SoWa Winter Festival

Entrance fee $10 FOR WHAT? Items are overpriced. Inside decor - just lights hanging from the ceiling. Parking costs additional $10 cash only. I mean, naaah.. I wouldn’t come here again. Not even in the following years.

I've been to this holiday market a few times and this year was its 10th anniversary. You could definitely tell, it felt grander than ever and I loved everything about it. The decorations were incredible, the lights, the atmosphere, they had a mezzanine level where you could go and take a break from the crowds, a bar, live music, everything. There were plenty of food options and while some of them felt a little pricier than they should have been, everything was delicious. I know some people say that the items for sale are overpriced, but I don't agree with that. It's just we're all so used to cheap stuff from Amazon or TikTok Shop, that we forget what actual artisanal handmade products costs. I absolutely felt it was worth it to support local artists and artisans by shopping here. I discovered some great local craftspeople that I'll definitely be revisiting. A lot of the items on sale were better quality than things you would buy with a luxury brand name on them, and if you're willing to pay $200 for Calvin Klein sweater just for the brand name, you can definitely pay someone from Maine who hand knits their items. The entrance fee was $10, which is not a lot if you consider that the whole thing is indoors and needs to be heated, property taxes need to be paid, and staff needs to be paid. A great weekend event to go to with family or friends, or just to explore by yourself. Highly recommend.

I always love it here. Went on the opening weekend in the middle of the day and THAT was a mistake, but there was some great parking attendants helping people find spots. Slightly disappointed as all the vendors were the same was last year, but also happy because I was able to get some good food.

There is a lot of potential with this winter market. Unfortunately, it’s more like paying $10 to wait in line and shuffle around. There are way too many people inside, standing room only. It was hard to stop and look at things because the crowd was pushy and folks got frustrated if someone wanted to look around, I often found myself walking sideways down long stretches to get around. There was a line for almost everything, too many lines and like a 30 minute wait to buy a cookie, similar for other foods, and no place to sit down. We ate our cookies in the corner on the stairs. Paid $5.00 for a room temp soda after waiting in line 15 min for it. Would b The crafts were neat to see but very pricey, maybe would have bought more if it didn’t cost $50 to get in the door to shuffle around elbow to elbow with people. Also, I think it’s unsafe to have that many people in the market, if there was an emergency people would stampede and only one clearly marked exit that I could see. Also, there was no Santa, nor was there other Christmas themed stuff, not a lot of Christmas themed goods. They did a great job with the decor in general, but it was hard to enjoy it. We left and had a great time at the artists studios next door, where there is truly high quality work, and where the prices truly match the quality.

Listen to the other reviews I just perused over and get rid of the cover charge. I love supporting local and small businesses but had no idea the bar had seating where we could eat the food we bought from the vendors. Figure out a way to have seating close to the food vendors or make it more apparent we should go upstairs. It is not convenient to walk around and eat for some people, like who may have a disability. The “Bar” signs on the floor made us assume it was legit just a bar which would make anyone assume bar seating.

Best winter market in Boston area, nice food and drinks options here also great creative works shops. Fun to go there.

Would not recommend. Having been to other festivals in the city and in Europe, this did not meet expectations. First, a $10 entry fee per person is a little nuts. You want me to pay to shop and eat before I actually shop and eat? Once inside it is cramped and tough to navigate your way around. The prices are higher than most other shops on the area. I’m all for supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs but this feels like a money grab from the owners of SoWa. Save your money and time

First went to SOWA in 2022 and going back this weekend. I don't mind the entrance fee and would recommend this over Snowport, which I went to last year for the first and last time. I loved SOWA because it's indoors and really liked the vendors over the ones at Snowport. It's all individual test, I know, and it's worth doing both to make your own comparisons. In the end it's all about supporting small business and artisans. Nothing like it in Western Mass that I'm aware of and we love spending time in the city.

My first time at SoWa Winter Festival and it did not disappoint. I honestly enjoyed it much more than Snowport haha. I liked that this was held indoors & was pretty warm inside! It is $10/person entrance fee. They had lots of different vendors that offered handmade trinkets and goodies, fresh cheeses + jams, cashmere sweaters + scarves, food, & drinks. Everything was definitely on the pricier side, but expected. We were able to grab a couple goodies: Lancaster honey from this local vendor & an olive oil set (apparently from Greece?). Overall, had a pleasant experience at SoWa Winter Festival today & would probably return ;)

When we saw ads for the festival we knew we wanted to check it out. Having frequented the summer market at Sowa many times in the last, i haven't gone to a winter one. It's 10$ entry fee for the indoor event. They had stacked rows of vendors which sell a bit of everything. You have artists, craftsmen, food vendors, clothing, thriftinf, beer vendors, and many more. Posted pictures from some booths we liked, glass blowing booth has so many cute glass decor. We also met a cute husband and wife team selling straight from Greece olive oil, gift set, with her hand ground Italian style seasoning. It was so yum, we bought one for a xmas gift and one to use at home. There are so many talented folks out here with their art on full display. The event had cheese, meats, jam vendors that you can check out and sample flavors. Afterwards you have all the things you'd need for a charcuterie board! Cute date night, parking is paid in the lot or you can circle for street parking!

This is worth visiting at least once and definitely puts you in the holiday spirit. I came here a day before closing and late in the evening so it wasn't crowded at all. The entry fee is $10 and there are a lot of different venders. I appreciate shopping small and although I didn't get anything it was nice to see some unique crafts. I would say there is a little bit for everyone including pets. The second floor was turned into a cozy lounge area. There is plenty of seating for those that brought food from the venders and a piano for live music.

The SoWa Winter Festival is located at the SoWa Power Station from Friday, November 24th to Sunday, December 17th. I went on Saturday, December 9th. On Saturday's, they are open 10am-10pm. We arrived around 9:45am and there were people already waiting in line to get in. They opened the doors exactly at 10:00am. Admission to the Winter Festival is $10, cash or card. Once you walk in, there are beautiful string lights hanging from the roof. There are aisles and aisles of vendors. There were vendors selling hot sauces, nuts, chocolate, art, pottery, and so much more. There is also a 2nd floor with food vendors and live entertainment. Throughout the venue, there are photo op opportunities and there was a contest to find the elf to get a hot chocolate. We had a croissant from Marseille. It was very soft and fresh. I spent about 2 hours checking out all the vendors and upstairs too. I enjoyed the free samples and bought a few gifts for friends and family. Everyone was very friendly. I was really glad that I arrived early and had some time to explore the vendors prior to the big crowds. This is a great one stop shop for gifts or just to walk around and check out the vendors. There is a paid parking lot in front of the venue. Many cars were in the lot.

Sweet, charming & very festive. Lovely Sunday early afternoon spent with the dearest of friends at the SOWA Winter Market. A lot to explore, so many vendors to see and lot to shop for. Baked goods, sweet treats, hot chocolate...spiked if you're feeling adventurous!! And if looking for holiday or Christmas gifts, you're bound to find something for anyone on your holiday shopping list. Once you're done with all the shopping, simply then go upstairs to their lounge where you can kick it back & relax over a few drinks and think about just how much money you've spent!! lol. Overall, SOWA is a wonderful weekend Winter activity available to Bostonians to enjoy during the holiday season.

We love going to the SoWa Winter Festival every winter, there is always a great selection of vendors! This season, I was able to find a gift for everyone on my list in one visit. They have vendors selling anything from jewelry, prints, glass ornaments, chocolates, pet accessories, etc. The stands are also placed with plenty of room for walking so you do not feel as cramped as some other markets are. They always decorate the interior of the space with an abundance of lights and winter decorations, which really sets up the festive mood. Being an indoor market is also a great bonus as you do not have to experience the harshness of the Boston winter when you want to leisurely browse around. As much as the experience is nice, the market charges a $10 entrance fee per person. A fee to enter a market where you spend more money is pretty uncommon and there are many other options in the area that do not charge a fee for folks who want to avoid this. Additionally, they do have a bar but it is definitely a bit overpriced. Otherwise, I think the SoWa Winter Festival is a great place to visit this winter and take any friends to experience together.

TLDR: be aware of your surroundings and your belongings... don't ruin the hardworking vendors' goods... Review: super cute warehouse with a really cool upstairs piano lounge. All the vendors had really inspiring goods from glass blowing to knitting to hot sauces and much more. Just comes at a price of $10 Storytime: a very unfortunate incident occurred with one of the vendors another customer and us. The vendor had those small tree shaped jewelry displays that were really popular. Another customer with a backpack turned around and knocked over the holder and with it all the ornaments that were hanging. As we helped to clean up their mess they left the crime scene but the owners didn't see what had happened. Thinking it was us they said "we don't expect you to pay for this cause it was an accident but an apology is the least you can do." After I explained the situation to them they were very apologetic about the misunderstanding and offered us one of their ornaments as compensation which we reluctantly took. Overall I felt really bad for them because the whole situation net lossed them ~$70 which might seem insignificant if not for the stiff competition in the cute market.

Oh my gingerbread men! It feels like any moment the reindeer will be prancing on the roof. Beats any Las Vegas craft fair or Blaisdell craft fair we've ever attended. The twinkling lights, Christmas music, crafters with an assortment of wares for purchase. The atmosphere feels like the movie White Christmas and wouldn't surprise me if they opened up the doors snow would be falling. Most magnificent event I've ever seen with row upon row of sparking twinkle lights suspended from the rafters. Art and crafted items at their best. Was it worth a $35 cab fare to come? Yes in my books. Happy holidays to you!!!

SoWa is only worth it if there is no line and if the admission fee was bumped down. LOCATION: Located in the South End, the SoWa winter festival is held in a large venue space. The venue itself is very beautiful and festive! VENDORS: Great variety of vendors but would have likes more food options! EXPERIENCE: Overall, the winter market was lovely and it reminded me of snowport in seaport but the $10 admission fee really wasn't worth it at all. We spent less than hour and didn't find too much. We went on a Sunday morning this year and only waited 10 minutes in line. We've seen the line wrap around the block before and would definitely not recommend waiting more than 5 minutes.

Such a fun place to browse! There's a fee to get in, but it was definitely worth it for me to get some wonderful local gifts for my loved ones. There was beautiful jewelry, art prints, food treats, and lots of other fun items. There was truly something for everyone, and the food and drink was delicious. There's parking at the warehouse but it's $10 cash only

SoWa Winter Festival is so lovely and hosts many local businesses in the venue. There is a hot chocolate stand, a food restaurant, and has an area to snack and drink your beverage. It feels very festive and lively. It's a great way to support small local businesses. I do wish there were more diverse business owners that were invited to be a part of this event. There is a wide range of businesses that sold cookies, gloves, Christmas decorations, health and wellness, pasta, candles and such. Here is the link to the SoWa Winter festival details: https://www.sowaboston.com/sowa-winter-festival It is only from December 3 - December 12. Monday - Thursday is free admission. Friday through Sunday is $10 admission entry. It is a great event to have folks be in the holiday spirits! I would love to see more holiday markets across the neighborhoods and towns of Boston area.

This is a great winter time activity or way to shop for loved ones! I went opening weekend I would check their site as tickets intended would sell out or got to the point of only in person access to tickets for admisison based on limited capacity for the power station area where most vendors are. There are outdoor vendor stations and hot cocoa /food trucks as well. There are open art studios and shops to explore most are open till 8 or 9 which is when the even itself also ends. Highly recommend buying tickets in advance to be assures a spot inside pending waiting in line. But the line moves fast! We made it in about less than 10 minutes on the opening Saturday so that was great! Inside is packed with vendors for ranges of all products handmade items, vintage clothing, yummy food, unique gifts and items for everyone on your holiday list. Upstairs there is charcuterie station and bar for a nice hangout area. Definetly recommend checking out if you're visiting or as a local it's a must see!

I liked my first time to Market brought some out of Towners had a great time shopping and sat upstairs to eat and drink. Brought some people last night to shop and we were going to eat there ... but no because there was a private party upstairs where tables are... so where we eating standing up in a crowd? 10$ parking and 40 $ entry for 4 for and hour. Very disappointed. Why you advertise mezzanine if it's not open? And maybe that should of been disclosed before wasting 50$

What does the $10 entry fee get you? I think the entry fee was an attempt to screen out anyone who isn't upper class. I've never paid an entry fee at a store before, so maybe I'm just not the target audience for this event, but I do not recommend it. Food: very limited selection of reheated food. I wouldn't plan on having a meal here. Drinks: Limited selection of beers and cocktails in a can. Bar had tequila cocktails only. Hot chocolate was good, but if you get the marshmallows, they are huge, not the small ones that dissolve. Lots of local booths to buy things, but after spending the entry fee, I couldn't find anything that seemed worth it. The lights were pretty, but by far the best part is the entry way, which you can enjoy before you pay.

3 stars. Positives: + inside armory (warm) + free + alcohol + Blackbird donuts + Got a couple gifts for Christmas + Food trucks Negatives: - SO crowded (due to free admission) - same shops that are always at SoWA with not many new things I'm glad admission was free because I probably would have been upset if I paid and experienced what I did. It wasn't the worst thing I've experienced but it was just way too packed in the armory. It got to the point where it wasn't even enjoyable. They need to have it someplace else. I know it was at a different location last year and they charged for admission and that place was smaller but it was not as crowded, again, probably because people did have to pay so maybe less people went last year? Not sure. I love a lot of the shops that are at SoWA but it seems there is always a lot of the same thing. Then the shops that I want to come back never come back :( It's all up to the shop owners though and if they want to go or not. Was going to get a tiny Christmas tree... like 2 or 2 and 1/2 feet tall and it was like $45...I passed. Could get a 5 or 6 footer for that price closer to where I live and not have to lug the thing around and back to the car.

Went to this winter festival last year and had a really great time, despite the hour-long wait in the freezing cold to get in. This year, unfortunately, due to some construction, they had to split up the locations into two tents. They definitely tried to maintain the same feel, but it felt much more crowded and less streamlined this time around. We went relatively early on Saturday (~1230) and waited about 40 minutes to get into the first tent. WE were hoping that would be the only wait and we could go straight to the second one, but there was a 20 minute wait for that one as well. The vendors continue to be good and there are plenty of samples which is nice, but I didn't think the wait was worth it this year.

Only downfall is it is extremely crowded but what do you really expect from a city event? All the vendors were reasonably priced and the atmosphere was really beautiful and Christmasy. There are a few tents that are specifically designed just to go in and get warm and I really thought that was a nice touch. Loved the beer and wine tents as well, lines were long but things loved pretty quickly. Over all a get experience.

SoWa during the summer is amazing, so my expectations for the winter festivities were high. I had been last year and had some nice holiday drinks like mulled wine accompanied by fiddle based holiday music. This time it was cold cocktails and a funk band. The actual market portion had a line around 5 different corners. Seems they need some system of crown control/ticketing.

I was a little disappointed this year with the winter market and I so wish that wasn't true! It was so gorgeous and winter-y looking inside, but the vendors didn't excite me too much (same vendors as usual SoWa and very few holiday themed gifts) and the drinks they were serving inside were very overpriced. On top of that, I waited 20 minutes to get in! My suggestion: Go if you're bored and looking for unique (slightly expensive mostly) gifts or something to do. Otherwise, skip it and find somewhere else to shop small.

Poor planning and poor execution. They were not able to use there usual winter location this winter and instead used smaller tents in there summer location (understandable) but because of the restrictions of number of people they could let in the lines were over an hour long. On top of that, the split it between two tents, so once you waited in line for an hour for one to find out that the vendors you wanted weren't in that one, you had to go wait in line for an hour for another. Way too cold for that. You're posting on your IG stories constantly telling everyone to come out, the least you could've done was warn about the lines. Better yet make the event two or three weekends if you don't have the facilities to support all of the Boston crowd in one weekend. Very disappointed we weren't able to support more local makers here.

Great concept, but far too overcrowded to be enjoyable. Just to get in there was an extremely long wait at every tent and once inside was packed wall to wall with ppl. Photos made it appear to be inside a warehouse, reality is there are large tents outside between old brick buildings. In December when it's 30 degrees, it's still freezing inside regardless of a few small heaters. Need to move to a larger space to accommodate the anticipated crowds.

The line was well over an hour to get in and certainly wasn't moving fast as it has in past years. At less than 40 degrees out, it wasn't worth it. The galleries and shops around the market are ok but wasn't really much I was interested in. We parked three blocks away at a meter.

So many cool vendors mostly from local stores or artists however it would've been better if there were heat lamps inside and out to make it a little more comfortable to shops around. Today was probably not the best time for me to have visited. It was 25 degrees and windchill was 15. Waiting in line to get in took 20 mins only to be surprised that inside didn't have heating at all as well thank god for the yummy warm chai tea If you are early enough there are ample parking on the BSC parking lot but there are nearby lots for $10.

I came here with friends to enjoy the spectacle, not really to buy any gifts. Admission was free, so there was a long line to get in the market hall, but it moved quickly. Obviously, it was packed inside. We grabbed some coffee and donuts from Blackbird, conveniently located right at the entryway. There are also beer, cocktail, and grilled sandwich vendors inside the hall if you want to get lunch or a snack. Unfortunately, there is no seating area and barely any empty space to stand and eat without being in crowded walking paths, so the messy sandwiches are not a great option. I thought all the food and bev were reasonably priced - $2 for coffee and $10 for alcoholic drinks. The market is a nice size - plenty of variety to browse without being huge and overwhelming. We strolled through the entire market hall and looked at every vendor, which took less than 2 hours. Most of the vendors were selling home decor items, like framed prints and candles, or specialty foods, like honey and cider. All of the vendors were pretty trendy, definitely geared toward a younger/millennial crowd. Not a great place to shop for grandparents. I loved the fact that this market was indoors and they had great holiday music playing at a comfortable volume. Also, take note that dogs are permitted inside!

Used to be my favorite Christmas market, but now I see them all as equal, especially because you have to pay entry into this one. It's got different vendors than the other markets, but it's all basically the same types of items

This was a cute winter-y thing to go to in the Boston area. For proper food, there were some food trucks. Admission was free and the line to get in was enormous. Luckily, it moved quickly. It was a large craft fair type of event which is good to get your holiday shopping done.

We are regular visitors to the summer market which we love so we were excited to go to the winter festival yesterday. We were stymied by the insane lines for both tent areas! We got there around 3:30 and the lines were not only crazy long but also did not seem to be moving much. Have only one entrance seems absurd. In the last few weeks I have been to the Edinburgh Christmas Market and the Philadelphia Christmas Market and my husband was at the Chicago Market. None of these locations had this problem. No shopping is worth waiting like this! Hope they rethink the process for next year because it has the potential to be a fun holiday event for visitors and locals alike.

This review is for the SoWa Holiday Market. Once you made your list and checked it twice, the SoWa Holiday Market is the perfect place to reward everyone who is nice this Christmas. I'm planning on doing gift baskets this year so I stocked up on Nutting Farm's absolutely delectable maple creme. Perfect for pancakes, on sliced apples or straight out of the jar. I just hope I don't eat it all before gifting it. I also bought some awesome sea salt toffee from Little BitsToffee. I tried a sample and could not resist buying two boxes (for others, of course!). It's hard not to have a holly jolly time at SoWa's Winter Market. You can find tons of goodies at a wide variety of prices perfect for spreading some holiday cheer!

I know it's busy around the holidays but this was just ridiculous. Possibly a poor choice of location to have the market. There were so many people in there that it was very hard to move and also near impossible to actually see any of the tables. I love going to the outdoor SOWA market in the summer/fall. This one is just not worth going to.

Awesome event for holiday shopping; there's a wide variety of vendors and you can even stop in at the beer garden!

Top notch vendors, drinks, and music. Be sure to check out both lots. Don't fear the long line - it moves quickly!

quite a (local) crowd for the first Sunday happening. stands of food, produce, knicks and knacks in a storefront a block from Gaslight. discovered Whoopie Monster's choco-peanut butter whoopee!

Ridiculously long line. Left because I barely moved. Avoid. They don't seem to want to meet demand.this is twice in three years. I'm not even trying next year. Too bad.

The best winter festival in Boston!! I love the SoWa Winter Festival! The vendors are all so talented, it's the perfect place to get Christmas gifts, hang out with your friends, and enjoy good food! Anyone you buy a gift for here will love it, everything is so unique and special. Every year the winter festival gets better.l and better! Can't wait for it this year!

I have to say, I went with high hopes after going to others. I won't be back. One veggie producer. One. Cheese, bread, honey, pasta, yes. But there was more pottery, clothing and crafty things than winter veggies. After paying for parking and leaving empty handed, I'll hit up some of the other places again.