Christkindlmarket HSV 2026

Overview

Christkindlmarket Huntsville is a juried holiday-inspired art market featuring more than 60 regional visual artists. Hosted at the award-winning Orion Amphitheater, the market combines fine art with seasonal food and beverages, live holiday music, and a festive atmosphere. With free admission, free parking, and average attendance exceeding 8,000 visitors, Christkindlmarket is the largest community event at the Orion Amphitheater and one of North Alabama's premier holiday shopping destinations.

Key Dates

• Submission deadline: September 23, 2026
• Artist notification: October 12, 2026
• Load-in: Friday, December 11, 8 am - 4 pm
• Exhibition: December 11-13, 2026

Exhibition Hours

• Friday, December 11: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
• Saturday, December 12: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Sunday, December 13: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Eligibility

Open to regional visual artists. Work must be produced by the exhibiting artist showing significant manipulation and originality in the chosen medium. No buy-sell or resale; original artwork only. No kits, flea market items, candles, bath/beauty products, oils, knives/weapons, or other non-art items accepted.

Accepted Media

• Clay: Original clay and porcelain work, functional or sculptural
• Fiber: Includes wearable and non-wearable. No machine-tooled, machine-screen printed, or mass production.
• Glass: Functional and sculptural work
• Jewelry: All jewelry from any material; original artwork only, no buy-sell
• Metal: Sculptural or decorative work; jewelry not accepted in this category
• Mixed Media: Work combining materials from two or more mediums
• Painting: Acrylics, oils, watercolors, gouache, or other paints. Reproduction prints allowed only as signed and numbered limited editions, displayed in bin or basket.
• Photography: Traditional film, hand-colored images, emulsion transfers, and digital photography
• Sculpture: Three-dimensional work using additive or subtractive processes in a single medium
• Two Dimensional: Drawing, printmaking, and digital works. Reproduction prints allowed only as signed and numbered limited editions, displayed in bin or basket.
• Wood: Original hand-tooled, machine-worked, turned, or carved works
• Other: Handmade artwork not fitting other categories; must show significant manipulation. No kits, flea market items, candles, bath/beauty products, oils, knives/weapons.

Application Requirements

Minimum 4 images required. Blind jury process with a new jury for each festival. Applications with ineligible artwork will not be considered for jury.

Photo Submissions

• Five images must be submitted for each individual media category
• Four images of individual pieces of work, each featuring one piece with price, title, and dimensions
• One mandatory fifth image showing a display of your booth or a grouping of works representative of your body of work
• No identifying information allowed in photos: no banners, signatures, or people. Identifying photos will be requested for update.

Jury & Wait List

Christkindlmarket is a juried art festival; selected artists are invited based on jury scores in their submitted category. A wait list will be established by category based on jury scores. Wait-listed artists will be notified when a space becomes available via email.

Fee & Artist Amenities

Jury fee: $25 (non-refundable). Artists receive indoor restrooms, booth sitters, refreshments and hot soups in hospitality area, and access to local food trucks on-site. Artists are expected to provide their own tent.