Holiday markets in Los Angeles for finding the perfect present

Sip on a free cup of hot cocoa as L.A. County decks the halls and lights up its official Christmas tree at the Music Center’s Jerry Moss Plaza. While you’re there, listen to festive favorites performed live and peruse goods from local nonprofits, sustainable makers and small businesses at the LA2050 Holiday Impact Market. There’ll also be art-making activities for kids, plus an art-supply drive that will benefit local youth affected by the Eaton Fire.

Every Sunday, you can find dozens of food vendors at Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn import that boasts a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars at ROW DTLA. And on November 30, “Smorg for the Holidays” kicks off, with a holiday market and guest vendors setting up in the shopping aisle through December 21. After retail therapy, refuel with tasty holiday specials from Smorgasburg vendors, and be sure to snap a photo with Santa and Rudolph. Entry and the first two hours of parking are free.

If you’re making a list and checking it twice, consider Craft Contemporary’s annual holiday marketplace for unique handmade gifts and an opportunity to buy directly from the emerging and established L.A. makers behind them, chosen for their top-notch design and craftsmanship. If you want dibs on the most in-demand options, check out the ticketed preview on Friday evening, with refreshments, music and gift bags. Otherwise, stop by the museum over the weekend to check out the latest exhibitions and shop. There are even some workshops where you can tap into your own craftiness: Make 3-D paper snowflakes on Saturday or finger puppets on Sunday—both free—or craft your own holiday centerpiece using greens and florals (12:30pm, $65).

One of the best small-business shopping events in the country, the biannual Unique Los Angeles features clothes, accessories, wellness products, art pieces and artisanal foods from over 75 local brands. Rub elbows with the different designers and artists showcasing their work, take free holiday portraits in the Oh Snap! photo booth, and visit the DIY Den to make your own gift charms and ornaments. Unique Los Angeles is the perfect place to find, well, unique gifts for those on your list. Ticket proceeds will go to their new nonprofit, Unique World, which provides mentorship and grants to small businesses, artists and creatives.

The outdoor Topanga theater is already pretty magical, but on December 13 it’ll turn into a winter wonderland, with carolers and singing madrigals roaming the grounds, holiday storytelling, an artisan market selling gifts and crafts, festive food and drink, and photo ops with Santa and Mrs. Claus. After the fair, there’s a live radio play performance of It’s a Wonderful Life starring Pamela Adlon, Beau Bridges, Wendie Malick, Joe Mantegna and Missi Pyle at 5pm—you can buy a ticket as a $25 add-on.

Melrose Trading Post is a favorite among flea-market shoppers year-round, but every Sunday in December, it’ll offer a merry twist. More than 260 local artists, makers and vintage vendors will be selling gift-worthy goods alongside live music and family-friendly holiday activities. Take your picture in the Rock ’n’ Roll Santa photo booth, get creative at an artist-led gift-making workshop, and catch performances by the Grand Arts Jazz Carolers and Little Women Ballet. And if a puppy’s on your Christmas wish list, you can adopt one on-site on December 28. Admission to MTP is usually $8, but you can get in for free December 7 and 14 if you bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Mágico Toy Drive.

Modern-day living got you down? Travel back to the Victorian era with this holiday celebration at the Arboretum, taking place over three consecutive weekends. The front lawn of the 1880s Queen Anne Cottage, which you can step inside during a walk-through tour, will host visits with Santa, Victorian dancers and carolers, themed refreshments and a marketplace. Grab a hot cocoa or hot toddy and browse goods from local makers and artists.

Saved your shopping till the literal week of Christmas? Don’t worry: A favorite of in-the-know shoppers, MAUM Market is returning to ROW DTLA on December 20. The market champions AAPI artists, creatives and entrepreneurs, and the result is a mindfully curated shopping experience. Find accessories, art, kids’ toys, beauty and wellness goodies, ceramics, stationery, clothing, jewelry, home wares and treats at the family-friendly and pet-friendly fair. While entry is usually $5, this time around it’s free.

Not to be confused with Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens, this newcomer to L.A.’s Christmas-lights scene is also located in the San Gabriel Valley—Santa Anita Park, to be precise—and claims to be the largest Christmas-lights maze in the world. In addition to its lit-up labyrinth with a 100-foot tree of lights as its centerpiece, the one-stop holiday extravaganza also boasts ice skating, an ice slide, a Ferris wheel, mini golf and an inviting shopping village, where you can shop Christmas decor, unique gifts, cozy confections and much more.

Like a holiday edition of Fiesta Hermosa, this fifth annual weekend-long event transforms the coastal city’s downtown into a winter wonderland with an open house for local businesses, a Ferris wheel with ocean views and an artisanal pop-up marketplace on Pier Plaza (Fri 5–9pm; Sat, Sun 10am–4pm). Local stores will also be offering shoppers deals. And, in a fun twist on your typical holiday market, there’ll also be a Kids Creation Market (Sat, 3–6pm), where enterprising local kid entrepreneurs will sell their own handmade creations. Also on the schedule: a letters-to-Santa station, family-friendly music fest, a storytime tent, photos with Santa, a tree lighting ceremony and a community concert on Sunday. 

Westlake Village re-creates a traditional European Christmas market with Holidays in the Village, where you’ll find artisan vendors selling gift-worthy goods, as well as bakers, chocolatiers, carolers and more on December 6. You can shop into the evening, when the stalls come alive with holiday lights. Refuel with a freshly baked croissant or Aebleskiver paired with a mug of Glühwein, hot cocoa or Kinderpunsch. It’s also family-friendly: At last year’s event, kids got to mingle with Kris Kringle and the Grinch, take train and Ferris wheel rides, and hunt down teddy bears in a scavenger hunt.