Twice This Season, the West Loop's Two Holiday Markets Share a Sunday

The Plumbers Union Hall at 1341 W. Randolph St. fills with vintage ornaments, estate jewelry and mid-century furniture on two weekends this season. Up Morgan Street, at Morgan MFG, 401 N. Morgan St., the Chicago Artisan Market fills a room with makers' goods. Each market runs on its own schedule. This year both schedules land on the same two Sundays.

On Sunday, November 15, and again on Sunday, December 13, both markets are open at the same time, a short walk apart. If you live between Ada and Halsted, you'll likely do most of your holiday shopping on those two days. The restaurants that opened in the West Loop this fall happen to sit along the route between the two halls.

The Calendar, Side by Side

Both Sundays have the same six-hour window, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., when both halls are open. Children under 12 get in free at both markets. If you'd rather shop the vintage hall on a quieter day, Saturday runs three hours longer than Sunday at Randolph Street. On Saturday, though, you'll find only one market open.

What Fills the Hall on Randolph

The Randolph Street Market Festival has run in the West Loop since 2003. Its announcement for this season promises more than 125 vendors from across the country. The list covers vintage designer fashion, furs, estate jewelry, ornaments, retro home furnishings, art, vinyl, rare books and handmade gifts, with food, seasonal cocktails and live entertainment on the floor.

The Saturday 9 a.m. slot is billed as Early Buy for Charity, an hour before general shopping opens at 10. At $35 online, an early-buy ticket costs nearly twice as much as general admission. If you're after one specific piece, like a mid-century lamp or a particular strand of pearls, that hour may be worth paying for. It's the first look at the floor before the general crowd arrives.

In the festival's own announcement, founder Sally Schwartz described the market this way:

"The Holiday Market is more than shopping—it's hot cocoa, vintage Christmas décor, holiday music, and Chicago in its happiest form."

Morgan Street Connects the Two Halls

The Chicago Artisan Market runs its Fulton Market edition as a Sunday market, indoors at Morgan MFG. The November date is billed as its Pre-Thanksgiving Market. Advance general admission is $8, and a market tote is $2 more.

Getting from one hall to the other means walking east from the Plumbers Union Hall and turning north on Morgan Street toward the 400 block. Black Briar, one of the fall's new restaurants, is on Morgan along the way. Here's one way to order a shared Sunday:

1. 10 a.m., Plumbers Union Hall. Start at Randolph Street when general admission opens on Sunday, before the artisan market's doors open at 11.
2. Late morning, east on Randolph to Morgan. Leave with your vintage finds and head toward Morgan Street.
3. Midday, Morgan MFG at 401 N. Morgan St. The artisan market has been open about an hour by now, and it stays open until 5.
4. Late afternoon, a table nearby. Sit down for an early dinner within a few blocks of either hall.

On December 13 the order matters a little more. Gift lists get tighter as the holidays approach, and on both Sundays the vintage floor closes at 5 p.m., the same time as Morgan MFG.

The Fall's Openings Sit Along the Route

Several restaurants opened this fall in the blocks around these two halls, and they make the full day easy.

Black Briar, 201 N. Morgan St. This American restaurant cooks over coal fire. It took over the former Bar Takito space, according to Eater Chicago. It opened September 26, as Heavy T Likes to Eat reported. Of all the new openings, it's the closest to the line between the two markets.

Berenjak, inside Soho House, 113–125 N. Green St. This Persian restaurant is open to the public and doesn't require a membership, according to WTTW. Soho House announced its arrival in early October. Green Street is east of Morgan, so it works for a dinner that ends the day on the way home toward Halsted.

Pizzeria Gabbo, 834 W. Fulton Market, Suite 200. This Lettuce Entertain You pizzeria opened October 22, according to Windy City Times. It's a few blocks from Morgan MFG, an easy stop if you leave the artisan market hungry.

Victory & Vice, 318 N. Carpenter St. This sports bar has been open since September 9, with screens, a patio and a full food and drink menu, per Eater Chicago. Carpenter runs one block west of Morgan. It's the easiest pick for a Sunday afternoon in November, when the football schedule is competing with your shopping list.

Two more names are expected along the same streets this season. Gibsons Tavern, a steak-and-seafood restaurant at 925 W. Fulton St., was slated for November. AMARA, at 844 W. Randolph St., is also expected this fall. Look up either one before you build a December Sunday around it.

December 13, the Second Pass

The December weekend repeats November's format. The Randolph Street Holiday Market opens Saturday, December 12, with the 9 a.m. Early Buy for Charity and runs until 7 p.m., then reopens Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Chicago Artisan Market is back at 401 N. Morgan St. that Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. November 15 is the Pre-Thanksgiving edition at Morgan MFG. December 13 falls eleven days before Christmas Eve, and both halls are open together from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At The Dickstein Group, we look for the same thing in a West Loop Sunday that we look for in a well-staged room: everything worth seeing within a few steps. If you're thinking about how your own home could show during the holidays, or what a walk-to-everything address in the West Loop is worth this winter, request a private consultation and we'll talk it through.