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Holiday MakersFest Market at the Depot
Saturday, November 28th, 2026
Market Hours: 10AM-4PM
📍 The Depot, 611 R Avenue, Anacortes, WA 98221
ARTISTS AND VENDORS:
Before you apply, read this all the way through before you start the application process.
Seriously. It'll save us both time — and give your application a better chance at being accepted.
This is a curated market, and your answers on your application matter.
We ask a couple of questions that require 3–5 sentence responses. These are not meant to be rushed.
The vendors who take the time to answer thoughtfully and clearly are the ones who stand out.
Short or incomplete responses may not be considered.
Please answer in your own voice. We’re looking to understand you and your work, not a polished or generic description. And - Guess what? We can tell when you use ai to answer your questions for you (which is a big turn off when reading through them). Nothing wrong with ai - but be sure to put it in your own words. It's like if a customer asks what you make and you can give a clear answer, it's powerful... versus if you can't answer easily because you rely too heavily on ai... it's doing you a disservice when sharing with potential customers about what you do.
WELCOME
If you've shopped or vended at the Depot before, you already know the vibe. If you haven't — this is one of my favorite spaces to host in Anacortes. It's indoors, it's familiar, and it gives people a reason to slow down and actually shop.
Holiday MakersFest will bring together 30ish makers across the Depot's connected gallery rooms. Everything is handmade. Everything is sold by the person who made it.
This isn't a "throw up a table and hope for the best" kind of market. I'm intentional about who's in the room, how it's laid out, and how the whole thing feels when customers walk through.
A curated indoor holiday market in Anacortes, WA
THE ESSENTIALS
Event Details at a Glance
DATE
Saturday, November 28th, 2026
HOURS
Vendor Setup: 7AM, Market Hours: 10AM-4PM
LOCATION
The Depot, 611 R Avenue, Anacortes 98221
CUSTOMER ENTRY
FREE
VENDORS
Indoors - 30-34 makers
SETTING
Heated indoor gallery rooms
WHAT TO KNOW
Vendor Details & Logistics
How the market works
This is not a central checkout market. Each vendor manages their own booth, sales, and transactions.
Booth sizes
Booth sizes vary and are listed in the pricing section. They may be as small as 12x2.5' or 6x6' (starting at $50) or as large as 10x10' ($130) and sizes in between. Please plan your setup accordingly. Tables are not provided.
Booth placement
Accepted vendors will receive a link to reserve a booth space. You will get to choose your size and placement based on availability. If your preferred size or room is unavailable, choose the next best option and reach out to let me know you'd like to be notified if a spot opens up in your size/preferred location.
Lighting & spaces
The Depot has multiple rooms with different lighting. Galleries A through C get the most natural light. Gallery D is darker and vendors are strongly recommended to bring battery operated lights to brighten their booth.
THE VENUE
Four connected rooms in an old train depot
The Depot is an old train depot converted into a venue space. It is laid out as a series of connected gallery spaces. Customers enter through Gallery A at the north end of the building (main entrance), then flow down a long hallway into Gallery B, then Gallery C, and finally into Gallery D — the largest room at the south end.
This natural flow keeps people moving through the entire market instead of clustering in one area, so every booth gets traffic.
A note on Gallery D
It's the biggest room, but it has the lowest lighting. Vendors placed in Gallery D should plan to bring battery-operated lights to brighten up their booth — it makes a big difference and your work will look noticeably better.
WHAT'S INSIDE
Vendor & shopper amenities
Restrooms
Indoors, available to vendors and shoppers.
Wi-Fi
Available throughout the building.
Drinking Fountain
Between Gallery A and B near the front entrance.
Cell Service
Strong signal on-site.
Chairs Available
Provided by the Depot. Tables are not, vendors need to bring their own.
Heated Indoor Space
No tents, no weather worries.
GETTING THERE
Parking for vendors & shoppers
Vendors
Dedicated vendor parking on the east side of the building.
Shoppers
Plenty of free street parking surrounds the Depot in Anacortes along R Avenue.
VENDOR CURATION
Who this market is for
This is a handmade-focused market. I'm looking for:
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Artists and makers creating their own work
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Thoughtful, well-made products or thoughtfully curated items
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Booths that feel put together and intentional
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A strong mix across categories so the market feels balanced
If you've done my markets before, you know I spend real time on the curation side. A strong vendor mix creates a better experience for everyone — makers and shoppers alike.
BOOTH INFO
Indoor booths across four rooms
Application fee
$10 (non-refundable, due with application)
Booth pricing
$50–$130 (varies by booth size and location. Smallest booths are 6x6 or 12x2.5, largest booths are 10x10')
Booth type
Maker-managed booths only — no consignment shelf option for this market. This is not a central checkout market.
Booth placement
Once vendors are accepted, vendors will receive a link to reserve their booth (size and placement). Booths are first-come, first-served after acceptance and payment, so I recommend reserving your spot as soon as you receive the link.
Setting
Indoor only. Depending on weather, a small number of outdoor spaces may be added.
Full booth size and pricing breakdown will be included in the application.
SALES
Collecting Payments
Q: How do I collect payment from customers?
That's entirely up to you. You are responsible for setting up and managing your own payment system — whether that's cash, card reader (Square, Venmo, etc.), or both. We recommend having multiple options available. Wi-Fi will be accessible at the venue.
Q: Does Creative Avenue take a commission on my sales in addition to the booth fee?
Nope. Your sales are yours. Your booth fee covers your spot (and we use it to cover the venue rental, advertising, signage and staffing) - we don't take any percentage of what you make.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
What to know about setup
Please read this before applying so there are no surprises:
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Setup begins at 7AM — doors open to shoppers at 10AM
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Chairs are provided by the Depot and accessible if you need them
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Tables and displays are not provided — bring your own setup
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Gallery D vendors should plan to bring battery-operated lighting
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Maker-managed booths only — you sell your own work (no consignment options this round)
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Plan your load-in route — vendor parking is on the east side of the building
END OF DAY
Your Cleanup Responsibilities
Leave it like you found it.
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All of your items, displays, and any trash from your booth must be removed by 5:30 PM.
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Vendors who leave trash or damage the space may be held responsible for additional fees and will not be invited back.
HOW IT WORKS
Application timeline
Vendor applications open at 9AM
MAY 1, 2026
Applications close at 6PM
May 29, 2026
Applications are reviewed
JUNE 1-7
Notifications sent to all vendors about application status
JUNE 8
GET A HEAD START
Prepare Your Application
Get a Head Start Prepare Your Application
Applications open May 1st — but there's no reason to wait until then to get ready.
This is a juried market. Every application is reviewed thoughtfully — based on product quality, booth presentation, and overall fit for the event. Vendors who take time with their answers stand out. We've made it easy to do exactly that.
We created a free downloadable prep worksheet with all of the application questions, writing space for your answers, and a photo checklist. Draft everything at your own pace, then copy and paste straight into the form when it opens on May 1st.
What's in the worksheet:
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All 6 sections of the application — exactly as they appear in the form
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Writing space under each question so you can draft your answers
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A photo checklist so you know what to gather in advance
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A reminder of the agreements you'll confirm at submission
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Notes on the $10 application fee and what makes a strong application
This document is not the application. It's for your own preparation only. All applications must be submitted through the official online form at CreativeAvenue.NW starting May 1st. Please do not email your responses.
⬇ Download the Vendor Prep Worksheet Free · Word document (.docx) (Works in Google Docs too)
*Note: Once you click on the link above, it will automatically download the Vendor Prep Worksheet for you. Wait a moment while it downloads, and it should appear in your download folder. We highly recommend doing this on a desktop or laptop computer (not your mobile device).
A little note from reviewing Summer MakersFest applications:
The strongest applications were the ones where vendors took time to answer the questions clearly and thoughtfully.
If a question asks for 3–5 sentences, please treat that as part of the application requirement. Short, vague, or incomplete answers make it harder to understand your work and will affect whether your application is accepted.
Please answer in your own words. We’re looking for your real voice, your actual work, and the details that help us understand why your booth would be a good fit for this market. We can tell if you relied solely on ai to come up with your application answers and that is a big turn-off for market hosts. Think about if a customer were to come up and ask you what you make, how would you verbally answer them? Being able to answer questions like these are like your elevator pitch and will make you sound more confident and professional if you can answer them in your own words.
A Note about the Application Fee
Reviewing applications takes real time and care. The $10 fee helps cover that — and it helps ensure that everyone who applies is serious, prepared, and approaching the process with intention.
To keep things fair and organized for everyone:
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Applications must be submitted through the official form — no early or emailed submissions
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Payment must be completed for your application to be reviewed
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All required fields, including photos, must be filled in
Applications that are incomplete, missing photos, or missing the application fee will not be reviewed. This keeps the process respectful of everyone's time.
Photos You'll Need to Upload (when the time comes):
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3–4 product photos — well-lit, showing the quality and variety of your work
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At least 1 booth setup photo — from a previous market or a mock setup at home. Show us how you present your work.
Photos are required to be considered. Applications without photos will not be reviewed.
ABOUT THE HOST
Markets built on flow, mix, and feel
I've been hosting markets since 2021, and at this point I care just as much about how a market feels as how it functions. Good flow matters. Vendor mix matters. How customers move through the space matters.
My goal is always the same: create a market where vendors do well and customers actually enjoy being there and support local, talented artists.
If you've been wanting to do a holiday market at the Depot, this is the one.