When I started this CANDLE business in 2008 it took me about a year of practicing candle making to feel confident enough with my creations to present them to the world! So in 2009, I signed up for my first batch of craft shows, artist markets, and local festivals!
It was such a great way to introduce my product to people and get their feedback. It was also very nerve-wracking because I didn’t know if a single person would want to buy my candles!
But I nervously took that step and I learned so much in the process. I loved getting to interact with the customers, and since I had three VERY young children, these events were also a great chance for me to get some adult socialization haha!
Outer Banks Holiday Craft Shows in 2023
In addition, these events afforded me the opportunity to meet so many other talented artists and be a part of that sweet local community. As the years have gone by and the business grew (and so did our family!) I’ve had less time to participate in these special events. But they will always be such a special part of my journey in this candle biz and I still LOVE the opportunity to be a part of a few of them each year.
This season, I will be at in-person Outer Banks holiday shows. These shows are a great place to shop for holiday gifts, spend time with friends and support local artists! (I always get lots of my Christmas shopping done at these events!)
Surfin’ Spoon Artisan Market
Saturday, November 25th
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Surfin Spoon Frozen Yogurt Bar in Nags Head, North Carolina
Each year Surfin’ Spoon hosts an Artisan Market on Small Business Saturday. This fun event offers live music, holiday treats, and great shopping for local goods!
Surfin’ Spoon is a local Outer Banks surf culture icon, owned and operated by our dear friends and my college roommate, Jesse & Whitney Hines (Whitney and I were both ART majors together in college!). The Hines has created a fun, entertaining, and welcoming Frozen Yogurt shop that has become known for supporting the Outer Banks community and this includes artists.
The 37th Annual Starvin Artists’ Christmas Party
Saturday, December 2nd
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Swells’a Brewing Beer Company in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
The 37th Annual Starvin’ Artist Show is an honor to be a part of as it is one of the longest-running Art Shows on the Outer Banks! I’m grateful for the artists who went before us and valued ART and hand-crafted goods enough to put on this show, starting almost 4 decades ago, even when there were very few people living on the Outer Banks in the winter!
Honorable Mention We’ll Be at Next Year Hopefully: Holly Days Bazaar & Craft Show
Friday, November 17th – Saturday, November 18th, 2022
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
All Saints Episcopal Church in Southern Shores, North Carolina
Holly Days Bazaar & Craft Show is a long-standing Outer Banks tradition. The event is held every year for over 20 years by All Saints Episcopal Church as their annual fundraiser.
I think I’ve been participating in this show for around 13 years and I have enjoyed it every single time! The juried show is known for hosting a variety of talented artists and makers from all over the Outer Banks.
Holly Days is also where two of my little girls showcased their little businesses for the first time:
- Leafy’s Lots of Love Lip Balms
- Maelie’s MaePops
Don’t miss this show! It offers soaps, candles (of course), furniture, woodworking, knitted creations, pottery, fine jewelry, and their beloved and highly sought-after: vintage COSTUME JEWELRY booth that they spend the entire year collecting!
Learn more about the Holly Dazes Bazaar & Craft Show.
Our Annual Virtual Craft Show
Friday, November 3rd
9:00 AM – 9:00 PM EST
Happening Online at theouterbankscandlecompany.com
We started our annual virtual craft show in 2020 when the COVID quarantine put a kink in our Craft Show lineup! We knew that people still wanted to shop local, buy quality hand-crafted goods, and support local businesses for the holiday season.
We also knew that Holiday Craft Shows are often a rite of passage that ushers in the holiday season and get people in the Christmas spirit! So we decided to do our best to re-create this experience virtually!
The first year was so well received that we decided to keep the tradition alive! During this online event, everything is on SALE, we release new products and throughout the day on Facebook and Instagram, we showcase all our favorite gift ideas and walk down memory lane by flashing back to Craft Shows from years past.
It is also a great way for our Candle Fam from near and far to come and enjoy our craft show experience! When you order, you can choose to have your goodies shipped or pick them up in Kitty Hawk¦ so in case you are looking for a reason to come to the Outer Banks this holiday season, now you have it!
Kimber Smith is the creative founder of The Outer Banks Candle Company. With a degree in art, she has dabbled in many art forms from oil painting to calligraphy to furniture refinishing. And when she’s not busy making candles or managing the high energy (chaos) of life with five kids, she enjoys writing about the journey of it all!
