While November and December are widely recognized as the biggest shopping period of the year, thousands of home-based entrepreneurs across Iowa have traditionally been left out. Without storefronts, most bakers, crafters, artists, and makers simply cannot participate in a shopping season designed to uplift small businesses. But across Iowa, holiday markets – large and small – change that. Seasonal holiday markets are essential economic lifelines for home-based and micro-business owners who depend on these markets to reach consumers during the most important shopping season of the year.
A Critical Retail Opportunity for Businesses Without Storefronts
For many independent makers, whether they bake from a certified home kitchen, sew from their living room, paint in their basement studio, or craft at the dining room table, the holiday season offers their highest revenue potential. Yet without access to traditional brick-and-mortar retail, they lack the ability to participate in the key holiday shopping days that generate massive consumer spending.
“Most home-based entrepreneurs simply do not have the option to open their doors to the public,” said Christopher V. Sherman, co-founder of Made in Iowa, a producer of vendor markets. “Holiday markets are their storefront. Without these events, many wouldn’t be able to do business at all during the busiest weekend of the year.”
Across Iowa, markets from Council Bluffs to Dubuque, from rural community centers to major expo halls, provide a temporary home for these business owners, giving them visibility, customer access, and a fair chance to compete.
Holiday Markets Are Essential for Iowa’s Small and Micro-Businesses
Market events have become an economic engine for Iowa’s creative and home-based economy. They allow businesses of all sizes, especially those run from home, to:
- Meet customers face-to-face
- Build brand awareness
- Launch new products for the holiday season
- Generate the year’s most important sales
- Compete alongside other small retailers during shopping weekend peaks
Most participating vendors operate without a retail location. Many rely on the holiday market season for the majority of their annual revenue.
Why Consumers Should Shop Local Markets This Season
Shoppers benefit as well. At holiday markets, consumers gain:
1. Access to Unique, Handmade Products
From handcrafted jewelry and fine art to home décor, baked goods, clothing, and giftable holiday items, shoppers can take home pieces they won’t find in big-box stores or national chains.
2. A Chance to Support Home-Based Businesses
Every purchase directly supports an individual entrepreneur – not a corporation – and strengthens Iowa’s local economy.
3. A More Meaningful Holiday Shopping Experience
Meeting the maker, hearing their story, and buying something crafted with care transforms holiday shopping into something personal.
4. A One-Stop Shop for Gifts
Holiday Markets give consumers easy access to shop for friends, family, teachers, coworkers, and holiday hosts all in one place.
A Statewide Movement of Market-Driven Entrepreneurship
Across the state, established and emerging holiday markets have become anchors of the seasonal economy. Organizers note that without these events:
- Many home-based businesses would lose access to holiday sales altogether
- Consumers would have fewer opportunities to shop locally
- Communities would miss out on the cultural and economic benefits these gatherings generate
Holiday markets are not just seasonal craft fairs, they are a critical economic platform enabling makers, bakers, and artists to thrive during the holidays.
About Christopher V. Sherman
Christopher V. Sherman is an Iowa-based entrepreneur and photographer whose work spans fine-art prints, commercial licensing, and large-scale community market events. He is the co-founder of Artists Sunday, the national arts shopping movement celebrated in all 50 states, and the co-founder of the Made in Iowa vendor market series. Christopher helps makers, artists, and home-based businesses reach consumers and grow their brands.
About Made In Iowa
Made in Iowa curates large-scale vendor markets celebrating the creativity, skill, and entrepreneurial spirit of Iowa makers. Their events regularly showcase more than 150 vendors with thousands of attendees and serve as a vital platform for home-based and micro-business owners.
Upcoming events include December 20–21, January 31–February 1, April 18, and the Made for Her Market on March 14, 2026.
