With Christmas just around the corner, now is the time to do your gift shopping before the holiday madness begins. Even if you dodge the crowds, however, going to multiple stores can still be overwhelming and stressful. Fortunately, you can find gifts for all of your family and friends in one place! Returning for its 14th year, The Junior League of Tampa Holiday Gift Market is the Bay area’s one-stop shop for Christmas gifts and holiday items.
The Holiday Gift Market will be at Tampa’s Florida State Fairgrounds in the Expo Hall as usual, but this year they’ve added 80 more vendors and 55,000 more square feet of shopping space! These exciting changes mean more vendors to shop, wider aisles, and an even more enjoyable experience for shoppers.
In total, there will be more than 180 vendors from around the country selling a vast array of items including T-shirts, boutique clothing, hats, jewelry, accessories, makeup, home and Christmas decor, candles, crystalware, candy and fudge, jams, dip mixes, olive oil and other gourmet food items, things for pets, toys, gadgets, and much more!
With so many different types of vendors, you’ll be able to find something for everyone on your Christmas list. You may even wind up getting something for yourself!
Shelby Tuttle, Co-Chair of The Junior League of Tampa Holiday Gift Market, remarks on this year’s event:
"I’m most excited about the variety of merchants this year. There is a ton of planning that happens behind closed doors, taking into account feedback from previous years and making sure we truly have something for everyone. You won’t be able to shop the range of unique vendors like this all under one roof anywhere else!"
Attendees of previous years have always enjoyed the shopping selection at the Holiday Gift Market, and they will be even more pleased this year. Sonya Crawford, who attended last year’s, says, “The festively-decorated hall definitely gets you in the holiday spirit, and you’ll find a ton of things that aren’t in traditional stores. I can’t wait to see all that they have this year!”
The Junior League of Tampa truly has something for everyone, even for less-enthusiastic shoppers with a designated Man Cave area where the guys can sit in comfy seats and watch TV while their better halves can enjoy unhurried shopping.
At The Junior League of Tampa Holiday Gift Market, the gift of giving extends far beyond the gifts you’ll pick for your loved ones. The Holiday Gift Market is one of the The Junior League of Tampa’s biggest fundraising events, and 100% of ticket sales will go directly to the league’s programs and community projects.
Additionally, for every family of four that attends, the league will make one Love Bundle, a backpack full of clothing, essentials, and comfort items for a child entering the foster care system with little or no belongings.
General admission tickets for The Junior League of Tampa Holiday Gift Market are $8 each and can be purchased online or at the door the weekend of the gift market. Parking is an additional $6 (cash only).
Mark your calendars and make Christmas shopping easier this year! The Junior League of Tampa Holiday Gift Market takes place the second weekend of November during the following days and times:
- Thursday, November 9th, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (Holiday Gift Market Preview Party)
- Friday, November 10th, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Saturday, November 11th, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Sunday, November 12th, 9:00 AM to 3:00PM
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