Flower Farm, Seaside Stone LLC, Sonn-Washed Studio, The Copper Pixie, London's Bridge, Michele's Montage, RedClothespin, Picasso moon and Peg johnson.
Taken together, Dec. 13 has the widest mix. It brings back much of the opening-day group and keeps the newcomers from Dec. 6. Several makers who were there for the first two Sundays drop off for the finale, though. Cake & Crumb, High Peak Granola, Clover Patch, Crystal's Candles, Bayside Gardens Waxery, Apostle Leather, French Cat Studio, Rock Renditions by Gail, The Aloha Hippie, TinyLittleSkies, Nancy Karacand Jewelry & Fiber Arts and Wander Free and Queer are listed for Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 only. If you're waiting until the last weekend to shop, those names won't be on the list.
The Vendors on All Three Lists
Some vendors are listed for every Sunday, so you don't need to plan around them. If you need lunch or a last-minute gift, this group is there each week:
- Food: Mr. Baklava, The Hummus Stop, Great White Cookhouse doing business as Geebee's Kitchen, Stamper Cheese, Stumptown Fungi, Suzanne's Chocolate, Jammers Jam Co, Ellie's Jellies & More, Happy Homestead Apiary and Emberloft Flavor Labs
- Coffee: All Good Co Coffee Roasters and Blind Coffee Roasters
- Drinks: Buddha Kat Winery, Catman Cellars, Journey Distilled and Urban River Spirits
- Farms and flowers: Greenville Farms, Laughing Rabbit Farm, Little Bearfox Farm, River City Flower Farm and Bloom and Dye @ Feld Farm
- Gifts: Astoria Soap, Heather Fritz Glass, Jo Lupton Jewelry & Lapidary, Hammered Frets, Sweetheart Wheel, Paisleys Pastels Angoras, Clew Bay Leather & 3D Printing and 6 Cats' Dog Bakery
The organizers also promise coffee, brunch and pastries throughout the market, along with "other fun holiday surprises." Winter produce from the market's farmers is on the list too, so a Sunday stop can cover groceries and gifts in the same trip.
Thanksgiving Weekend, Saturday to Sunday
The first market Sunday comes the morning after the downtown tree lighting, so the weekend works best taken in order.
- Shop Plaid, before Saturday evening. ADHDA's Shop Plaid 2026 promotion is billed as a laid-back local alternative to Black Friday. You pick up a punch card at participating downtown businesses and get a punch for each purchase. Three punches earn a Shop Plaid tote bag. Five punches enter you in a drawing for gift cards from downtown businesses.
- Saturday, Nov. 28, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The free Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony takes place at the Liberty Theatre, with hot chocolate, cookies and holiday music from the Strecker Family Band while the tree is decorated and lit. ADHDA says to keep an eye out for Santa. The Shop Plaid drawing happens at the same event.
- Sunday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first Holiday Market Sunday opens at the Armory. This is the only date for the one-time sweets and makers in the first row of the table above.
One schedule note for families: the Armory has canceled its Friday and Saturday skate nights on Nov. 27 and 28 for the holiday. The Saturday before, Nov. 21, is a Pajama Party Skate Night from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Armory Keeps Its Own Calendar Between Market Sundays
The market only uses the Armory on Sundays. The rest of the week, the Astoria Armory runs as a nonprofit community center and event space, with weekend skate nights, community programs, athletic events and music. The Astorian reported in 2024 that local contractor John Helstrom built the hall in the 1940s. Over the years it has hosted USO celebrations, political rallies, sports, concerts and skate nights. The same story reported that Friday and Saturday skate nights were drawing more than 100 participants.
The December skate schedule fits around the market. On the Armory calendar, open skates run 5 to 8 p.m. and are listed as open to all ages:
- Fridays: Dec. 4, 11 and 18
- Saturdays: Dec. 5 and 12
- Saturday, Dec. 19: Winter Formal Dance & Skate, a dress-up themed skate and dance from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Dec. 25 and 26: no skate nights during the holiday closure
General admission is $4 for skaters and observers alike, and quad skate rental is another $4. That means you can skate the Saturday before the Dec. 6 or Dec. 13 market and be back in the same building the next morning, shopping where you skated.
Two Weeknights Before the Final Sunday
The week between the second and third markets has two evening events downtown.
On Wednesday, Dec. 9, the Columbia River Maritime Museum holds an ARTifacts Art Session from 6 to 8 p.m. at Mariners Hall, 1840 Marine Drive. It costs $20 for members and $35 for non-members.
On Thursday, Dec. 10, the Liberty Theatre hosts the Portland Cello Project's Ugly Sweater Holiday Show. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., the show starts at 7:30 p.m., and general admission is $35.
Jamay and Taylor at PNW Real Estate Experts love a downtown Astoria December as much as anyone. If a Holiday Market Sunday has you thinking about your own place on the hill, and how it would show to a buyer once the holiday lights come down, we're glad to talk it through over coffee. Get a free home valuation, and we'll give you an honest number with no pressure attached.
