Holiday Shopping in Raleigh-Durham - Guide to Holiday Shopping in Raleigh-Durham

Black Friday Deals in Raleigh-Durham

Holiday shopping in the Raleigh-Durham area is a shopaholic's dream come true: in addition to the vast array of malls and shopping centers in Raleigh-Durham, the Triangle also offers many shopping events which benefit local schools or charities, and lots of holiday bazaars, artist's studio tours, and other unique shopping experiences.

Holiday Marketplaces

Cary Academy Holiday Shoppe, December 4-6, 2008.
This shopping event features over 100 vendors and benefits the school's scholarship fund and community activities. Admission is free.

A Carolina Christmas Show, November 20-23, 2008 at the Raleigh Convention Center
Shop for handmade craft items (many of them being sold by the craftsmen/women themselves) at this holiday craft fair.

Christmas Carousel of Arts and Crafts, November 28-30, 2008 (Thanksgiving weekend) at the Jim Graham Building, NC State Fairgrounds
Browse the wares of over 400 vendors at this craft fair extraordinaire. Santa will be there all weekend, so bring the kids for a photo op! Admission is $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for kids ages 6-12, free for kids under 6.

Carolina Designer Craftsmen Annual Fair--November 28-30, 2008 (Thanksgiving weekend) at the Exposition Center, NC State Fairgrounds
Marvel at "cutting-edge designer crafts" made by some of the Southeast's most visionary artisans. Potters, jewelry-makers, metal and wood workers, and fiber artists will be selling their masterwoks at this show. Admission is $7.00 for adults, kids under 12 get in free.

Durham Craft Market Holiday Show!
Saturday, December 13 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
30 Durham Craft Market Vendors with high quality, handcrafted, affordable gifts, plus a gift raffle and refreshments in a festive atmosphere.
Hosted by Immaculata Catholic School
721 Burch Avenue , Durham , NC 27701
Free and open to the public. Free parking.

Gallery and Studio Tours

Chatham County Studio Tour--December 6-7 and 13-14, 2008
Tour the studios of over 50 Chatham County artists. Get some shopping done and enjoy a scenic drive in Chatham County 's countryside at the same time! Many of the artists are real "characters", so meeting them is a lot of fun, and does a lot to enhance the holiday shopping experience for shopaholics and the shopping adverse alike. Admission is free.

Orange County Artists' Guild Open Studio Tour--November 1-2 and 8-9, 2008.
Tour the studios of over 70 Orange County artists, and do a little shopping at each one! Admission is free. The majority of the artists on this tour are located in the Chapel Hill area, though some are near Hillsborough or in other parts of the county.

Artspace Collectors Gala --November 15, 2008 at Artspace, 201 East Davie Street, Raleigh
Enjoy a cocktail reception, dinner, dessert and both live and silent auctions of the work of local Raleigh-area artists. Tour Artspace artist's studios (you can even eat dinner in them!) Tickets are $125, and the proceeds from the event go to benefit Artspace's community outreach work.