Debbie Morin and Paula Hunt have hosted a Christmas Through Lowell stop in a decorated garage on Segwun Avenue since 2017. They call it Curators of Fine Crafts. Last November, the Lowell Ledger described mulled cider, fresh coffee, salt shaker snowmen and woodburned signs at stop No. 36, and quoted Morin: "We try to step up our game as we draw in more people."
A garage full of neighbors' crafts is still what the event looks like in most people's memory. It is also where the event started. This year's growth comes from somewhere else, though. When the 34th annual Christmas Through Lowell opens on Friday, November 20, several of the newest stops will be places Lowell already knows by name: the ice cream stand on East Main, the Moose Lodge, a downtown inn, a parish and the youth fairgrounds.
Three Years, More Doors, Same Number of Artists
The Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce lists the 2026 event for November 20, 21 and 22, with more than 80 homes and businesses and over 350 artists and crafters. Here is how that compares with the last two years:
| Year | Dates | Participating locations | Artists and crafters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | November | More than 60, eight of them new | Over 350 |
| 2025 | Nov. 14–16 | 75, with 13 new, eight of those homes | More than 350 |
| 2026 | Nov. 20–22 | More than 80 | Over 350 |
The 2024 figures come from Lowell's First Look. The 2025 count of 75 locations matches the Lowell Ledger and MLive. The breakdown of new stops comes from Chamber executive director Shannon Kennedy, speaking to WOOD TV8. The 2025 dates appear in a Ledger photo caption.
The advertised artist count has stayed at "over 350" for all three years, while the number of locations has climbed by roughly 20. So the same pool of makers is spread across more doors. The calendar also moved: this year's event falls a week later than 2025's, on the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The Stops Marked New This Year
On Oct. 16 the Chamber posted a roster of 2026 locations still accepting vendors. It covers only part of the full map, but it has a column flagging new participants, and nine of the 21 listed stops carry a "Yes."
| New stop | Address | Days open |
|---|---|---|
| Frosty Boy of Lowell | 503 E Main St | Fri, Sat, Sun; vendors set up outside |
| Lowell Moose Lodge #809 | 1320 E Main St | Fri, Sat, Sun |
| Main Street Inn | 117 W Main St | Fri, Sat, Sun |
| St. Mary's Catholic Church | 402 Amity St SE | Friday and Saturday only |
| Studio of Original Lisa | 208 S Hudson St SE | Fri, Sat, Sun |
| Fountain View of Lowell | 11537 Fulton St E | Fri, Sat, Sun |
| Franciscan Life Process Center | 11650 Downes St NE | Fri, Sat, Sun |
| The Grand Christmas, Kent County Youth Fair | 13801 Cascade Rd | Fri, Sat, Sun |
| Santa's Rustic Workshop | 8280 Alto Way Dr SE, Alto | Fri, Sat, Sun |
Santa's Rustic Workshop is the only one of the nine with a name that sounds like a classic home stop. The rest are a soft-serve stand, a fraternal lodge, an inn on West Main, a parish, an artist's studio a block off Main, two large properties on the Fulton and Downes corridors, and the fairgrounds on Cascade Road. Four of them sit on or just off Main Street, which means a downtown loop now covers more of the map than it used to.
Kennedy told the Lowell Ledger last year that the event "provides plenty of opportunities for residents to visit stores they've never seen before." This year's list turns that around a little. Several of the new stops are places a Lowell household has driven past for years, now with makers' tables inside or, at Frosty Boy, out front.
Why the New Mix Changes the Route
When most stops were homes, the Chamber's posted hours worked as a rough guide: Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. With more institutions on the map, the hours vary more. The Chamber's own note says some locations are open Friday and Saturday only, and that churches in particular keep shorter hours.
The vendor roster names the Friday-and-Saturday-only stops directly. Anyone saving Sunday afternoon for these will find them closed:
- Lowell United Methodist Church, 621 E Main St
- Lowell Church of the Nazarene, 415 Avery St
- St. Mary's Catholic Church, 402 Amity St SE
- Green Acres Lowell, 11530 E Fulton
- Dairy Discovery, 12877 84th St SE, Alto
Accessibility is listed stop by stop as well. Holiday Haven at 4622 Deerhaven Park Dr and Studio of Original Lisa are both marked as not handicap accessible, and most other listed stops are marked accessible.
For planning, the Chamber links a 2026 digital flipbook, an interactive Google map and a City of Lowell map of downtown parking lots. Printed brochures will be available at the Chamber office, 113 Riverwalk Plaza, and at participating locations while supplies last. The Chamber's 2025 release, posted by Lowell's First Look, mentioned that some stops serve lunch, and that downtown restaurants pick up the rest.
How a Deer-Season Diversion Became a Map of the Town
The history explains why the new mix stands out. A 2021 issue of the Lowell Ledger said the event was conceived about 30 years earlier as a diversion for "deer hunting widows," with homeowners decorating their properties and makers selling homemade goods in their own homes or other local venues. Lowell's First Look credits Jody Haybarker as the original creator. In its account, she started it with friends as a women's shopping event on the opening weekend of deer season, then handed it to the Chamber in 2013.
Since then the Chamber has kept the format fresh by adding homes. Kennedy told Lowell's First Look in 2024 that new homes each year keep the event from getting stale. Eight of 2025's 13 new stops were homes. This year's flagged additions lean the other way.
Fallasburg, Back for a Second Year
The clearest example of an institution joining the map came in 2025. The Fallasburg Historical Society opened the 150-year-old one-room schoolhouse across the Fallasburg Covered Bridge as stop No. 7. Society president Bruce Doll told the Lowell Ledger that "the one-room schoolhouse is screaming to be used for the community," and pointed out that the village has four museums and several barns.
This year the society is listed again, under the name Fallasburg Village Christmas Market, at 14029 Covered Bridge Rd, open all three days. Last year's lineup there included crochet, pottery, baked goods, loose-leaf teas and six local authors. Other institutional stops from 2025 included First Congregational UCC, the Lowell Area Historical Museum and Lowell Arts, according to the Ledger's post-event story.
The Riverwalk Gets Its Own Meeting First
The Chamber hands out printed brochures at 113 Riverwalk Plaza, and the Riverwalk itself is up for discussion eight days before the event. The City of Lowell has posted a Riverwalk Charette for November 12, 2026, one week after this post goes up. In September, Lowell's First Look reported that Rowe, the city's engineering firm, had been asked to study a Riverwalk renovation and that public input would follow. The Riverwalk dates to 1996, when a stretch of Lafayette Street was closed to traffic and converted, according to Lowell's First Look. Time and location are on the city's posted invitation.
Another downtown newcomer is a block away. Fratelli's Italian Kitchen took over 123 W. Main St., the former Easy Street, and WGRD listed Thursday, Oct. 1 as its official grand opening. Owner Maria Cannizzo told WOOD TV8 in June that she expected to hire about 30 people. It's worth checking current hours before planning a stop there during the shopping weekend.
What Follows on December 5
Christmas Through Lowell starts the Chamber's season. The Christmas Festivities carry it into December:
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Santa at the Lowell Showboat from 2 to 4 p.m., with cocoa and cookies at the Chamber sponsored by LMCU-Lowell. The same day brings the 40th annual Fine Art & Makers Market at Lowell High School, a library book sale, a live nativity at Heidi's Farmstand, Rudolph's Craft Workshop with Curiosity Corner, and a pancake supper benefiting Lowell's Open Table.
- Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.: The nighttime Santa Parade, themed "Christmas on the Farm" and sponsored by Miss P's Catering, runs from S. Broadway east on Main to Lowell United Methodist Church.
- Dec. 9, 11, 12, 16 and 19: More Showboat Santa visits. Friday, Dec. 11 doubles as Nite of Cheer.
The Chamber says dates and times can change and suggests checking its Facebook page before heading out.
If this year's map has you looking at your own Lowell home a little differently, Bryan Anderson can tell you what it's worth in today's market, with no commitment. Get your instant home valuation and enjoy the weekend on Main Street.
