The clock is ticking and Christmas is almost here! But you don’t need to battle traffic and crows at Tyson’s Corner to check off everybody on your Christmas List!  Here are five must-visit markets and neighborhoods with everything from high-end ships to crafts and artwork to visit first.

1. Eastern Market

Every weekend the streets around Eastern Market are packed with local vendors.  Crafts, food, art, and even Christmas Trees can be found in and around the historic market.  Saturdays 7am-6pm and Sundays 9am-5pm Eastern Market turns into one of the best places in the entire district to march through your Christmas list.  In addition to the market, find great local brick-and-mortar shops on 7th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.  Get to Eastern Market on the Orange, Blue, and Silver lines.

2. Downtown Holiday Market, and Downtown DC

Throughout the Holiday season the Downtown Holiday Market features area vendors, crafts, art, and music from noon to 8pm daily.  The market is centered at F and 8th street, stretching about a block in each direction along F.  Vendor tents are packed in along the sidewalk, offering a vast array of options sure to satisfy everybody on your list!  Downtown DC also feature several chain and local shops, and it is a short walk to take in the National Christmas Tree nearby.  Take the Yellow or Green line to Gallery Place, or walk a few short blocks from Metro Center on the Orange, Blue, Silver, or Red lines.

3. Christkindlemarket, and Dupont Circle

Dupont Circle is home to many great local shops.  If you’re looking for anything from books to clothing to homeware and knick-knacks you can find something unique in Dupont Circle.  Added to the wide array of permanent fixtures, the Christkindlemarket features local vendors the first weekend in December, with minimarkets each Friday through December.  Visit via the Red Line.

4. Georgetown

Stroll Georgetown and find some of the greatest shopping opportunities in DC.  Many unique boutiques, fashion, and food are all plentiful along M street, and up Wisconsin Ave.  In addition to local shops you’ll find many of the familiar big names in clothing and shopping to round out your Christmas shopping.  There is no metro nearby, but you can cross walk across the Key bridge from Rosslyn (Orange, Silver, and Blue) or take many bus lines in.

 

5. U and 14th streets

The U and 14 street corridors feature yet another set of unique DC stores an shops worth of your shopping list.  Often know for its food and entertainment, U and 14th streets also offer plenty of places to find clothing, home goods, and much, much more.

6. The Wharf

Phase one of the Wharf recently opened and it’s home to new shops.  This may be the right excuse to visit and check out the beautiful views and chip away at that list.  While still new, several fine shops are open for business.  Use the Waterfront (Green Line) or L’Enfant (Green, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Silver) stations.