Each December for the last 12 years, the Heurich House Museum curates a multi-day holiday market in its "Castle Garden." Inspired by traditional German Christmas markets, but starring local DMV makers, the event features between 25-50 local vendors annually.
The Heurich House Museum’s 12th annual Christmas Markt will be held in early December 2024. The museum is looking to expand the Markt to include more days (both weekdays and weekends). Specific dates will be announced soon.
Christmas Markt is the museum’s largest annual fundraiser and supports the Heurich Urban Manufacturing Incubator, which throughout the pandemic grew to support hundreds of local small businesses. In 2023, our group of vendors was the most diverse in the event’s 11 year history - 93% self-identified as being part of an underrepresented community. 70% of the vendors were in their first 5 years of business, which is the riskiest time for a small business according to the Small Business Administration.
More information on Maker Week 2024 will be available this fall!
Vendor FAQs
The Heurich House Museum’s 12th annual Christmas Markt will be held in early December 2024. The museum is looking to expand the Markt. Makers, during the application process, please select all options you’d be interested in participating in.
- One Weekend: Friday, December 6th - Sunday, December 8th
- One Weekend: Saturday, December 14th - Sunday, December 15th
- Two Weekends: Friday, December 6th - Sunday, December 8th AND Saturday, December 14th - Sunday, December 15th
- Full Week: Friday, December 6th - Sunday, December 15th
- Weeknight smaller markets (4-8pm): Tuesday, December 10th - Friday, December 13th
- April 4th: Application Opens
- September 1st: Application Closes
- September 13th: Vendor Notifications
- October 15th: Vendor Agreements & Payment Due
- Early November: Vendor Orientation (dates tbd)
- Early December: Christmas Markt (dates and details tbd, see above)
Each December for the last 12 years, the Heurich House Museum curates a multi-day holiday market in its "Castle Garden." Inspired by traditional German Christmas markets, but starring local DMV makers, the event features between 25-50 local vendors annually.
Christmas Markt is the museum’s largest annual fundraiser and supports the Heurich Urban Manufacturing Incubator, which throughout the pandemic grew to support hundreds of local small businesses. In 2023, our group of vendors was the most diverse in the event’s 12 year history - 93% self-identified as being part of an underrepresented community. 70% of the vendors were in their first 5 years of business, which is the riskiest time for a small business according to the Small Business Administration.
No. Christmas Markt is held in the museum's Castle Garden regardless of weather conditions. All Regular Vendors will be provided with a tented 10x10 foot space assigned to them by the museum.
All Christmas Markt vendor applicants must pay a nonrefundable $15 application fee. Accepted vendors pay nonrefundable Vendor Fees as noted below. Vendor Fees are used to cover event overhead, mainly equipment rental expenses. The museum does not take a percentage of any vendor sales.
2024 Vendor Fees
~ Regular Vendor ~
Fees range from $100 to $600 depending on the number of participation days.
More information will be announced before the applications closes
~ Food Vendor ~
To be determined on a case by case basis
*Vendors may also rent tables and chairs*
Food Vendors can serve food for on-site immediate consumption. All other vendors will be considered Regular Vendors. Regular Vendors may sell pre-packaged food for off-site consumption and may also give out free food samples during Christmas Markt. All Food Vendors are required to possess a valid caterers license and ensure a certified food protection manager is onsite during Christmas Markt.
All vendors are required to:
- Have an active business license.
- Have participated in an all day in-person pop-up market before. (if you have not, check out our Mini Markt program to gain experience.)
- Have a business that converts raw materials into finished physical products.
- If your business sells food products, the products are pre-packaged for retail sales.
- Consider DC your business’s primary sales marke.
- Have products designed or produced in the DC metro area (within 40 miles of DC).
- Have an average price for your products is under $150.
- Have the owner of the business present at the market at least one day.
- Have a contactless payment method.
We aim to provide economic opportunities to maker businesses at all stages of their business lifecycles. However, Christmas Markt is best suited for Beginner and Intermediate businesses (explore levels here). New businesses are more suited to our Mini Markt program.
In 2024, the Museum launched a new model of support and services for small urban manufacturers. We will continue to provide our longstanding programs, but with a refined focus and new programs that serve our community.
Our New Mission: The Heurich Urban Manufacturing Incubator strengthens our local small-scale manufacturing community by providing economic opportunities.
The Christmas Markt jury panel does not take into consideration your membership in or affiliation with the DC Makers’ Guild when assessing your vendor application. The Museum manages the DC Makers’ Guild through its Urban Manufacturer Incubator program; however, Christmas Markt is unaffiliated with the DC Makers’ Guild. Christmas Markt is the Heurich House Museum’s largest event of the year.
Our Castle Garden is bounded on all sides by walls, limiting the space available, which thereby limits the number of vendors who are offered booths at Christmas Markt making us unable to accept all vendors who apply.
Accepted vendors will be required to send their vendor acceptance and contract materials within a few weeks of being accepted and attend a virtual vendor orientation.
Applications for the 2024 market close at 11:59pm on September 1, 2023. Please note that this is earlier than past years. Vendors will be notified by Friday, September 13th at 6pm. Other important dates are noted above.
Please email christmas@heurichhouse.org.