THIS WEEKEND: Guide to local markets to celebrate Small Business Saturday

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The holiday shopping season has officially kicked off with Black Friday. But big box stores and online retailers aren’t the only places where you can get great deals on gifts.

Small businesses are selling at a variety of pop-up markets this weekend across the Rochester area. There is also a scavenger hunt to celebrate small businesses. Here is your guide:

Themata Market (Friday and Saturday)

Themata, a market at the Culver Road Armory with over 250 artisans and emerging brands, kicks off on Friday and continues on Saturday.

The market will feature apparel, accessories, wine, beer, and local handmade goods. You can see the full vendor lineup here. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.

Admission and parking is free for the market. There will be another market on Dec. 23 for “last minute Monday” that runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Native Made Market (Saturday)

Indigenous artists will sell their work at the third annual Native Made Market. It’s taking place at 60 Brown’s Race at High Falls, overlooking the Genesee River. The market runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year’s artists include Rachel Schindler (Seneca Nation) who sells dream catchers, beadwork, ribbon clothes, laser work, and crystals. It also includes Awendea Kabance (Seneca Nation) who sells prints on wood, slate, tile, cards, and matte prints, and Darelyn Spruce (Seneca Nation) who will sell his published book, antler carvings, and waterdrums. You can learn about the artists at the market here.

Casa Larga Holiday Craft and Wine Marketplace (Friday and Saturday)

People can shop for goods from local artists and their favorite wines at Casa Larga Vineyard on Turk Hill Road in Fairport.

There will be crystal jewelry, clothing, ornaments, embroidered towels, cookbooks, used books, hand-knitted products, and more at the market. Some of the vendors include Touchstone Crystal, The Purple Hippo, JCD FluidArtWorks, and My Bookery ROC. You can see the full list here.

The market runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days and it’s free to attend.

Share Some Roc Love (begins Friday)

Share Some Roc Love, a scavenger hunt with clues to find gifts from local small businesses across Rochester, kicks off Friday. There will also be online giveaways.

To see weekly clues, you can follow Share Some Roc Love on Facebook and Instagram. The goal is to encourage people to connect with Rochester’s small businesses.

​Winners must submit a photo and their name to claim their prize. You can use the hashtag #ShareSomeROCLove on social media to let organizers know when you’ve found the prize.

Share Some Roc Love, now in its fifth year, runs through New Year’s Day. Some of the themes for the prizes this year include Buffalo Bills, pets, family and kids, local art and artists, ROC Love, and coffee lovers. Each family or group can only win once per season. You can learn more here.

Holidays at the Market (Sunday)

Holidays at the Market kicks off on Sunday at the Rochester Public Market, featuring dozens of local artists with holiday-themed gifts. There will be clothing, jewelry, handcrafted goods. People can also shop for fresh-cut trees, wreaths, and specialty foods.

Holidays at the Market runs on Sundays Dec. 1, Dec. 8, and Dec. 15 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It also runs on Thursday, Dec. 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. In addition to vendors, the market will feature visits from Santa and horse-drawn carriage rides from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.