Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest

02/27/2026

A highlight of Marketfest weekend is the lighting of the Town tree on the historic Wiscasset Common. Preceding the lighting, local school children sing songs of the season and delight in a visit from Santa!

02/25/2026

So much creativity at play during WHM 2025!
~ Basket-maker extraordinaire, Mare LeMay of Mindfull Gardens, gave workshops in Solstice Star-making and the intricacies of crafting garlic baskets!
~ Paper artist Joelle Webber offered a drop-in workshop for making charming paper ornaments. Hosted by Ley Lines.
~ Exceptional crafter Cindy Cayton taught workshop attendees how to make professional-looking bows and unique, hand-made cards. Hosted by Mindful Gardens.
~ Kerin showed workshop-goers how to make upcycled lobster rope garlands for repurposed holiday decor. Hosted by Panacea.

The workshops were so well received in 2025; we look forward to even more DIY opportunities in 2026!

02/13/2026

These local businesses are Marketfest partners! They supply the needed funds to make the weekend a terrific event with free and low cost activities for all!

MAJOR SPONSORS: Carriage House Gardens, First Federal Savings, First National Bank, J. Edward Knight Insurance, Midcoast Federal Credit Union, Red's Eats, Rock Paper Scissors, Sherri Dunbar/Tim Dunham Realty, Water St. Kitchen & Bar, and Wiscasset Ford.

02/10/2026

Who doesn't love Christmas cookies, and Marketfest's Christmas Cookie Challenge is one of the weekend's favorite events! It's a holiday baking competition featuring creative, high-quality homemade treats and highlights local bakers. CONGRATULATIONS to the 2025 CCC winner, LAURA NEEBLING of Wiscasset, with her Chocolate Mint Cookie Bar!

In 2025, 15 home bakers took part in the competition. Well-qualified foodies had the challenging job of choosing the best by sampling each submitted cookie flavor. According to the judges, Cheryl Rust, former owner of Le Garage; Shane McCarthy, manager, Water Street Kitchen and Bar and Daphne Cromwell of D-Zerts by Daphne, there were so many excellent submissions!
(Photos by Bob Bond/40 Federal Studio)

After the judging, the public was invited to purchase the remaining cookies to take home and the sales were donated to Wiscasset Feed Our Scholars.

02/05/2026

We appreciate Ames True Value Hardware! Marketfest's LEAD SPONSOR for two years!

01/27/2026

So many beautiful wreaths to enjoy, decorated by local businesses, during WHMarketfest!

01/22/2026

Marketfest's free raffle for dining is always very popular! We are delighted to congratulate the 2025 winners! (Tim and Christine pulling the winning tickets below.)

Tai Grosjean, Wiscasset, won the $100 gift card to Jodie's Cafe and Bakery: "The town was busier this weekend (during WHM) than it is in the summer. All the shops were full. Wiscasset should do this several times a year!"

Katherine Kenyon, Bath, won the $100 gift card to Back River Bistro: "This is so exciting. It helps ameliorate my spending at In The Clover."

David Miller, Newcastle, won the $100 gift card to Water Street Kitchen and Bar: "Awesome! We love that place and we love Marketfest!

Amen to that!

01/10/2026

Thank you, Maine State Visitor Info. Center, for posting Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest 2025!

On the first full weekend in December, launch your holiday season with a weekend full of joyful activities. Santa and crafts for families; shopping and wine tasting for grown-ups; horse-drawn carriage rides, music, and good cheer for all! Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest
MidCoast Maine

12/20/2025

The Heart 'n Soul quartet sang the songs of the season throughout the Village during Marketfest! Spreading holiday cheer and wishes of peace and joy!

12/18/2025

And the People's Choice winner is . . . Sheepscot River Marine with a beautiful wreath decorated with ornaments from the sea!

Each year during Marketfest weekend, businesses are invited to decorate a wreath which are displayed in the Holiday Gift Shop in the Nickels-Sortwell House barn. Shoppers are invited to enjoy the wreaths and cast a vote for their People's Choice.

After Marketfest weekend, the wreaths were delivered to Edgecomb Green, an assisted living community, to add to their holiday cheer!

12/11/2025

If you visited Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest 2025, did you shop in the pop-up artisan shop in the old barn behind the Nickels-Sortwell House? Many thanks to the staging team of Julee Ketelhut, captain, with Tracey Whitney and Michelle Wentworth. Such a happy place to shop!