Either way, when it's time to find a little something special for the holiday season, a Christmas Market may be just the place to do so. It’s where arts and crafts are highlighted, and small vendors are ready to help you find those one-of-a-kind gifts.

Christmas Markets or Bazaars are known mainly in Europe, where they decorate small villages with twinkle lights, music, food, snacks, and glühwein. Families and friends gather together and spend quality time in the Christmas spirit.

This Holiday tradition has been slowly picking up here on the island, where companies organize Christmas Markets to give small local vendors a chance to sell their small goodies.

Piso 3 Shopping night

Piso 3 Aruba kept the tradition from Holland by organising a Christmas ‘Koopavond’, which means shopping night. ‘Koopavond’ in The Hague in the Netherlands is every week on Thursday night when shops stay open until 9PM. This Christmas, ‘Koopavond’ will showcase small local vendors on Thursday, December 15th. Piso 3 Aruba is located in the heart of Mainstreet, Caya Betico Croes #21.

For more information, visit the Piso 3 Facebook page.

Cadushi Festival

If you are looking for that organic gift or maybe something recycled to keep things green, then you’ll need to attend the Cadushi Festival. After a successful first edition last year, it’s back! The Cadushi Festival will take place on Wednesday, December 21st, at Baranca di Yerba. Not your traditional Christmas Market in a village, but this one is outdoors in the natural open air. The perfect opportunity to score some organic products, driftwood art, sustainable products, as well as vegan and organic foods and drinks. More local than this, you won’t get elsewhere.

For more information, visit the Cadushi Festival Facebook page. 

All-women Christmas Bazaar

We are talking about women empowering women. Futura, together with Supernova Experimental Studio, is organising a Christmas Bazaar with only female vendors offering handmade candles, jewellery, sweets, and beauty products. It’s the first edition of this all-women Christmas Bazaar. Make sure to visit them Thursday, December 15th, at Futura Spaces, located at Schotlandstraat 38, from 6-9PM.

For more information, visit the Futura page.

Aruba Made Christmas shopping night.

Just across the cruise terminal in Oranjestad, you’ll find Aruba Made. Aruba Made is all about local, homemade arts and crafts, food, drinks, and coffee, all made here in Aruba. For the first time, Aruba Made has organised a Christmas Shopping Night where you can score that little gift or taste that Christmas bite. This shopping night is every Friday in December from 6-9PM. The next ones are scheduled for Friday, December 16th, and 23rd. Aruba Made is located at L.G. Smith’s Boulevard 100, across from the cruise ship terminal.

For more information, please visit the Aruba Made page.

Hilton Aruba Christmas market

December is the season of gifting, and The Hilton Aruba ensured that! It has become a tradition that The Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino place a poinsettia holiday tree in their lobby, where guests can purchase a poinsettia for just $25. The sales generated from this poinsettia holiday tree will be matched by Hilton Aruba and donated to Aruba’s foodbank, "Fundacion Pa nos Comunidad." To make this season even more special, as the only hotel in Aruba doing this, the Hilton Aruba is organising a Christmas Market offering local vendors and small businesses the chance to sell their local handmade gifts, souvenirs, and arts and crafts to all visitors on the island. The next shopping nights are scheduled for Wednesday, December 14th, and 21st.

For more information, please visit the Hilton Aruba Facebook page.