The annual holiday gift market, The Miracle on America Street, hosted by NextFab, is a significant event on Philadelphia’s creative calendar, blending holiday shopping with a celebration of local entrepreneurship and hands-on artistry. The event, which takes place inside the working makerspace, highlights the talented artists and small businesses within the community.
The Evolution of a Holiday Tradition
Now entering its fifth year, The Miracle on America Street has matured into a premier destination for discovering unique, handcrafted gifts.
Supporting the Local Creative Economy
Rebecca Ledbetter, Director of Marketing at NextFab, detailed the mission and growth of the market:
“This being the fifth year of The Miracle on America Street gift market marks a significant milestone. The event has certainly grown and evolved, but our core mission has remained focused on supporting the local creative economy and the incredibly talented small businesses, particularly those within the NextFab maker member community.”
A focus on experiential elements and quality control has marked the evolution of the market.
“We have continually grown the event by deepening our focus on truly handmade products, ensuring the purchases made directly benefit local makers and entrepreneurs. A major evolution this year is the emphasis on the hands-on and handmade element. We are excited to expand our demos and ‘make-and-take’ activities, allowing attendees to ‘see behind the curtain’ of the handmade products they can purchase, offering a more engaging and educational experience. And finally, this year, we’re offering a greater variety of vendors, more food and drink options, and plenty of opportunities for attendees to make their own holiday gifts, including our workshops featuring make your own leather coasters or fidget spinners!”
Curating Quality and Profitability
The market features over 80 vendors, necessitating a stringent selection process designed to benefit both shoppers and sellers.
Selection Criteria and Entrepreneurial Support
The market’s goal is to provide direct support to Philadelphia’s entrepreneurs. “NextFab’s ultimate goal for this market is to be a direct engine of support for Philadelphia’s creative and entrepreneurial community. We aim to support our makers by providing a high-traffic, visible venue for NextFab members and local artisans, particularly if this is their first market, to sell their work and grow their small businesses, while bringing the neighborhood together for a festive holiday shopping experience.”
The selection process is intentional and business-focused.
“With the high volume of applications we receive, whittling down to our final roster of 80+ vendors is always a difficult task! Our selection process is built around criteria such as product quality, originality, the handmade element, and vendor profitability. We are first and foremost looking for unique, handmade items that demonstrate high-quality craftsmanship. We evaluate products based on the materials used, design aesthetic, and overall quality of construction, ensuring we offer gifts that are truly special and well-crafted. Our second key criterion is ensuring that the selected products align with the demographics and purchasing habits of the audience we attract. We ultimately want to ensure our small business vendors are profitable and prosper from this event. By curating a diverse, high-quality mix, we feel confident that both our attendees will have a great experience and that our vendors will achieve strong sales.”
The Interactive Maker Experience
The interactive demonstrations and activities are key to the market’s educational purpose, showing attendees the value inherent in handmade goods.
The Value of Hands-On Learning
Ledbetter emphasized the philosophy behind the “make-and-take” activities:
“The interactive, hands-on components like the jewelry stamping, leather coasting making, and the laser-cut fidget spinners are central to The Miracle on America Street experience. They align with our core values of the holiday market because, in a market full of finished, high-quality goods, the demos and make-and-takes allow attendees to ‘see behind the curtain.’ They get a brief, tangible sense of the effort, materials, and specialized skills that go into creation. This sort of connection deepens their appreciation for the items they purchase. Additionally, the ‘make-and-take’ activities, even the simplest ones, provide visitors with a fun, low-barrier opportunity to be makers themselves. It’s an easy way for us to ignite that spark of creativity and curiosity, showing people that making high-quality items is accessible.”
A Gateway to NextFab Membership
The market is intentionally hosted inside the makerspace to encourage further involvement.
“We offer guided tours of the NextFab shops throughout the day. This allows attendees to step directly out of the retail market side of things and into our various departments—the wood shop, the metal shop, the jewelry studio, and the digital fabrication labs. Folks will see the equipment that produced the very items they just purchased, making the connection between raw material and finished product immediate and tangible. By hosting the market inside the makerspace, we create an immersive environment. The vendors, many of whom are NextFab members, can be literally steps away from the machine they use, illustrating the immediate value of a membership. For those with an entrepreneurial goal or a serious hobby, the market demonstrates the value of an actual NextFab membership, which provides access to equipment, expert staff, classes, and our supportive community, allowing them to grow their creative practice into a sustainable business. Finally, by seeing the diverse range of vendors—from jewelry to furniture—attendees learn that NextFab supports a vast ecosystem of creativity and entrepreneurship, encouraging them to join or simply continue supporting the local maker economy.”
Unique Finds
For shoppers seeking truly innovative gifts, the market delivers.
“There are so many innovative and unique items this year, but some of my favorites (and personally ones on my holiday shopping list) are the art and jewelry by Brick & Wire, the unique, handmade fish signs of Fishtown Signs, and the detailed lamps of Chachi Studios.”
Ledbetter concluded with a powerful statement on the market’s enduring purpose:
“Ultimately, The Miracle on America Street market is the annual celebration of NextFab’s core mission: to empower makers to make a living doing what they love. This market isn’t just a day of holiday shopping; it’s a demonstration of the strength of Philadelphia’s creative economy. By bringing together over 80 small businesses, providing them with a platform for success, and inviting the public to get hands-on with the making process, we close the gap between the consumer and the creator. NextFab is proud to provide the tools, the training, and the community that turns creative sparks into sustainable, profitable businesses. We see every unique, handmade item sold at the market as a testament to the skill and ingenuity of our local entrepreneurs, and we are committed to growing this tradition to support them for years to come.”
