The holiday season is in full swing: The puffer jackets have been broken out of storage,carols and festive pop classics play throughout every store, and the annual struggle of whatgifts to get your loved ones (and that one office White Elephant) is back. If you are looking to skip the long lines (and stinky cheese) at more social media-famous markets, but still want some one-of-a-kind holiday shopping from small businesses, here are some smaller holiday markets to visit this winter.
A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS Reading Memorial High School’sDrama Club(and supporting organizations)will host a Dickens Holiday Marketplace and Craft Fair once again this holiday season. The market, which has run for over 20 years, hosts 55 New England-based vendors selling artisan goods, including wooden cutting boards and goods from Magnus Woodsmith, pottery from Nancy Littlehale, and more. There will also be hands-on craftingopportunities, including coloring and cookie decorating. The Saturdaymarketplace — including an on-site warm beverage sale — is also a fund-raiser for RMHS’s drama department, raising money to support production equipment, scholarships for graduating students, and other needs. RMHS drama club members dressed in Victorian costumes will roam the fair and perform short skits and sing carols. There will also be tap, jazz, and contemporary dance performances by local troupes in the school’s performing arts center.
Dickens Holiday Marketplace and Craft Fair. Reading Memorial High School, 62 Oakland Road, Reading. Dec. 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entry is free. rmhsdrama.org
Shoppers look through artisan goods from female-owned businesses at Boston Women’s Holiday Market.Cara Loffredo
SUPPORTING WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES Boston Women’s Market hosts its holiday market at Night Shift Brewing in Everett on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. New England-based, women-owned vendors will be selling gift-able goods, including handmade jewelry from ADK Jewelry, natural skincare products from Beauté Noir, and cat toys and playhouses from Cat in the Box. The market will also be host to a family holiday celebration, including free ornament painting and an ugly sweater contest. There will be giveaways throughout the market of Night Shift Brewing gift cards and merchandise. If you’re hungry, Daddy’s Bonetown Burgers has you covered, and specialty holiday cocktails, yet to be announced, make the perfect holiday treat.
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Boston Women’s Holiday Market. Night Shift Brewing, 87 Santilli Highway, Everett. Dec. 13, noon to 5 p.m. Entry is free. bostonwomensmarket.com
A booth at a previous Winter Solstice Indigenous Art Holiday Market with Indigenous art, jewelry, and goods.Jamie Malcolm-Brown
CULTURAL COLLECTIVE In celebration of the season, the Cultural Survival Bazaar will hold a Winter Solstice Indigenous Art Holiday Market on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 at The Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama. The market will highlight Indigenous art and artists from around the world, including North and South America, Palestine, East Africa, and more. There will be over 50 vendors, such as Chinampa Temachtiani, which sells jewelry, clothing, and axolotl plushies, Hebron Glass, which sells blown glass goods, and Afri-Root Collective, which sells handmade African art from women artists. The market will also feature live musical performances from Lyla June, Yarina, and more. Looking for a new book to cozy up with this winter? Attendees can also participate in a book swap.
Winter Solstice Indigenous Art Holiday Market. Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St. Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $10. Free for children under 18. bazaar.culturalsurvival.org/boston
A shopper looks through a box of pre-loved books at a Small Mart Market.Ezra Enzo Photography
SHOPPING SMALL Returning for its fourth year, Small Mart Market is hosting the second of two holiday vintage shopping events in Greater Boston. The holiday market will take place at the Crystal Ballroom with over 50 vendors,including vintage clothing resellers and upcycled fashion designers. Vendors include the market’s organizers, High Energy Vintage, a Somerville-based secondhand clothing and record shop, and Existential Thread, a Rhode Island-based vintage clothing store, as well as others, such as Jessamy Shay, who designs clothing by repurposing garments and fabrics. There will also be artisan goods and artists selling prints, posters, and pottery. The market will also feature a full bar, complete with festive beverages such as a cranberry Moscow Mule and Irish Coffee for purchase.
Small Mart Market Holiday Market, Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. Dec. 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry is free. smallmartmarket.com
FRIENDLY SHOPPING (AND COMPETITION) The Charles River Speedway and the Brighton Bazaar are partnering for the Bazaar’s 100th event, The Holiday Stroll, on Dec. 20 and 21. The Speedway hosts over 60 local vendors, featuring a variety of artisan goods, including metal art, kitchenware, and decor from Eli West, handmade pottery from Sugalski Ceramics, and more. At the upper courtyard of the Speedway, there will be a gingerbread house building competition on each day of the market. With a $5 buy-in, which can be purchased ahead of time or on site, the competition will last from noon to 3 p.m. Winners will be announced within the week after the market for prizes such as a $75 gift card to a Speedway vendor of their choice or two tickets to a show at The Roadrunner of the winner’s choice. For a less high-stakes activity, there will be card-making stations where attendees can craft personal holiday greetings for loved ones.
The Holiday Stroll. The Charles River Speedway, 525 Western Ave., Brighton. Dec. 20-21, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entry is free. charlesriverspeedway.com
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Shoppers visit the vendor booths at last year’s Somerville Flea Holiday Market.Greg Ghazil
SECONDHAND STOCKING STUFFERS The Somerville Flea — usually known for holding court in Davis Square in summer and fall — hosts its annual holiday market on Dec. 21 for last-minute shoppers looking for one-of-a-kind secondhand goods. The extensive shopping event will feature around 40 vendors and their curated collections of vintage goods, such as clothes from Dandelion District, books from Hiding in Books, and home decor from Unpredictable Finds. A DJ will play holiday mixes to set the festive mood while you shop. Snacks and beverages will be available at Arts at the Armory’s ROOTED Café.
The Somerville Flea Holiday Markets. Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue, #1C, Somerville. Dec. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry is free. thesomervilleflea.com
Isabella Bernstein can be reached at isabella.bernstein@globe.com.
Investigators identified Tyler Brown of Boston as the man who allegedly opened fire on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, leaving two victims with life-threatening injuries.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said Brown fired 50 to 60 shots on the busy road shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.
Two male victims were hit in vehicles, Ryan said. They are in critical condition and fighting for their lives.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian with a license to carry a firearm went toward the gunman and fired their weapons at him. Officers treated Brown at the scene, and he was brought to a Boston hospital, where he is in intensive care, according to the district attorney.
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This video shared with NBC10 Boston appears to show a man opening fire at cars on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Authorities have, so far, shared limited information about the suspect.
“Mr. Brown is from Boston, and apparently was in the process of moving here. We understand that Mr. Brown was under the supervision of either the Massachusetts Probation Department or Department of Parole,” Ryan said.
She did not elaborate on why Brown may have been on probation or parole.
“We will address Mr. Brown’s criminal record, if any, at the arraignment,” she said.
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Ryan added that she did not know enough about Brown’s condition to say whether he would be arraigned in court or in a hospital bed. The timing was also not clear.
He will face two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and firearms charges, and “a variety of other charges as we unfold what took place, exactly, and we have a chance to speak to the many, many people who were out there,” Ryan said.
An inbound stretch of Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road will be closed each night through August for tunnel repairs, officials announced.
Starting Monday, the closures will begin at 8 p.m. and last until 5 a.m., state officials said.
Road closures begin at North Harvard Street in Allston and stretch along the Charles River Esplanade to Mugar Way in Boston, near the Hatch Memorial Shell, officials said.
Traffic will be detoured into Cambridge over the Anderson Bridge, along Memorial Drive, and then be routed into Boston over the Longfellow Bridge.
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The closures will allow ongoing repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel in the Back Bay.The work is the first phase of a two-stage project to extend the lifespan of the tunnel, which carries roughly 50,000 drivers to and from downtown Boston daily.
The outbound portion of the tunnel and accompanying roadways will not be affected.
State transportation officials said changes to the work schedule will be made when necessary to minimize impacts during major local events at TD Garden, Fenway Park, or during the FIFA World Cup and 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for this summer.
Additional changes may be made without notice due to weather.
Transportation officials have not specified when the closures will end.
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Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.
OXFORD — Ole Miss softball is back in the NCAA Tournament after making the Women’s College World Series a season ago.
The Rebels (34-24) will play Boston (46-13) on May 15 (1 p.m. CT, ESPNU) in the Lubbock Regional. Ole Miss is the No. 2 seed in the regional, and Boston is the No. 3.
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Texas Tech (52-6), the No. 11 overall seed and regional host, will face No. 4 Marist (37-19).
The Rebels went 6-18 in SEC play this season, and have a largely new-look roster from the team that made the WCWS last season.
Ole Miss beat South Carolina and Tennessee in the SEC Tournament to improve its seed.
Freshman Madi George has burst onto the scene in the SEC. The first-year infielder leads Ole Miss with a .385 batting average. She has a team-high 21 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Seniors Emilee Boyer (3.86 ERA), Kyra Aycock (3.97 ERA) and junior Lily Whitten (3.04 ERA) are the primary options in the circle for coach Jamie Trachsel.
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Trachsel is in her sixth season leading the Ole Miss program. She led the Rebels to their first WCWS appearance in program history in 2025.
What to know about Boston, Texas Tech and Marist in Lubbock Regional
Boston entered the Patriot League Tournament as the top seed and the Terriers delivered. Boston beat No. 2 Colgate 12-1, becoming the second team in Patriot League history to four-peat as conference champions. Boston is on a 12-game winning streak. Kylie Doherty leads the team with a .396 batting average and 26 home runs.
Texas Tech made the 2025 WCWS championship series, losing to Texas in three games.
Texas Tech lost just three Big 12 games this season but lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders are a strong threat to get to the WCWS again. There are four Texas Tech batters hitting over .400. Star pitcher NiJaree Canady leads the Red Raiders with a 1.24 ERA. She has 209 strikeouts.
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Marist plays in the MAAC and won the conference tournament. Marist split a two-game series against South Carolina early in the season. Ava Metzger (12-3, 2.51 ERA) and Peyton Pusey (.404 batting average) lead the team.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
