Duluth Handmade Holiday Market 2026

The Duluth Handmade Holiday Market is part of the annual "Deck the Hall" celebration presented by the City of Duluth in the heart of historic Downtown Duluth, Georgia. Set on the Town Green and surrounding Main Street district, this festive market is integrated into one of Gwinnett County's most beloved holiday traditions, drawing families from across metro Atlanta for a full day and evening of seasonal activities.

Visitors come to enjoy the city's tree lighting, Santa visits, live entertainment, food vendors, and holiday attractions — all while strolling through a curated marketplace of handmade goods. The event is designed as a walk-through holiday village, allowing patrons to circulate throughout the district multiple times, creating strong engagement and excellent buying energy for artists and makers.

This family-oriented audience arrives specifically in a gift-buying mindset, making the market especially successful for handcrafted items, seasonal décor, ornaments, candles, jewelry, woodwork, and personalized gifts. Evening hours are particularly active as the Town Green lights up and crowds gather for the holiday celebration.

Downtown Duluth's restaurants, shops, and free public parking contribute to a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly environment where visitors linger and shop.

Festival Hours: Saturday 2pm - 6pm

General Information

Accept applications: February 17, 2026 Application Deadline: October 26, 2026 Accept invitation & purchase deadline: November 24, 2026

Event Dates: December 05, 2026, Saturday 2:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. Load-In: Saturday, December 05, 2026 (12:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M.)

The Duluth Handmade Holiday Market at Duluth Deck the Hall Annual Christmas Event is organized in part by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces, LLC, and a board of experts in various artistic disciplines.

Categories

• 2-D Mixed Media: Includes more than one type of physical material such as collage, papermaking, encaustic, pen and ink, paint, pencil, watercolor, or photography. Finished art must be suitable for wall mounting.
• 3-D Mixed Media: Includes more than one type of physical material such as mosaic, papier mache, clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, or any other 3-dimensional objects.
• Ceramics: Original shaped and fired clay including earthenware, porcelain, and raku.
• Digital Art: Two-dimensional works from which the original image is manipulated by the artist using a computer using programs such as Drawing, Illustrator, Paint, or other software applications.
• Drawing & Printmaking: Original drawings made with pen, pencil, charcoal, pastels, or chalk. The Printmaking process may include pulled plates, linoleum prints, etching, engraving, silkscreen, or lithography. All prints must be signed and numbered by the artist. Photocopies are not permitted.
• Fiber: Works created from fibers including basketry, batik, weaving, papermaking, knitting, and quilting. The embellishment of manufactured materials is not permitted.
• Glass: An object made of glass including blown, fused, stained, cast, and molded. The embellishment of manufactured materials is not permitted.
• Handicraft: Handmade items made by the artist from manufactured, recycled, or repurposed materials transforming the combined materials into a unique product in a cohesive collection. A complete description of items is required.
• Jewelry: All Jewelry is crafted from metal, glass, stone, clay, or other materials. Commercial molds or casts are not permitted. At least 50% of the organic materials in the finished product used must be produced by the artist.
• Metal: Functional and non-sculptural works incorporating metal.
• Painting: The use of oils, acrylics, watercolors, and tempera suitable for hanging.
• Photography: Prints, transparencies, or digital images made from the artist's original negative or taken with a digital camera that has been processed by the artist.
• Sculpture: Three-dimensional work is done in any individual medium.
• Wood & Furniture: Original works in wood that are built, turned, carved, or tooled. Embellished manufactured wood items are not permitted.

Prohibited Items

• T-shirts and commercial clothing
• Posters
• Manufactured toys
• Commercially manufactured or reproduced items (resale)
• Jewelry made from more than 50% manufactured components
• Any item that employs the use of commercially available molds or patterns

Rules and Regulations

This is an outdoor event; exhibitors must provide their own tent and display materials. All Artist Market merchandise must be original, handmade, and created by the Exhibitor. Original art must occupy at least 50% of the artist's space. All artwork on display must be for sale. Artists may only show work in categories approved by the Jury. Artists must be present with their work for the duration of the Festival. Only individual artists or two-person collaborative artists are permitted to submit an application; applications received from artist groups will be returned or rejected. Booth sharing among non-collaborating artists is not permitted.

AFFPS requires professional weights, min. 45 lbs. - 50 lbs per/each on all tent legs, as no staking or tying to trees, lamp posts, etc. is permitted in the City Park setting.

Booth Information and Fees

• Application fee: $30
• Standard space 10'x10': $100
• Double Booth 10'x20': $200
• Electricity: $100 (limited availability)
• Corner Booth: $50 (limited availability)

Assigned booth spaces are approximately 11' deep by 11' wide. Artists are responsible for providing their own means of displaying their work.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Cancellations up to 90 days prior to the event will have fees applied to the next scheduled show. There are no refunds within 60 days of the event. Application/Administrative fees are non-refundable. The event is rain or shine with no rain dates and no refunds for show cancellation due to weather.

Jury Details

Average number of applications submitted each year: 100 Average number of artists selected from the jury to participate in the event: 75 Average number of exempt-from-jury artists invited to participate: 2 How returning artists are selected: Selected by show director or board (Directors Choice) How images are viewed by jurors: Computer monitor Within a medium category, applications are sorted and viewed by: Random Order

Applications are reviewed by a jury; images are viewed by jurors on a computer monitor, with applications within a medium category sorted and viewed in random order. On average, about 100 applications are submitted each year, with roughly 75 artists selected by the jury and 2 additional artists invited exempt from jury review. Returning artists are selected by the show director or board at their discretion.