Held at Chilliwack Heritage Park in November, the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market is one of the largest holiday season markets in the Vancouver region.
In 2018 the event celebrates its 44th season with over 175 vendors on the weekend of November 16-18.
Christmas Craft Market 2018
The Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market is a massive event that showcases all kinds of artisan products, from locally-designed clothing to homemade gourmet goodies to handmade art to craft distilled alcoholic spirits.
Market Dates and Location
In 2018 the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market takes place on November 16-18 at the following times:
- Friday, November 16th: from noon until 8:00 pm
- Saturday, November 17th: from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm
- Sunday, November 18th: from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm
Each year the venue for the craft fair is at Chilliwack Heritage Park which is located at 44140 Luckakuck Way in Chilliwack which is a large rural community just east of Abbotsford.
To get there from the Vancouver direction along the Trans-Canada Highway, take Exit #116 at Lickman Road.
Christmas Market Admission
Admission to the market most years is about $4 per person at the door. Children under 11 years of age are free.
Parking is by donation with proceeds benefiting whichever local community organization or youth sports team is helping direct traffic on each particular day.
Market Products for Sale
Over 175 vendors participate in the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market each year, making it one of the largest events of its kind in the Lower Mainland. Artisan product categories and a preliminary number of vendors in each from 2018 are listed below.
Art Products (50)
- Pottery & Ceramics (10)
- Glasswork & Metalwork (11)
- Woodwork (16)
- Other Visual Art (13)
Clothing & Accessories (33)
- Knitted, Woven & Crocheted Products (11)
- Miscellaneous Sewn Fabric Products (22)
- And more to come
Food & Drink (41)
- Food (33)
- Wine & Spirits (8)
Miscellaneous Other Vendor Categories (38)
- Bath & Body (15)
- Home & Decor (13)
- Bookbinding & Literature (4)
- Miscellaneous (6)
When we last visited the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market one of our favourite vendor displays featured plush teddy bears and other stuffed animals that were made out of real but recycled fur.
Fur coats aren’t the most politically correct things to wear nowadays, but what a great way to reuse ones that are no longer being worn. They made for exquisite toys, and by recycling the materials it saved the furs from going to the dump! We loved them!
For a full list of participating vendors see the Christmas Market’s website and scroll to the middle of the page.
About the Craft Market
The Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market is put on by the Chilliwack Community Arts Council and revenues earned at the event are used by the organization to fund art scholarships, put on other community events and subsidize art classes for members of the community. Revenues come from admission tickets and 10% of all vendor product sales.
Artisans at the market apply to participate and their products are scrutinized by a selection jury which ensures a high standard of quality at the event. All products at the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market have been handmade by the vendor – no finished products are allowed to be made by other people, from a craft kit or imported from abroad.
Now in its 44th year, the market is a fabulous event because of its size, the quality of the products, and the fact that it features local artists and supports a great cause.
Other Information
For further details about Chilliwack’s annual holiday season artisan fair, click Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market.
While in the area, other things you might want to check out include the following:
- West Coast Christmas Craft Show – another large artisan market that usually takes place on or around the same weekend in Abbotsford.
- Atchelitz Threshermen’s Association Museum – a museum and historical site that’s right next door to Chilliwack Heritage Park and open on Saturdays in the fall.
- For ideas on other things to do in the area click Fraser Valley.
TIP: Gas prices are always cheaper in the Fraser Valley because municipalities in that region are exempt from Metro Vancouver’s transit gas taxes. As a result, be sure to fill up your tank in Abbotsford, Chilliwack or somewhere else in the region! The savings can sometimes be as much as 10 cents per litre!
For a list of other similar craft markets in other parts of the Lower Mainland, click Vancouver Craft Fairs.
For a list of other types of events throughout the region, check out Vancouver’s November or December calendars or click Festivals & Events.
And for a list of other Christmas-y activities throughout the Lower Mainland, click Best Christmas Activities.
