Craft Fairs & Farmers Markets in Knoxville, Tennessee

Established in 1961, the Dogwood Arts Festival is one of the most celebrated cultural events in Knoxville and recognized as one of the Top 10 Best Art Festivals in the U.S. by USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice poll. Held at World's Fair Park, the festival features over 100 fine art vendors, live music, entertainment, children's activities, food & beverage vendors, and more. Art vendors work in mixed media, pottery, painting, photography, glass, jewelry, sculpture, and more. An Emerging Maker Tent opens on Sunday, featuring up-and-coming artists selling their work for the first time.

Held at the Knoxville Expo Center each November, Knoxville Christmas Fair brings together local artisans, food vendors, and shoppers for a holiday market featuring handmade gifts, ornaments, seasonal décor, and one-of-a-kind crafts. The fair draws established crowds looking to support local makers and find thoughtful Christmas presents — strong foot traffic and a warm, community-focused audience.

Knoxville Christmas Market is an open-every-weekend holiday market featuring handmade goods, artisanal foods, and holiday-themed gifts. Vendors rotate daily—pottery, candles, jewelry, bath & body, vintage clothing, honey, crochet, ceramics, and plants—so shoppers return throughout the season to discover new makers. Each vendor stall includes two seasonal Glühwein tickets and a fast-pass for food service.

Nourish Knoxville operates four farmers markets across the Knoxville area, prioritizing local food and farm products with a 150-mile sourcing radius. Craft vendors make up no more than 40% of booth space on any given day. All products must be grown, raised, foraged, caught, harvested, or created by the vendor — no resale allowed. Prepared foods require a licensed and inspected kitchen; the Domestic Kitchen Exemption does not apply. Markets serve as incubators for farms, cheesemakers, bakeries, jewelers, woodworkers, and other small food and craft businesses.

New Harvest Farmers Market is Nourish Knoxville's neighborhood producer market at New Harvest Park. The market runs Thursdays April through September, then transitions to a split Wednesday/Saturday schedule through March at Market Square and surrounding streets. A straightforward venue for local farmers, producers, and food vendors.

Nourish Knoxville's Winter Farmers Market runs Saturdays on historic Market Square — everything is grown or made by East Tennessee vendors. You'll find produce, eggs, honey, herbs, pasture-raised meat, plants, bread, baked goods, salsas, coffee, artisan crafts, and more. Rain or shine.

Old City Market transforms West Jackson Avenue into a curated outdoor market on the 3rd Sunday of each month, showcasing local artists, crafters, and creative makers. The vendor mix spans art, ceramics, candles, textiles, jewelry, apothecary, baked goods, plants, and pet-related goods — plus occasional special editions like Rhinestone Fest (a Dolly-themed market in June) and Small Business Saturday in November. Email oldcitymarketknox@gmail.com with questions or to apply.

Retropolitan Craft Fair is a juried craft fair in Knoxville's Old City — the Craft Fair Board reviews applications and selects vendors based on fit. Returning vendors are asked to bring at least 20% new product to keep the show fresh. Spring and fall editions each year.

Rossini Festival is Knoxville's original international street fair — a free annual event in downtown Knoxville drawing 30,000+ attendees. Four outdoor stages host nonstop performances spanning opera, classical, jazz, gospel, ballet, and modern dance. Browse 75+ artisans selling handmade clothing, jewelry, and household goods from East Tennessee makers, plus food vendors offering local and international cuisine. Kids & Family Fun Zone and a scavenger hunt round out the day.

The Maker City Maker Markets directory aggregates applications and opportunities for Knoxville's greater maker, artist, creative, and small-scale manufacturer community, led by the Mayor's Maker Council and supported by the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center. More than 900 makers belong to The Maker City, with over 350 featured in the directory. Individual opportunities include recurring markets (Old City Market, Market Square Farmers Market, New Harvest Farmers Market) and seasonal events with separate applications—check themakercity.org/programming/markets/ to find open vendor calls for specific fairs and festivals.