Kenosha Holiday Winter HarborMarket to be held Saturday, Dec. 16th at The Stella Hotel & Ballroom

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the most stressful. There’s decorating, gift-buying, special meal planning, family gatherings, school events —it can get overwhelming.

As a busy, working mom, I don’t have the time to hand make gifts, but I’m grateful to all the makers who do and happy to support them! While my mom, Carole, is a fantastic cook and baker, and  all-around amazing person, I like to surprise her during the holidays with a treat that she hasn’t had to make herself and something that I might not have the time to make myself. Often the artisan vendors she visits let me know what she was interested in, which makes things SO much easier.

That’s why I love the Kenosha Winter Holiday HarborMarket, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16th at The Stella Hotel & Ballroom, 5706 8th Ave. There are gifts galore and so much inspiration, with many handmade and homemade items available.

There will be more than 50 vendor booths with gourmet foods, baked goods, take-and-cook items, decorations and so much more. Many items will already be in gift baskets and holiday containers, so you won’t even need to wrap them. But, if you do want something gift wrapped, volunteers from the Shalom Center will be wrapping gifts for donations to Kenosha’s homeless shelter, largest food pantry and longest running nightly meal program. I know that I’m excited to not have to wrap so many gifts myself!

The vendors at Kenosha HarborMarket, including this holiday event, are small business owners, artists, makers, creators. For many of them, these markets are essential to help them thrive. We are so thankful to highlight their talents and services, and to make them available to area customers throughout the year.

Santa will be flying in for a special appearance at the Kenosha Winter Holiday HarborMarket to meet with all the good children. He’ll be on the balcony of The Stella’s ballroom from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rumor has it that he might have some candy to give out.

To keep the holiday spirit in high gear, Songstress, featuring Brennan Pierce, will perform from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the ballroom. They will play a variety of music, and some classic Christmas tunes.

I can’t overstate how beautifully decorated the historic ballroom will be. The staff at The Stella really do the holidays right. I am so grateful to all of the hardworking employees of The Stella, and I appreciate our partnership for the third year running to host the Kenosha Winter Holiday HarborMarket. There will be food and drinks, along with a full bar, for purchase at The Stella. The Stella is also fully accessible for people of all abilities.

There will be plenty of free, on-street parking, as well as the availability of the city of Kenosha Parking Structure, free for the public to use.

Kenosha HarborMarket is thrilled to present this capstone event, which is, by some measures, the highlight of our entire season. This event is the holiday version of HarborMarket, recognized as “Kenosha’s Best Event.” Don’t forget to visit the Winter HarborMarket, which resumes at its indoor home at the Kenosha Union Club, 3030 39th Ave., on Saturday, January 6 and runs every Saturday through April 27, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The outdoor season of the Kenosha HarborMarket resumes Saturday,  May 11, 2024.

On behalf of myself, HarborMarket staff, and our volunteer Board of Directors, we wish you all a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year and thank you for shopping the local vendors at Kenosha HarborMarket!