Holiday markets and craft fairs near Palo Alto

Palo Alto does not have one big European-style Christmas market. What it has instead is a run of smaller sales spread over about five weeks, most of them run by nonprofits, schools or garden groups. Many are free to enter, several raise money for a local cause and nearly all of them sell handmade work you will not find at Stanford Shopping Center.

This roundup covers the holiday markets and craft fairs within about 25 miles of Palo Alto that organizers had confirmed for 2026 when we checked on November 2. We list the most recent date on the organizer's own page, the venue, the cost and the easiest way to get there. Where a 2026 date was not posted, we say so. For lights, concerts and the rest of December, see our holiday season guide.

The 2026 calendar at a glance

All of these run once a year, on roughly the same weekend each December. None had posted 2027 dates by early November 2026, which is normal. Most organizers announce the next year's market in the fall.

Markets in Palo Alto

Barron Park Celebration and Craft Fair

The Barron Park Association's end-of-year party is the first craft fair of the season. It is set for Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Juana Briones Park on Maybell Avenue. Expect neighbors selling crafts, food and a relaxed, small-town feel rather than a shopping event. It is free. Check the Barron Park Association site for vendor details. See our Barron Park guide for the neighborhood. Bike or walk if you live nearby, since street parking around the park is limited.

Gamble Garden Holiday Marketplace

Gamble Garden's Winter Festival runs Thursday to Saturday, December 3 to 5, 2026. The Holiday Marketplace fills the house and garden on Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with more than 30 vendors and free coffee. Children 12 and under get in free. The garden had not posted adult admission for 2026 when we checked, so look at the Winter Festival page before you go. A ticketed holiday tea and a Friday evening with Santa run alongside. Our Winter Festival guide has the full schedule.

Palo Alto Art Center Studio Holiday Sale

Artists who rent studios at the city's Art Center sell their own work on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city lists jewelry, ceramics, paintings and prints. Entry is free. This is the place for a handmade mug or a small print from someone who works a few blocks away. The Art Center sits beside Rinconada Park on Newell Road. Our Art Center guide covers parking and the galleries, which are worth a look while you are there.

Allied Arts Guild Christmas Market, Menlo Park

The Allied Arts Guild Auxiliary runs a two-day Christmas Market at the guild's Spanish Colonial courtyards, 75 Arbor Road in Menlo Park. The 2026 market is Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The auxiliary describes handcrafted gifts, holiday decor and treasures from local vendors. Admission and parking are free and all proceeds go to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. Holiday lunch is served at Cafe Wisteria on the grounds.

Allied Arts is about 3 miles from downtown Palo Alto. By car, take El Camino Real north and turn east onto Cambridge Avenue or Arbor Road. By train, Menlo Park station is a little over a mile away on foot. The guild's own studios and shops stay open too. Details are on the guild's events page. Our Allied Arts Guild guide covers its history.

Los Altos: the Holiday Stroll and Thursday markets

The Los Altos Village Association runs the busiest holiday calendar in the area. Its 23rd Holiday Stroll is on Friday, November 13, 2026, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Main and State streets, with lights, carolers and shopping specials. It is more of a shopping night than a market, but it marks the start of the season downtown.

The actual markets come in December. The association's Holiday Market takes over State Street Market, the food hall at 170 State Street, on Thursday, December 10 and Thursday, December 17, from 4 to 8 p.m., with live music. A Holiday Tree Celebration is on Friday, December 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Veterans Community Plaza. All are free. The downtown Los Altos events calendar has updates. Downtown Los Altos is about 5 miles south of Palo Alto by Foothill Expressway or El Camino Real. There is no Caltrain station in town. Our downtown Los Altos guide lists where to park and eat.

German Holiday Market, Mountain View

The largest single-day market near Palo Alto is the German Holiday Market, or Weihnachtsmarkt, run by the German International School of Silicon Valley. The 2026 market is on Saturday, December 12, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Mountain View City Hall Plaza, 500 Castro Street. Admission is free and no tickets are needed. The school says the market draws more than 20,000 visitors from around the Bay Area each year, so expect crowds by early afternoon.

The market is modeled on the Christmas markets of Germany. Look for food stalls, holiday crafts and an evening atmosphere once the lights come on. Go early if you want to shop in comfort, or after dark for the full effect. Check the school's market page for the vendor list.

Caltrain is the easy way in. From Palo Alto or California Avenue station, ride two or three stops to Mountain View, then walk about half a mile up Castro Street to City Hall. Downtown garages fill on a December Saturday.

Hometown Holidays, Redwood City

Redwood City's Hometown Holidays fills the streets around Courthouse Square for a full Saturday in mid-December. The most recent date on the city's own page was Saturday, December 13, 2025, with food, craft and community booths from about 10 a.m., Santa's Village, carnival rides, a 4:30 p.m. parade and a tree lighting at 6 p.m. A Caltrain Holiday Train stop was part of the 2025 program.

Event listings show Saturday, December 12, 2026 for this year's edition, but the city had not posted 2026 details when we checked on November 2. Treat the date as likely rather than confirmed. Courthouse Square is two blocks from Redwood City station, about 10 minutes north of Palo Alto by Caltrain. Our downtown Redwood City guide has restaurants for after the tree lighting.

Farther afield

San Jose's Christmas in the Park runs from November 27, 2026 to January 1, 2027 in downtown San Jose and is free. It is a lights and displays event with food vendors rather than a craft market, but it pairs well with a December evening in the city. Filoli in Woodside dresses its house for the season and opens its gardens for Holiday Lights from November 14, 2026 to January 10, 2027, with a gift shop on site. Both are ticketed or busy enough that you should check before you go. Our holiday lights guide covers them.

Planning a market weekend

The weekend of December 4 to 6 is the one to plan around. You could start Friday evening at the Lytton Plaza tree lighting, spend Saturday morning at Gamble Garden and the Art Center sale, then drive to Allied Arts Guild for lunch and the Christmas Market. The German market follows a week later. Hotels are not as tight as in June, but December weekends near Stanford still fill. You can compare Palo Alto hotels for a December weekend and pick a refundable rate.

For gifts beyond the markets, our holiday shopping guide lists Stanford Shopping Center hours and shops that wrap for free.

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