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Come Sale Away - Holiday Nostalgia Edition

By Ali Trachta in Miscellaneous on Nov 26, 2008 6:00PM

2008_11_26christkindlmarket.jpgLove it or leave it, the holiday shopping season is upon us, and one thing we're definitely trying to do is stay away from malls. Who isn't, right? They're far away, there's no parking and they're crowded with stollers, saddlebags and static cling. (Damn the electric shocks!) However, there is one indisputable benefit: they provide one singular place to get a wide variety of gifts for the diverse people on your list. So where else can you go to knock out a lot of your holiday shopping in a hurry? Why, the old-fashioned Christmas Bazaar of course! Remember those? Gadgets and gizmos a plenty, whosits and whatsits galore, my friends. We've sought out a handful of holiday flea markets in the hopes of getting our shopping out of the way in one fell swoop.

Christkindlmarket Chicago
Add some old-timey European flavor to your day at this holiday festival, now in its 13th year. Find door bells and sleigh bells while eating schnitzel with noodles. These were a few of our favorite things.

50 W. Washington St., November 27 through December 24, Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale
Snack on pizza and treats while browsing the crafts of more than 150 artists from around the world. We're pretty excited to check out this dark and twisty dinnerware and these budget-friendly vinyl accessories.

1419 W. Blackhawk St. December 6 and 7, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Seeds of Change Marketplace
Naturalists on your list will enjoy something from this socially-conscious bazaar that features fair trade products such as coffee and olive oil and organic, farm-made products including soap and beauty products. If you can't make it that day, try this globe-friendly shopping event.

Berry Memorial United Methodist Church, 4754 N. Leavitt, December 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Holiday Shopping Jubilee
Local designers will gather at the Theatre Building Chicago to showcase clothing and accessories. Holiday-themed refreshments will be served while shoppers browse items by Coco Irene and Veronica Schaefer, among others. We're racking our brains to think of someone who would appreciate these incredible hair accessories by Love, Lulu Mae. (If we can't, Merry Christmas to us!)

1225 W. Belmont, December 16, 6-9 p.m.

Photo of Christkindlmarket by McClouds.