Hamptons Epicure: Start Your Holiday Shopping at East End Crafts Fairs

The East End is full to overflowing with boutique shoppes and designer flagship stores, and that’s way cool. But for personal gifts, especially at this time of year, I like to buy handmade goods from local artists and artisans. Thankfully, the East is also rife with their work—especially at our area wineries and museums. You’ll see me at most of these events (sorry if I buy all the best stuff before you arrive):

43rd Annual Marders Open House Celebration
11/23–11/25. Enjoy homemade cookies, hot cider, live music, face-painting and birds of prey. Marders, 120 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton. 631-537-3700, marders.com

Country Parlor: Holiday Folk Art & Gift Show
11/23–11/25 & 12/1–12/2. Shop for handmade gifts at the North Fork’s annual holiday show, featuring the work of fine folk artists and craftspeople. Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Avenue, Northville. 631-298-5292, hallockville.com

Montauk Library Holiday Book Sale
11/24. Shop gift books, art books, cookbooks, children’s books, decorations, jewelry and more. Montauk Library, 871 Montauk Highway, Montauk. 631-668-3377, montauklibrary.org

Montauk Community Church Christmas Fair
11/24. Shop baked goods and refreshments, new and used toys, handmade items and other gifts. Montauk Community Church, 850 Montauk Highway, Montauk. montaukcommunitychurch.org

Sag Harbor Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary 6th Annual Girls Night Out
11/29, 6–9 p.m. This little gathering is off-the-hook fun for gals with its things to buy, things to win, things to try on. Designate a driver and forget you’ve ordered a bunch of stuff from local artisans—it’s a Sag Harbor tradition! 1357 Brick Kiln Road, Sag Harbor.

Christmas Bazaar
12/1. Shop collectibles, homemade foods, hand-crafted items, gift baskets, costume jewelry and accessories. A luncheon will be served from 11:30 a.m., which includes short rib of beef, harvest salad, roasted fall vegetables, spice ginger cake, hot cider, tea and coffee. First Presbyterian Church, 2 South Main Street, Southampton. 631-283-1296, 1stpresbyterian.church

Lighting of the Vines at Wölffer
12/1. This lovely evening is fun for the entire family, featuring a silent auction of holiday wreaths benefiting Fighting Chance cancer counseling, the lighting of the vines with 15,000 LED lights, holiday jazz and plenty of refreshments. Wölffer Estate Vineyard, 139 Sagg Road, Sagaponack. 631-537-5106, wolffer.com

Wooden Wonderland: Holiday Craft Show & Sale
12/1. This family-friendly fair features local handmade wooden items as well as other local artisans’ wares and live woodworking demos all day. Suffolk County Historical Society Museum, 300 West Main Street, Riverhead. 631-727-2881, suffolkcountyhistoricalsociety.org

Holiday Shopping Party and Open House
12/1–12/2. On Saturday, shop for holiday goodies in the Shelter Island Historical Society’s Havens Barn. On Sunday, take a picture with Santa, create holiday gifts and ornaments, sing along with Island Folk and see the Shelter Island School art show. Havens Barn, 16 South Ferry Road, Shelter Island. 631-749-0025, shelterislandhistorical.org

Shop ’Til You Drop Gift Show
12/2. Shop for jewelry, handmade knits, glass art, ornaments, essential oils, soaps, candles, baked goods and more to benefit Lucia’s Angels and the Coalition for Women’s Cancers. Southampton Hospital’s Parrish Memorial Hall, 235 Herrick Road, Southampton. 631-726-8715, southamptonhospital.org

Springs Improvement Society’s Lights of Love
12/3. Indulge in holiday sweets, cider and caroling while shopping for unique handmade gifts by local artisans. Christmas tree “Lights of Love” can be purchased in the names of loved ones, with proceeds benefitting the SIS Scholarship Fund. Ashawagh Hall, 780 Springs Fireplace Road, Springs. ashawagh-hall.org

Annual Craft Sale at Hampton Bays High School
12/8. At press time details were not available for this event—but it’s always big and fun.

Homegrown for the Holidays
12/8, 10–4 p.m. This annual crafts fair is a delight because it includes Hayground students in every aspect of the event—set-up, selling, workshops, etc. In addition to crafts, jewelry and books, look for local farm produce—maybe even some local vodka—and snack and lunch foods to revive you. Hayground School, 151 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton. 631-537-7068.

Southampton Animal Shelter’s Winter Fair
12/8. Bring your pets for photos with Santa and purchase holiday gifts and baked goods from local vendors. Red Creek Park Activity Center, 100 Old Riverhead Road West, Hampton Bays. 631-728-7387, southamptonanimalshelter.com

By Hand Artisans Holiday Gift Show
12/15–12/16 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday A select group of local artisans and artists gather in this historic space to offer a curated selection of gift items. Ashawagh Hall, 780 Springs Fireplace Road, East Hampton. ashawagh-hall.org

Guild Hall Holiday Bazaar
12/22 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Local ceramics, jewelry, textiles, and other locally sourced handmade items and non-perishable foodstuffs, free gift wrapping, holiday movies screening all day, seasonal backdrops for memorable photos and festive treats in the Moran Gallery! All sales benefit Guild Hall. 158 Main Street, East Hampton. 631-324-0806, guildhall.org