2026 Holiday Market Application

DATES:

December 4-6, 2026 

HOURS:

Friday, December 4, 2026:

10 AM - 4 PM: Maker Load-In & Booth Set-Up
5 - 8 PM: Preview Party Shopping Event 

Saturday, December 5, 2026: 

9 AM - 11 AM: Early Bird Shopping Event 
11 AM - 6 PM: General Shopping 

Sunday, December 6, 2026: 

10 - 11 AM: Sensory-Friendly Shopping
11 AM - 6 PM: General Shopping
6 - 8 PM: Maker Load-Out 

LOCATION:

David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh (1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15222)

EVENT SIZE:

Exhibitors: 270+

Expected Attendees: 10,000+ 

APPLICATION DATES & FEES:

Application Fee: $25

Application Deadline: June 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM (EST)

Notifications: Beginning of August 2026

Application fees are non-refundable and due online upon application submission. Late applications will not be considered.

If the application fee is a barrier to applying, you may fill out our 2026 Holiday Market Application Fee Assistance here: https://form.jotform.com/Handmade_Arcade/2026-holiday-market-application-fee

BOOTH TYPES & FEES:

Craft Corridor Booth 
8 ft x 8 ft  Booth: $200

Standard Booth

10 ft x 10 ft Booth: $450

Expanded Booth Upgrades
20 ft x 10 ft Booth: $950

There will be a random lottery for makers interested in upgrading to an Expanded Booth.

Corner Booth Upgrades

• Craft Corridor Corner Booths: $75 fee
• Standard Corner Booth: $125 fee

Corner Booths are available for an additional cost. There will be a random lottery for makers interested in upgrading to a Corner Booth. Those who want to be entered into the lottery will need to select "Corner Booth Upgrade Request" on the Eventeny application and be asked to confirm their upgrade before being charged on Eventeny. Makers in Corner Booths at our 2025 Holiday Market reported an average of $1,200+ more in sales compared to makers in in-line booths.

To learn more about booth fees, visit https://www.handmadearcade.org/holiday-market-applications#2026boothfees

INCLUDED IN BOOTH FEE:

• Booth space rental
• Convenient load-in and load-out with ability to drive onto the Convention Center floor
• 24-hour security
• Listing in the printed & digital event program books
• Listing on the virtual event page on Handmade Arcade's website
• Maker Media Kit for market promotion
• At least one product featured and maker tagged on Handmade Arcade's social media prior to the market

NOT INCLUDED IN BOOTH FEE: 

• Electricity
• Tables and chairs
• Booth lighting
• Additional booth furnishings (carpets, shelves, etc.)

ELIGIBLE ARTISTIC CATEGORIES: 

• Accessories
• Adult Clothing
• Artwork*
• Bath & Body
• Ceramics
• Children’s Products
• Glass
• Housewares
• Jewelry
• Paper Goods
• Toys
• Wood
• Other (surprise us, but no food and drink vendors allowed)

*Handmade Arcade was founded as an alternative to visual arts markets where makers creating handcrafted materials with materials like clay, wood, metal, fiber arts, ceramics, and paper could sell their work. Handmade Arcade does accept visual artists for some of our markets, but artists must be able to demonstrate in their applications how their work is reproduced onto prints, fabric, clothing, stickers, etc. and sell those items at our markets rather than just originals.

MULTIPLE ENTRIES:

Artists wishing to enter in more than one medium must submit separate applications and application fees for each category in which they want to be considered. Artists may submit up to three applications. If only one of your applications is accepted into the Holiday Market, you may only sell work in that medium. 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

• Applications must align with Handmade Arcade's definition of a "handmade business"Artist(s) created the original products
• No use of mass-produced, trademarked, or licensed items in work
• No use of copyrighted designs artist(s) doesn't own in the work
• No use of purchased, downloaded, or copied images or designs in work

REQUIREMENTS: 

All accepted makers are required to: 

• Participate in the entirety of the event dates and hours listed above
• Provide crafters liability insurance
• Adhere to Handmade Arcade's Maker Terms & Conditions 

JURYING & ACCEPTANCE:

This is a juried market; however, Handmade Arcade reserves the right to curate the final accepted maker line-up in order to create a well-balanced show.

Handmade Arcade’s 2026 Holiday Market is a juried event. Therefore, makers who fulfill Handmade Arcade’s application requirements and are juried and accepted into Handmade Arcade will thereafter be known as “Accepted Makers.”

Payment of Booth Fees:

• Accepted Makers will be charged their booth fees and any additional required fees by Friday, August 14, 2026 using the payment method uploaded on Eventeny. No exceptions.
• If payment is not received by this August 14 deadline, Accepted Makers forfeit their booth at Handmade Arcade’s Holiday Market to a waitlisted applicant.
   

Cancellations: 

• Accepted Makers who cannot participate in the Holiday Market must notify Handmade Arcade’s Program Operations Manager as soon as possible.
• If Accepted Makers have paid for their booth and then find they cannot participate, they must notify Handmade Arcade’s Program Operations Manager by the cancellation deadline of September 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM (EST).
• No matter the reason, any refund requests made after this September 16 cancellation deadline cannot be made. This includes refunds for extra fees such as Electricity, Expanded Booths, Corner Booths, table and chair rentals from the Convention Center, etc.
   

Market & Promotions: 

• Accepted Makers consent to Handmade Arcade using the images provided in their application, from their website, or social media accounts for marketing purposes. Accepted Makers will be tagged when possible.
• Accepted Makers consent to being photographed and recorded at the Holiday Market for Handmade Arcade publicity and promotion purposes.
• Accepted Makers, Sponsors, Youth Maker Accelerator participants, and Hands-on Handmade Activity Area participants may not sell merchandise containing the words “Handmade Arcade” or “Handmade Arcade: The Cutting Edge of Craft” or depicting Handmade Arcade or Handmade Arcade logos, graphics, slogans or signage without the permission of Handmade Arcade’s Executive Director.
• Accepted Makers who change their business or personal name, website, contact information, or any other information submitted in the Handmade Arcade application must contact Handmade Arcade with updated information no later than 10 days prior to the date of the event.
   

In-Person Market Terms:

• Handmade Arcade and Handmade Arcade representatives and agents make no guarantees of any sort to Accepted Makers, including promises of Accepted Makers’ profits, sales, business, promotion, or advertisement opportunities.
• Accepted Makers may only sell, promote, or display original work as shown or described in their Handmade Arcade application.
• Accepted Makers are assigned a specific load-in time for the event and detailed instructions for this procedure. To facilitate the load-in of multiple vendors, these instructions must be adhered to explicitly.
• Accepted Makers will be assigned a booth space prior to the event date. It is the responsibility of the vendor to review the event map and request changes before the specified date. Handmade Arcade will review requested changes and may accept or reject the requested changes at its sole discretion.
• Accepted Makers MUST comply with the parameters of their vendor space, including but not limited to the placement of tables, chairs, racks, signs, shelves, and personnel.
• Accepted Makers must remain fully set up in their space until the close of Handmade Arcade on December 6, 2025 at 6:00 PM.
• Accepted Makers are responsible for the cleanup of their space following the event.
• Accepted Makers will pack their displays and products and vacate their space and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) no later than two hours after event doors close at 6 PM.
• Music of any sort is prohibited.
• Helium balloons are prohibited in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
• Customer service matters are the sole responsibility of the Accepted Maker. Any reports to Handmade Arcade about a negative customer service experience may impact a maker’s chance of participating in future Handmade Arcade events.
• Accepted Makers are expected to sell handmade, hand-crafted products or represent the maker’s personal creation. Mass-produced merchandise is prohibited at all Handmade Arcade events.
• Accepted Makers must adhere to Handmade Arcade’s definition of a handmade business with the products they bring. This means:
  • Artist(s) created the original products
  • No use of mass-produced, trademarked, or licensed items in work
  • No use of copyrighted designs artist(s) doesn't own in the work
  • No use of purchased, downloaded, or copied images or designs in work
  • At least 80% artist's original creation
• Accepted Makers agree to reflect Handmade Arcade’s core values of anti-racism, collaboration, equity, financial sustainability, and transparency.
• Accepted Makers are expected to showcase respectful behavior to all event staff, venue staff, other makers, sponsors, customers, etc. The following behaviors are strictly prohibited:
  • Allowing children that accompany you to the market to disturb/break products of neighboring makers and/or disrupt their sales.
  • Telling shoppers that they should avoid the booths of sponsors, other makers, etc.
  • Discrimination of shoppers, makers, event staff, volunteers, etc. of any kind.
     

Indemnification & Liability: 

• Accepted Makers agree to accept full responsibility for any property damage or bodily injury in any way caused by the Accepted Maker, Accepted Maker family members, employees, or guests during event setup, breakdown, or event hours. Accepted Maker responsibility includes payment of all damages.
• The Accepted Maker will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Handmade Arcade, its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, successors, assigns from and against all liabilities, expenses, suits, claims, actions, demands, judgments, settlements, costs, losses, fines, and penalties, including but not limited to attorney fees, costs, and expenses of litigation, that arise out of or are related to the aforementioned property damage or bodily injury.
• Additionally, Handmade Arcade disclaims all liability for any bodily injury or property damage to Accepted Makers as a result of any negligence, gross negligence, or willful misconduct caused by the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and/or any DLCC employees and/or agents.
  Handmade Arcade and Handmade Arcade representatives and agents shall not be responsible for or liable to Accepted Makers for any loss or damage that may occur to Accepted Makers or Accepted Makers’ property from any source or any cause whatsoever.
• Accepted Makers are solely responsible for collecting and paying their taxes (all applicable city, county, state, and federal sales and other taxes), licenses, personal and business liabilities, and maintaining appropriate insurances in amounts commensurate with the liabilities presented.
  Accepted Makers will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Handmade Arcade from any claim of unpaid taxes.
   

I have read and understood the Handmade Arcade Terms and Conditions. I agree that violation of any of these policies, before or during the event, gives Handmade Arcade the right to rescind the Accepted Maker’s booth space for the event or remove the Accepted Maker during the event without refund of the booth fee or any additional fees. Violations of these policies will be documented, shared with the Accepted Maker, and kept on file. Policy violations may prevent an Accepted Maker from being accepted into a future market.