Best Winter Fairs in St. Petersburg 2019-2020

Christmas Charity Market

• December 18-22, midday to 8pm
• Annenkirche

What better place to throw a festive fair in than an eerily decrepit 18th-century church? Wait, that doesn’t sound too appealing but trust us: Christmas Charity Market at Annenkirche is unreservedly magical in its own unique way. Expect a fairytale ambiance with adorned Xmas trees, festive garlands and ornate wreaths, live music courtesy of a Christmas choir, plus a sea of stalls with artisanal goodies ranging from clothes to decorations and food. There will also be free tours of the place and a Santa to claim your festive wishes from and just chat with if that’s your jam.

St. Petersburg’s Handmade Festival

• December 14-15 at Lenpoligraphmash creative space
• December 28-29, on Nevskiy Prospect, 35 (from midday to 8pm)

Have you already started decorating your house for the holidays and choosing gifts? Even if you have, to get the entirety of your list ticked off in a single evening, visit the grandiose St. Petersburg’s Handmade Festival, as it’s definitely not an event to miss. The fair will bring together over 100 craftspeople from all over Russia, who will present thousands of unique handmade goodies, ranging from delicate wire fairy lights that are promised to fill your living room with warmth, softness, and comfort (they probably won’t but it will look nice all the same), to stylish designer accessories and knitted hats and mittens that you’ll find extremely handy in February when the notorious Russian winter strikes for real.

Art Boom Festive Art Festival

• December 21-22, from 11am to 9pm
• House of Culture

Want to feed two turkeys with one hand and combine present-buying with an opportunity to boost your creative skills? Then Art Boom is a festive fair after your own heart. A potpourri of colors and shapes, it comes in the form of two days of super-intensive art workshops and an art market cramming with presents for the creatives in your life. There’ll also be festive music and an art performance to keep you in the mood. Don’t forget to register if you're interested in attending.

Market by the Sea Fair

• December 14-15 at Sevkabel Port, from midday to 10pm
• December 21-22 at Lenpoligraphmash creative space, from midday to 10pm

If you have a hipster friend who’s suddenly gone incommunicado on Dec 14-15 and 21-22, don’t lose heart: there’s a more-than-good chance that they’re at the Market by the Sea fair, one of the coolest festive shindigs in town. The stalls will present an abundance of all things trendy and artisanal: from clothes made by local designers and one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces to cozy ceramics, books and artsy-craftsy festive decorations, you’ll certainly find what you were looking for (and be tempted to buy that what you weren’t – been there, done that, ouchie says the bank balance).

Manezhnaya Square Christmas Fair

• December 12 – January 13, from midday to 9pm
• Manezhnaya Square

The Christmas Fair on Manezhnaya Square is probably the city’s biggest and most famous winter fair. Wander between rows of charming wooden stalls decorated with twinkling Christmas lights and filled to the brim with ornate Christmas tree decorations and festive sweet goods, savor the delicious warm snacks and mulled wine, partake in a variety of winter entertainments, watch exciting theatrical performances, and feel the vibe of a dreamy traditional Christmas village.

Art Elka Design Market

• December 21-22
• Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design

If you like your handmade professionally done, look no further than the Art Elka design market, organized by the sophisticates at the Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design. The objets d’art displayed are many and varied, ranging from paintings to inject some classiness into your (or your giftee’s) interiors, to elaborate jewelry (glitzy tiaras included) and dainty glass decorations. The program also promises tours of the Academy’s museum and workshops where you can have your own go at present-making. 

Etagi Loft New Year’s Market

• December 21-22, December 28-29, from 11am to 9pm
• Etagi Loft Project

Held at one of St. Petersburg’s first and trendiest public spaces, Loft Project Etagi, this traditional winter fair offers a variety of Christmas goodies, from cozy knitted scarves and mittens, Christmas wreaths, wooden handmade accessories, to healthy fruit snacks and locally produced jams.

Intelligent Flea Market

• December 28-29, from midday to 9pm
• Sevkabel Port

One of the most well-loved St. Petersburg fairs is putting on festive garms to give you a fix of cozy Christmas vibes with a vintage twist. Here you can make all of your retro dreams come true, whether it is an authentic ‘80s leather jacket to embrace your inner rock star, or voguish wooden brooches inspired by the works of Botticelli and René Magritte. With its atmospheric gramophone music, dimmed-out lighting and cozy mulled-wine aroma, the fair is a veritable experience in itself, and we heartily recommend giving it a visit.

Written by Anastasiia Labunskaia and Anastasia Krasilnikova