Armadillo Christmas Bazaar

Armadillo can be a bit pricey when you consider the entrance fee along with the parking fee. But it’s worth it, at least once or twice. Live music, Austin area and other local artisanal sellers, and a general atmosphere of celebration. Armadillo is the place that I will hit late in the season because I know I’ll be able to find a gift for that last hard-​to-​buy for person.

So much fun!
The parking next to the venue was $ 7. There wasn’t many other options for parking so except to pay the price for parking! The venue was indoors and so nicely put together. Everything was organized and clean and the people greeting at the doors were very friendly. The stores ranged from interesting art, to fun toys for kids, to soaps and scents. There was something for everyone!
I liked the store that had fun gifts for children that were very well-​priced! I also purchased a facial soap from one of the booths and it was a local business in Austin. No one badgered us to buy anything which was very refreshing. We felt no pressure to buy anything there and had so much fun looking at all the unique products that these local austin businesses had to offer. Even if you don’t want to buy anything, it is still so much fun to walk around AND you get to listen to awesome artists who play on a stage in the venue! The music wasn’t too loud but still enough to enjoy :) There is also some food and a bar where you can get drinks.

If you don’t visit this iconic Christmas festival you ain’t got no balls… Jingle Balls that is.

This place is really Christmas to me. You can find the most unique gifts. Anything from Jewelry to paintings to sculpture to handmade books and unique toys. It’s got everything! While enjoying excellent food and beverages and listening to some of the best live music that Austin has to offer. There’s no better place to shop for Christmas! I love to go and enjoy a cocktail while I shop and dance :-)

Great gift options, although some vendors are pretty pricey. So many local vendors also sell at some of the free shows in town, such as the Cherrywood Art Fair or Blue Genie. I would recommend those (since they’re free!) over Armadillo, for sure.
That being said, the live music is nice. It gets super crowded, even if you show up early. But a nice way to knock some Christmas gifts off the list and stroll around for a few hours.

This was the first year I went to this and have always heard great things about it. I was really let down by the high number of giclee prints of art (hotel art), imported goods people were trying to write off as handmade, number of non-​local vendors (Ca vendors), and level of work in general. First year attended and last year attended. Easier to find more unique works online. There were a few really unique vendors and I feel really sorry that they were swallowed in the mass of goods that should not have been allowed to be sold at an «art + craft» event in the first place. I hope the few people that actually make their own work and have talent that were selling actually made a profit from participating in the event. I took my parents and grandmother, hoping to show them the unique side of Austin (thought this was a local talent art + craft event?) sadly, no one was impressed.

Same old, same old, same old! Vendors are all the same every year with the same mech. Expensive to get in, park and drink. The art work ranged from amateurish to art costing thousands (some worth it some not) What happened to keep Austin weird,? Many of these artists are not even from here. This «elite» show should be restricted to local artists only and let’s have some diversity, mix it up!
I used to look forward to this. I don’t think I will go next year.
On the brighter side the music is always great especially when it’s Dale Watson even if he is singing Christmas Carols.

I hadn’t been to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar since I was very little, but I remember having a great experience (for example, that was the first time I ever saw a beat poet, which my dad discreetly pointed out). Now that I’m older and able to better appreciate such a place, I had a great time!
Parking and entrance, both 7 bucks, was a bit much, and the food and drink was also as overpriced as to be expected. But if you don’t drink much, then it’s all good, isn’t it?
There were dozens of stalls, all tastefully done. I love arts and crafts bazaars like tis because even if you don’t buy anything, it’s so cool just to walk around and see all there is to see, and meet all the interesting people. One artist that sticks out in my mind is this one older guy who made casts of people’s faces, or, people’s whatever. He wore a bright suit with a tie with naked ladies on it, and a cast of a nipple on his lapel. Another joyous kind (who reminded me of Bob Hoskins’ Schmee from «Hook») made beautiful copper mechanical toys, like alligators whose tails swished and whose jaws snapped when you rolled them. Of course there were also all kinds of awesome paintings, sculptures, leather goods, clothes, jewelry, gourmet food and candy, etc. etc. etc. There was live music, and the general ambiance of the place was very nice.
Now, it goes without saying that all these crafts are expensive. But, you are supporting local artists, and people who really put their passions into their works of art, so it’s a pretty fair trade-​off. There were so many things I wanted badly, but couldn’t simply because I didn’t have the money.
I eventually settled on a few things for Xmas gifts, such as a hand-​tooled leather-​bound sketchbook, a copper «odd thing» and a music CD. In turn received a number of things, such as a nice hand-​stitched sheepskin hat, a blue-​and-​black poster of Kurt Vonnegut, and an oddly adorable little zebra-​striped kitten doll (I know I know, I’m too old for dolls, but I just had to have this one).
Remember when I said you meet interesting people? My sister and friend and I went outside to smoke and vape, and ended up talking to this one very drunk woman. In the first 5 minutes of making her acquaintance, we learned that not only did she have one of the oldest trees in the county in her backyard, but she also liked to lie naked in her jacuzzi and smoke weed. She showed us the big C’s on the seat of her jeans, and when I asked if she was a Cincinnati fan, she took off her jacket and challenged me to a fight, saying she was a Chicago Cubs ’till the day she died. Then she hugged and kissed us all and went back inside.
So yeah. When it rolls around at the end of this year, I definitely recommend stopping by. It’ll be a fun experience!

We’ve been going every year for a while. Every year, it gets more expensive to park, to get in, and to have a drink. The vendors are all the same and they even have the same art year after year. It used to be cozy and affordable to go get some things for Christmas presents, but now, I am afraid to even touch most of the stuff. Why is there so much expensive jewelry? Can new vendors not get in? I plan to skip it next year.

I’m really surprised that the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar has only 3 stars on Unilocal — I had a great time today browsing a ton of fantastic artists. My friend and I have been cruising the big craft shows this year — Renegade, Blue Genie and this one, along with a few other smaller craft fairs and this one by far exceeded our expectations.
Sure, it was $ 7 to park and $ 7 per person to enter which I actually thought was sort of steep, but when we went in and started walking around we realized that the money was worth the sheer enchantment. They had a bar, several food vendors and a big stage with great music going on in the center. All of the booths were really well done and there were so many amazing things to look at, I must have collected over 50 business cards. They turned the lights down low which really accentuated the booths with spot-​lighting and there was plenty of room for browsing — crowding wasn’t an issue as with many other events we’ve been to this year.
I will agree with other reviewers that there are more upscale, pricier items here than many of the other craft shows offer — there’s a lot more high end art but it is all so great to see, such uniqueness. I really had to restrain myself from buying a lot of stuff as I already have most of my shopping done. We saw a lot of very Austin artists, and a lot of cool artists from other places. Interestingly enough, there were only a few repeats from other shows we had been to — which was a really refreshing surprise considering we thought for sure there would be a lot of repeats.
If you’re looking for a great way to spend an afternoon, or for a unique item — or that big ticket, wow-​factor item for someone who’s hard to shop for… this is definitely a great place to find that. I’m absolutely coming back next year!

The Bazaar has kicked it up a notch or so toward the less-​rustic since I was last there; there were fewer Texas-​belt-​buckle affairs in the stalls and I didn’t spy any cow-​skull art. If you’ve never been, it might be worth a stroll. There were several new crafty artisans and painters I had not seen there before. (My personal fave is always Crave Artisan Chocolate, who make fancy good chocolates, including gluten free and vegan options. Free samples! :).
They do have live music every day at specific times, which is well curated (a fancy stage with decent audio) and some food and beverage if you are so inclined (list on the Armadillo web site).
Note: Admission is now $ 7 at any time, so no discount for going at an off-​peak hour. I advise going at a weird time anyway, and parking on Barton Springs, then walking around from the back of Palmer so you don’t also have to spend (an additional) $ 7 to park in the Palmer Event Center parking garage. You can only enter the Palmer Event Center for the bazaar in the front of Palmer.
However, if you like funkier art, in general, I’d go to Blue Genie, which I have now been to several times, who have no admission fee and quite a full bar if you like partaking while you shop.

As Austin continues to be «for sale» one can only guess both the admission & parking fees will continue to increase. Still try to pick a few good bands to see and make the trip. There’s definitely some talented artist each year but I mainly go for the music and then head to local shops to buy gifts.

The fact that this event has a «cover» or «entrance» charge kind of blew me away.(in a bad way) The only good thing about it was the fact that it was indoors on a cold day. The building that it was held in was a nice one but to pay a little under $ 10 per person to get in was a bit much in my opinion. The vendors were really great to look at and explore. They had really interesting items and a lot of their craftsmanship was quite amazing but like I said, the entrance fee just was not worth it in my opinion. They did have live music though and beer on draft for sale along with concession-​stand foods like nachos, sandwiches, pastries etc.

I’ve been going to the Christmas Bazaar for going on 4 years now. every year is just as awesome as before. I love the live bands. I love being able to get drinks while I do my shopping.
Anytime I have to do X-​mas shopping is a bad day for me. Not so much if I am going to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. Here I saunter in get a beer and wonder around. Sure the prices are a bit higher than your typical street vendor shops, but most of the goods are still hand made and worth every cent.
Go here, spend a little extra money, get something hand made and get your buzz on and Christmas shopping doesn’t seem so bad!

Is it just me? Am I just getting cranky with old age? Not sure, but with each passing year the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar seems a bit less special.
I decided to go to the ACB to buy some candles from Lights Out, an Austin company, for Christmas. I’ve bought them at the Bazaar before; my mom loves them. The Bazaar has been located the past few years at the Palmer Center whereas it used to be at the dark and funky — and entirely more fun — Austin Music Hall before. So the first disappointment is having to pay $ 7 to park in the garage (you might be lucky and find some of the few «free» parking spots left in Austin near the Dougherty Arts Center). Followed by either a $ 5 (before 7pm) or $ 8 (after 7pm) «cover» charge *before* you get to shell out your hard-​earned Great Recession $$ for any gifts.
OK, I’m fine paying up to $ 15 to check out something that is well-​organized, cool, crafty and with some good live music. However, my visit this month was disappointing. The music was good but I noticed that many of the vendors weren’t even from Austin (let alone Texas) and that some of the ‘crafts’ were Asian factory-​made crap. I can see such tchotchkes for FREE at the monthly craptastic ‘market days’ in Gruene or elsewhere. There are still a good number of Austin businesses offering good, locally-​made stuff for gifts but more and more vendors are art galleries selling paintings, sculpture, etc — I saw a $ 6K banana sculpture this year (!) — and others selling stuff found just about anywhere.
Anyway, I found the candles I was looking for and listened to a band before leaving the ACB. I left wondering if yet another Austin ‘brand’ has sold out to mediocrity. Perhaps a renewed commitment to local artists and a finding a venue without a charge for parking would make this a much better event.

Pros:
— Lots of talented artists & craftsmen.
— Great items to buy.
— Mostly decent music.
Cons:
— $ 8 per person. Really?
— Not enough reasonably priced items (probably a direct result of high booth fees).
We used to go every year & have purchased many gifts there. Not any more.
Pass.

I’ve been to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar several times in the past, but I’m finding as the years go on that each year there are fewer and fewer affordable gifts. We did find a couple of interesting things this year, but most of the items we liked were several hundred dollars or even up into the thousands. I agree with the others that there are the same artists there year after year. I also always go with the intention of doing my Christmas shopping, but walk out empty-​handed.
I do like some of the bands. My favorite this year was the Asleep at the Wheel quartet. That justified the price for us, but I do also agree that the show is making TONS of money off the artists, so I don’t understand why they charge a cover. The food and beverages are overpriced. The fact that you have to pay for parking is ridiculous.
And I would really appreciate more Austin artists. It does seem like there are a lot of people from out of state. There was a Japanese artist with some beautiful wall sculptures. And some nice painters. But I think that there needs to be a larger selection of «smaller» items that are budget-​friendly. One booth had very commercial metal lunchboxes with Hello Kitty on them… really? At an Austin art festival? Gimme a break! We’ve got OODLES of original art here in Austin.

I went to the Bazaar with my companion this year. We strolled around leisurely, drinking beer, listening to music, and enjoying all the booths. I am disappointed that it seems more of the vendors aren’t local like they used to be, but there was some lovely stuff (also some stuff that struck me as waaaay overpriced).
We spent more time than we’d originally intended, but it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. And most of my gifts from companion ended up coming from there, which was fine with me!

Bad news — wife took me to a craft/​art fair on vacation.
Good news — they sold beer at the craft fair.
Didn’t buy anything. Except the beer. And admission. And parking.
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar 1, me 0.

The Dillo Bazaar is an Austin tradition and I for one am glad it’s still rolling after all these years. I have been around long enough to remember when it used to be in the Dillo and now with it’s new digs in the convention center… some things have changed. However, the people have not. Suz and I go every year and always purchase many of our Christmas gifts here. There are many vendors who offer gifts for under $ 25. There are also your high end art and goodies.
Some great memories include… always saying hi to the original Carmen Banana from the old Austin Access tv days… some of you older folks might remember this character. We then head over to David Busch and pick up our annual tree ornament, followed by Fred Tate and look at his newest jewelery creations. I hate to date myself, but I have a couple of his bolo’s… remember those things. they go great with my parachute pants. We pass the bar and pick up a drink… okay we do that several times. Today we find an excellent framed print from Jay Long and a wonderful sculpture from Brad and Sundie Ruppert of Vintage Sculpture… we buy both.
We find a new artist, Major Mosaics and Suz finds two beautiful hand made tiles for her sisters… at $ 45 a piece, it’s a real find for a one of a kind tile. Her sisters will love what she found. There are home made toys and clothes. and it’s fun for me to see Art Schoenig who hasn’t seemed to age a bit in all these years. We have several of his lizards and metal flowers around our home.
Oh and what is that I hear… why it’s live music from who. Terri Hendricks and Lloyd Maines… yes, that’s friggin Lloyd Maines an icon for a $ 6 entry fee. I CRAP YOU NEGATIVE! Oh you could hang all day or leave and come back later in the evening to check out another band. happens to be Van Wilks tonight. Now that doesn’t suck.
Although the convention center is as modern and crisp as you can get and it’s a long throw from the original Dillo. it works, It’s Fabulous and It’s what began the weirdness in Austin. It brings back so many wonderful memories from the old days…