Media Contact: Sheena Pegarido, 202-559-4431 or Jae Early, 202-640-5295 downtowndcholidaymarket@linksp.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 22, 2024) – The DowntownDC Holiday Market opened today, November 22, kicking off the festive season in the District with more than 100 vendors, new features, and an elevated look.
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) held a ribbon cutting with Mayor Muriel Bowser today to welcome the public to the DowntownDC Holiday Market. The beloved DC tradition celebrates its 20th year, returning to its familiar location on F Street NW, between 7th and 9th Streets NW. It is free and open to the public daily from November 22 to December 23, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., except on Thanksgiving Day.
Visitors can expect an expanded marketplace featuring a curated lineup of returning and new vendors, including over 100 artisans, artists, and crafters showcasing a diverse selection of handcrafted goods, local products, and festive decorations. A complete list of this year’s vendors can be found on the website, and a directory map can be viewed here.
“While we continue to transform, invest in, and reimagine our Downtown, we’re proud to already have the DowntownDC Holiday Market as a local tradition that showcases the spirit of our city,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “With brand new activations throughout Downtown, there’s no better place to celebrate the holidays while enjoying our beautiful city.”
New features for 2024 include:
- Dedicated Food Area: Indulge in festive treats such as colorful s’mores, empanadas, churros, waffles, and more.
- The Winter Chalet by Dirty Habit: a central market bar offering holiday-inspired drinks and cocktails, including the Market’s signature cocktail, the “DowntownDC Get Down.”
- Sounds of the City: Holiday Style: Enjoy live entertainment on the main stage, presented by the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment.
- Rudolph’s Reindeer Games: Stop by a children’s activity area offering fun for the whole family.
- Chilling with My Snowmies: Capture holiday memories at a cheery photo opportunity installation.
“Even though it’s a cherished tradition for many of us who have visited in the last 20 years, the DowntownDC Holiday Market will feel brand new – and we can’t wait for everyone to experience it,” said Gerren Price, President and CEO of the DowntownDC BID. “We want residents and visitors to be downtown for the holidays. There’s truly something for everyone.”
This year, the DowntownDC Holiday Market has undergone a rejuvenating transformation under one of the nation’s leading market operators, The Makers Show, renowned for curating unforgettable market experiences. The Makers Show is a mixed-use market platform founded by women committed to diversity and supporting the growth of small businesses. This year, as part of the DowntownDC BID’s commitment to providing opportunities for local vendors, The Makers Show offers reduced booth rental rates, staggered activations, and scholarship opportunities. Ninety percent of this year’s Market vendors are BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or women-owned. Seventeen vendors received scholarships through the incubator program.
“We’re excited to bring our long-time experience in the merry market-making industry to DowntownDC Holiday Market,” said Julie Feltman, founder of The Makers Show. “We know when vendors have a better infrastructure to work with, they create higher quality displays and it attracts a more diverse and interesting vendor pool. Together with the DowntownDC BID we’ve transformed this project into a world-class holiday market that will dazzle locals and tourists alike. You’ll have to visit multiple times this season before you can see it all!”
For a complete list of vendors and for more information about the DowntownDC Holiday Market, go to www.downtowndcholidaymarket.com.
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About DowntownDC Business Improvement District
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) was founded in 1997 and is a private nonprofit organization that provides capital improvements, resources, and research that keep the BID area clean, safe, economically and environmentally strong, and accessible. The DowntownDC BID is a catalyst, facilitator, and thought leader in diversifying the economy, promoting public-private partnerships, and enhancing the downtown experience for all. DowntownDC encompasses a 140-block area of approximately 530 properties, from Massachusetts Avenue on the north, including the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at Mount Vernon Square, to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street/Black Lives Matter Plaza on the West.
About The Makers Show
The Makers Show (TMS) is a mixed-use retail market platform rooted in social justice. Founders Julie Feltman and Tiziana Indelicato have more than a decade of New York City holiday market-making and retail experience. Promising a commitment to promoting equity and community investment through local marketplaces, TMS believes in keeping resources in local economies by using sustainable materials as well as amplifying businesses owned by BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women, and other underrepresented groups. And of course, helping consumers shop local. Since its inception in 2020, TMS has produced a dozen of large-scale markets in Brooklyn and Boston, in partnership with city authorities and developers. TMS continues to create immersive and festive marketplaces that engage, enchant and inspire.