Craft Shows & Fairs in New Hampshire
New Hampshire holds a singular place in American craft history. The League of NH Craftsmen's Annual Craftsmen's Fair, held each August at Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, has been running since 1933 — making it the oldest craft fair in the United States. The League itself was established by 1932. That heritage runs through the League's nearly 700 juried craftspeople, its fine craft galleries, and a year-round calendar of craft shows and fairs that stretches from the Seacoast to the White Mountains.
Upcoming events in New Hampshire
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What to Expect at New Hampshire Craft Shows
The craft show landscape in New Hampshire ranges from nationally significant juried exhibitions to seasonal community markets held in town parks and school gymnasiums. At the top of the calendar sits the Annual Craftsmen's Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort, a nine-day event each August drawing more than 20,000 visitors. Hundreds of juried member craftspeople set up sales booths alongside live demonstrations and curated exhibitions. It typically runs in early August.
In North Conway, Schouler Park hosts several outdoor shows, including the Leaf Peeper's Craft Fair produced by Joyce's Craft Shows during foliage season in October (October 17–18, 2026). The Gibson Center for Senior Services organizes four major shows in North Conway across Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day weekends — anchoring the White Mountains craft calendar from May through October.
Concord's Everett Arena is home to the Capital City Craft Festival, a Castleberry Fairs production featuring juried arts, crafts, and specialty foods in March (the 5th annual festival was March 28–29, 2026). In Keene, the Cheshire Craftsmen hold their 53rd annual juried fair at the Keene Recreation Center in 2026. Portsmouth's Seacoast Artisans Fine Arts & Craft Show has been held at Great Bay Community College in November.
Joyce's Craft Shows lists 13 free-admission fairs across the state for 2026, and Great New England Craft & Artisan Shows hosts juried craft and artisan shows regionally. The production quality and variety of shows means New Hampshire punches well above its weight for a state of 1.4 million people.
Country Fairs & County Fairs in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's agricultural fair circuit has deep roots across its 10 counties. The Hopkinton State Fair at the State Fairgrounds in Contoocook is a Labor Day weekend tradition (September 3–7 in 2026). It combines traditional livestock competitions, 4-H exhibits, and entertainment with craft vendor sections that draw both local artisans and regional exhibitors.
The Deerfield Fair, which bills itself as New England's oldest family fair, runs in late September or early October in Deerfield (October 1–4 in 2026), with agricultural exhibits and competitions. The North Haverhill Fair serves Grafton County in the Upper Valley region, while the Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair runs in New Boston each September (September 11–13 in 2026).
These fairs serve a different function than the juried craft shows. They carry the agricultural and 4-H traditions that the NH Association of Fairs & Expositions coordinates, while offering craft vendors a community audience that values handmade work alongside livestock barns and midway rides.
Popular Cities for Craft Events in New Hampshire
Concord
As the state capital, Concord sits at the geographic center of New Hampshire's north-south corridor on I-93 and I-89. The Capital City Craft Festival at Everett Arena brings juried crafts indoors in March. The NH Audubon McLane Center hosts an annual Holiday Craft Fair with 30+ local artisans (December 13, 2025). The League of NH Craftsmen maintains a gallery on North Main Street.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the cultural capital of the NH Seacoast, a walkable port city with galleries along Ceres Street, Market Street, and Congress Street. The Seacoast Artisans Fine Arts & Craft Show has been held in November at Great Bay Community College on the Pease Tradeport. Market Square hosts Pro Portsmouth's Market Square Day street festival in June. Prescott Park's summer arts festival and Strawbery Banke Museum's craft demonstrations round out a year-round artisan scene.
North Conway
North Conway's position as the Mount Washington Valley's commercial hub, surrounded by White Mountain National Forest, makes it a natural setting for outdoor craft fairs tied to tourism. Schouler Park hosts the Mount Washington Valley August Craft Fair and the Leaf Peeper's Craft Fair (October). The Gibson Center for Senior Services runs four major shows from Memorial Day through Columbus Day weekend. Outlet shopping at Settlers Green creates consumer traffic that benefits craft show attendance.
Keene
Keene's Monadnock Region location and independent craft community have sustained one of the longest-running craft fair traditions in the state. The Cheshire Craftsmen Fair runs at the Keene Recreation Center the first weekend of October. The Keene Holiday Craft Show is held at Keene High School on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (November 28, 2026). The Keene Summer Craftfest at Keene Middle School adds a June outdoor show with a classic car component.
Laconia
Laconia is the gateway to the Lakes Region and Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's largest lake. Joyce's Craft Shows' 2026 schedule has Lakes Region fairs in Tilton, Gilford, and Wolfeboro from mid-May into early November, with summer the busiest season. The surrounding towns of Meredith, Gilford, Wolfeboro, and Tilton host a dense cluster of summer craft shows. Tanger Outlets in Tilton draws additional consumer traffic into the region.
Hanover
Hanover is a small Upper Valley college town shaped by Dartmouth College's cultural presence. The League of NH Craftsmen has documented historical presence here — the Hanover Group is recorded in the Archives of American Art. The AVA Gallery and Art Center in neighboring Lebanon (4 miles) serves as a regional arts hub. The Upper Valley straddles the NH-Vermont border, and events like the Quechee Balloon Festival in Vermont (Father's Day weekend) draw Hanover-area residents.
Seasonal Guide to New Hampshire Craft Shows
Spring (March-May) starts indoors. The Capital City Craft Festival at Everett Arena in Concord runs in March (March 28–29, 2026), one of the earlier indoor shows of the year. Memorial Day weekend marks the outdoor season kickoff, with the Gibson Center's first North Conway show opening the White Mountains calendar. Summer (June-August) is the richest period. The Keene Summer Craftfest runs in June at Keene Middle School. July brings the Gibson Center's Independence Weekend show in North Conway (July 3–5, 2026). The Annual Craftsmen's Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort fills nine days in early August — the marquee event of New Hampshire's entire craft calendar. The Gibson Center's Labor Day Weekend show and Joyce's Craft Shows events across the Lakes Region keep August packed. Fall (September-October) overlaps with foliage season, and craft shows benefit directly from leaf-peeping traffic. The Hopkinton State Fair runs Labor Day weekend in Contoocook. The Deerfield Fair follows in late September or early October (October 1–4, 2026). October brings the Cheshire Craftsmen Fair in Keene, the Mt. Washington Valley Fall Craft Fair and Leaf Peeper's Craft Fair at Schouler Park in North Conway, and the Gibson Center's Columbus Day Weekend show. Holiday Season (November-December) shifts indoors statewide. The Keene Holiday Craft Show runs the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Keene High School, and the NH Audubon McLane Center in Concord holds its Holiday Craft Fair in December. Joyce's Craft Shows produces the Holly Jolly Craft Fair at DoubleTree by Hilton in Nashua (December 19, 2026). Pop-up markets and holiday bazaars fill community spaces across the state through December.Types of Events You'll Find
- Nationally recognized juried fairs — Annual Craftsmen's Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort (est. 1933, nine days, 20,000+ visitors)
- Curated indoor shows — Capital City Craft Festival (Concord, Everett Arena), NH Audubon McLane Center Holiday Craft Fair (Concord)
- Large outdoor craft fairs — Leaf Peeper's Craft Fair (North Conway, Schouler Park), Mt. Washington Valley Fall Craft Fair (Schouler Park)
- Community craft shows with long histories — Cheshire Craftsmen Fair (Keene, 53rd annual in 2026), Gibson Center shows (North Conway, Memorial Day through Columbus Day)
- Agricultural and county fairs — Hopkinton State Fair (Labor Day, Contoocook), Deerfield Fair (late September or early October), North Haverhill Fair, Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair (New Boston)
- Regional producer series — Joyce's Craft Shows (13 fairs on its 2026 schedule), Castleberry Fairs & Festivals, Great New England Craft & Artisan Shows
- Holiday markets — Keene Holiday Craft Show, NH Audubon McLane Center Holiday Craft Fair, Holly Jolly Craft Fair (Nashua), holiday pop-ups statewide
- College-town and gallery events — Dartmouth-area shows (Hanover), Market Square Day (Portsmouth), League of NH Craftsmen gallery events
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to find craft shows in New Hampshire?
August and October are the two peak months. The Annual Craftsmen's Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort runs nine days in early August and is the oldest craft fair in the country, according to the League. October combines foliage tourism with the Leaf Peeper's Craft Fair in North Conway, the Cheshire Craftsmen Fair in Keene, and the Mt. Washington Valley Fall Craft Fair. The November-December holiday season adds another wave of indoor shows statewide.
Are there country fairs with handmade vendors in New Hampshire?
Yes. The Hopkinton State Fair in Contoocook (Labor Day weekend) includes craft vendor sections alongside its agricultural programming. The Deerfield Fair (October 1–4 in 2026) bills itself as New England's oldest family fair. The North Haverhill Fair lists arts and crafts among its exhibits, and the Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair runs in New Boston (September 11–13 in 2026). These fairs complement the dedicated craft show circuit.
How do I find craft shows near me in New Hampshire?
CraftShow Events lets you search by city or statewide across New Hampshire to find upcoming craft shows, artisan fairs, and county fairs with dates and venue details. Whether you are in Concord, Portsmouth, the White Mountains, the Lakes Region, or the Monadnock area, the search filters help you find events nearby.
What types of crafts are popular at New Hampshire fairs?
Woodworking and timber crafts reflect New Hampshire's forest heritage and are strong across the state. Pottery, woven textiles, jewelry, folk art, photography, and glasswork appear at virtually all juried shows. The League of NH Craftsmen's nearly 700 juried craftspeople work across baskets, pottery, printmaking, quilts, and more. The League's story begins in the mid-1920s, when Mary Coolidge and A. Cooper Ballentine joined forces to promote craft in New Hampshire.
What is the League of NH Craftsmen's Annual Craftsmen's Fair?
The Annual Craftsmen's Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury is the oldest craft fair in the United States, running since 1933. It spans nine days each August, draws more than 20,000 visitors, and features hundreds of juried member craftspeople with sales booths, live demonstrations, and curated exhibitions. The League of NH Craftsmen was established by 1932 and lists six fine craft gallery locations and nearly 700 juried members.
Are New Hampshire craft shows free to attend?
Many are. Joyce's Craft Shows lists all of its fairs, including its Schouler Park shows in North Conway, as free admission, and many community holiday markets are free. The Capital City Craft Festival in Concord charged $10 adult admission in 2026. The Annual Craftsmen's Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort charges admission for its nine-day run. Outdoor shows at Schouler Park and Market Square in Portsmouth vary by producer.
Discover Events in New Hampshire
CraftShow Events covers craft shows, artisan fairs, handmade markets, and county fairs across New Hampshire. Use the statewide search to browse the full calendar — from Mount Sunapee to Schouler Park to Market Square Portsmouth — and filter by city, date, and event type to find what is coming up near you.