PHOTOS BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
UNIQUE GIFT … Cobb Cabin Crafts offered a wide variety of hand-crafted beer soaps at the Fayette Winter Market.
THE MAN IN RED … Santa Claus visited with Ireland Mandigo after the Santa Arrival Parade.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Village of Fayette hosted its third annual Fayette Winter Market on Saturday, December 13, 2025, drawing residents to downtown Fayette for an evening of holiday activities.
The event took place from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., with festivities centered around the Fayette Opera House and nearby businesses. The Winter Market featured a business crawl with participating local businesses throughout the village.
Attendees were encouraged to visit each open business to receive stamps on a market card, which could be entered for a chance to win one of several gift baskets available – even a basket filled with toys!
Market cards were available and returned at the Fayette Garden Club table inside the Opera House.
Several fan-favorite food trucks were available during the event. Traveling Java Goddess provided coffee and hot chocolate, while the Taco Del Patron taco truck was also on site.
Additional food was served by the Fayette Lions Club, LifeWise Academy at Lions Hall, and stew from One More Bar & Grill.
To highlight the night, a free horse-drawn carriage ride operated throughout the evening, right next to a live nativity at the Opera House lawn.
Christmas music was played over the loudspeakers, filling the downtown with festive cheer. One of the evening’s most special events was the Santa parade, which traveled east to west along Main Street at 6:00 p.m.
Following the parade, children had the opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus inside the front room of the Opera House, where the Fayette Fire Department provided a small treat for kids participating.
The Winter Market was organized by the Fayette Garden Club, with Santa sponsored by the village’s fire department.