The craft-show season has arrived in full, and this weekend is the marathon: Saturday, November 7 stacks a full day of holiday bazaars and craft fairs from Frankfort to Schererville, with a Veterans Day parade, a vinyl market and a first look at the season's best handmade goods. I went back through the park district pages, village calendars and venue sites this week and verified everything below, so you can plan with confidence. As always, give each host a quick check before you head out, since dates and hours can shift.
A quick archive note
Halloween night came and went beautifully, with town-by-town trick-or-treating from Orland Park to Crown Point, and the region has been easing into the holiday season ever since. Valparaiso kicked off craft season on Sunday, November 1 with The Edge of Liberty Craft Fair at 606 North Calumet Avenue, and now the big November shows are here. If you missed any of the early events, this weekend more than makes up for it.
Saturday, November 7: the craft-show marathon
Frankfort opens its 33rd Annual Holiday Craft Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Founders Community Center, 140 Oak Street, with free entry and handmade gifts, decor, jewelry and gourmet treats from local makers. It is a long-running village tradition, and a wonderful first stop on a Saturday shopping loop.
Down the line in Tinley Park, the Fall Arts & Crafts Show takes over Victor J. Andrew High School on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m., the music parents' fundraiser that draws a big crowd of crafters every year. The same morning, the REACH Inclusion Craft Fair runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center, 8125 West 171st Street, and the High School Art Show fills the Vogt Visual Arts Center, 17420 South 67th Court, from 1 to 3 p.m. And if you collect vinyl, Soundgrowler Brewing Company, 8201 West 183rd Street, hosts its Vinyl Market at noon, a record-hunting stop with a pour in hand.
Across the state line, Schererville holds its longest-running craft show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days at the Schererville Community Center, 500 East Joliet Street, and Homan School, 210 East Joliet Street: a two-building fair that has drawn the region for years. Crown Point stacks two smaller shows, the Holiday Artisan Fair at 10 a.m. at Plymouth Place downtown and a Craft Fair & Bake Sale at 9 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church. Mokena's My Joyful Heart hosts its Christmas Sale at 9 a.m. at 9981 West 190th Street, and New Lenox's Encore Resale Shop runs Jingle & Mingle from 10 a.m. at 710 Cedar Crossings Drive.
And before you shop, a moment of purpose: Hammond holds its 13th Annual Veteran Appreciation Day Parade at 10 a.m. along 173rd Street, a chance to line the route and honor those who served as Veterans Day week begins.
Sunday, November 8: two more ways to fill the day
Tinley Park's craft show at Victor J. Andrew High School runs its second day, and Schererville's two-building fair continues, so if Saturday was booked, Sunday still delivers. Just up the road, Lockport's 6th Annual Craft & Vendor Show runs 10 a.m. at the VFW Auxiliary, 1026 East 9th Street, a smaller show that is worth the short drive.
Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day
The observances are set on both sides of the state line: Orland Park holds its ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Civic Center, Crown Point gathers on the east steps of the Historic Lake County Courthouse from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and Munster honors veterans at the Community Veterans Memorial on Calumet Avenue. I also verified a newer one this week: Valparaiso's Valpo Parks Foundation holds a Veterans Day ceremony at Foundation Meadows, 3210 North Campbell Street, with the observance reported for the morning, so check the foundation's page for the exact time. Full details for every town are in my Veterans Day post.
A look ahead to November 13 through 15
The holiday kickoff weekend is already shaping up nicely: the World of Illumination's Cosmic Sleighride opens Friday, November 13 at Orland Square Mall, and Valparaiso's holiday market weekend fills the Porter County Expo Center. New on my verified list: the New Lenox Holiday Craft & Vendor Fair lands Saturday, November 14 at Trinity Lutheran Church with 30-plus vendors. The full November 13 through 15 lineup, from the Festival of Owls to New Lenox's Christmas At the Field, is in my holiday-kickoff post.
Make the most of the weekend
You do not need a big production to feel the season turn. A craft-show Saturday, a veterans parade on 173rd Street, a record hunt at a brewery: these small traditions are what make a place feel like home. And if you are weighing a move, this is a perfect stretch to come visit and test the fit. Wander the booths in Frankfort, watch the square gather in Schererville, feel the town at its warmest. That is when you know. When you are ready, I would love to be in your corner. You Can With Joanne!™