Pendleton's Holiday Open House
1446 East 1850 Road
In-Person Shopping: November 18-19 and 25-26.
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
Start your holiday shopping at the Pendleton’s Holiday Open House. Located just off Highway 10 between Lawrence and Kansas City, this market will feature numerous local vendors and farmers showing off their lovely hand-crafted and home-grown wares. Plus, it’s a perfect excuse to visit this diversified family farm known for its vegetables, bedding plants and cut flowers. Pendletons.com
Holiday Open Barn
1827 East 1150 Road
November 3-5
Come out to the farm and breathe some fresh autumn air, listen to holiday music, and shop from 30-plus local artists. This year, there will not only be artists vending from inside the barn, but also new artists in their own tents outside. A sneak peek will happen Friday, November 3rd, with open shopping starting at 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday’s hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday’s hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. HistoricTaylorBarn.com
Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade
Saturday, December 2
The Lawrence Christmas Parade has been a city holiday tradition for 30 years. Step back in time to enjoy the authentic horse-drawn carriages as they move down Massachusetts Street decorated with beautiful garlands and jingling bells. For the complete parade route and parking information, log onto LawrenceChristmasParade.org
Art Van Go Adornment Holiday Art Show & Sale
715 New Jersey Street
November 25-December 17
This annual sale features artwork by Van Go Apprentice Artists, ages 14-24, including home goods, glassware, cards, holiday decor, apparel, and more. Opening night will be Saturday, November 25 with a program at 7 p.m. and shopping beginning immediately afterward.
The gallery will be open for shopping through December 17. If you can’t make it to the gallery, 24/7 online shopping is available beginning November 27th at Van-Go.org.
Keep your eye out for special shopping weekends featuring other great local artists in the Van Go space!
Lawrence Parks and Rec Holiday Extravaganza
Sports Pavilion Lawrence
100 Rock Chalk Lane
December 2nd, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Parks and Rec’s largest craft show of the year is a great way to celebrate the holiday season! Lprd.org/specialevents/artsandcrafts
Lawrence Holiday Farmers’ Market
Open Pavilion at Douglas County Fairgrounds
1930 Harper Street
December 10th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Another 30-year holiday tradition is this gathering of vendors from the Lawrence Farmers’ Market to offer their baked goods, produce, meats, wine and artwork to purchase for your family celebrations. LawrenceFarmersMarket.org/holiday-market
Festival of Trees
Maceli’s Banquet Hall & Catering
1031 New Hampshire Street.
Friday, November 24th through Sunday, December 3rd
The annual Lawrence Festival of Trees is the primary fundraising event for The O’Connell Children’s Shelter. Businesses, clubs, children’s groups, families and organizations donate Christmas trees and wreaths to be displayed for the entire Lawrence community to enjoy. The trees and wreaths are all decorated with inventive and whimsical themes in mind and are auctioned off at the gala Festival of Trees event. This year, additional events are planned during Festival week, including brunches and breakfasts with Santa, singing performances, and some late-night events. Details are at OconnellChildrensShelter.org/festival-of-trees
Winter Wonder Pass
If you want to keep up on all the holiday happenings in Lawrence this season, just download the Winter Wonder Pass from Explore Lawrence. It’s free and will provide you with all the details of this year’s events, markets, attractions, etc. The pass is available at ExploreLawrence.com/passports starting Thanksgiving through January 15th.