At the mouth of Betsie Bay, the 1934 U.S. Coast Guard Station has housed the Oliver Art Center since 2011, after a renovation that turned the old station into a home for an arts group founded in 1948 as the Crystal Lake Art Center. Tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 6, the building fills with handmade gifts from Michigan-based artists as the center's Winter Market opens.
That opening starts the season. Over the next five weeks the county's holiday calendar moves from town to town. It goes inland to Benzonia, splits Thanksgiving weekend between a Frankfort crafts fair and a Thompsonville resort, comes back to Frankfort's Rotary Park, and ends on Saturday, Dec. 12, when Beulah and downtown Frankfort hold their main holiday shopping days at the same time.
Taken in order, the Saturdays look like this:
- Nov. 14: Grow Benzie Holiday Gift Market, Benzonia
- Nov. 28: Holly Berry Arts & Crafts Fair, Frankfort-Elberta High School, at the end of Crystal Mountain's Thanksgiving weekend
- Dec. 5: Santa's Workshop and the Community Tree Lighting, downtown Frankfort
- Dec. 12: Christmas Magic in Beulah and Mistletoe Magic in downtown Frankfort, on the same day
The Market That Stays Open Through All of It
The Oliver Art Center's Winter Market runs from Nov. 6 through Dec. 24, which makes it the one stop that stays open through every other event on the list. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., and closed Mondays. The market sells handmade gifts from artists across Michigan, and purchases support both the regional artists and the center.
The schedule shapes the rest of the month. All four big Saturdays fall inside its weekly hours. The two in Frankfort, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12, are close enough to Coast Guard Street that a stop at the market fits into the same afternoon. The market's last day, Thursday, Dec. 24, comes nearly two weeks after the final big Saturday, so there is time to go back for gifts after the busy weekends are over. The address is 132 Coast Guard St., Frankfort.
Nov. 14 Goes Inland to Benzonia
The first Saturday takes the season away from the water. Grow Benzie holds its 2026 Winter Holiday Gift Market on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grow Benzie Event Center, 5885 Frankfort Highway in Benzonia. The organization describes the market as a showcase for its partner organizations, local businesses, artisans and growers from across Northwest Michigan.
This market has a different mix from the art center's. The Oliver Art Center focuses on handmade work by Michigan artists, while Grow Benzie adds growers and partner groups. A gift list that started in Frankfort on Nov. 6 can pick up local farm products in Benzonia eight days later. The market is a four-hour window on a single Saturday, so it suits anyone who prefers to shop early.
Thanksgiving Weekend Splits Between Frankfort and Thompsonville
The two weeks after Benzonia are quiet. Then Thanksgiving weekend brings events to opposite ends of the county.
In Thompsonville, Crystal Mountain has scheduled Thanksgiving Reconnect Weekend for Nov. 26 to 28. The resort's event calendar lists these events:
- Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 26, 9 a.m. to noon: the Turkey Vulture Trot 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, with part of the proceeds going to North Sky Raptor Sanctuary
- Nov. 26, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: a Thanksgiving Buffet at the Wild Tomato
- Friday, Nov. 27, 5 to 8 p.m.: the Holiday Trail Celebration, which opens with Santa and a First Light Celebration, followed by activities and Black Friday specials around the resort village
Crystal Mountain calls the 2026–27 winter its 70th-anniversary season. Its pass page set a rate increase for Nov. 2. Ikon Pass lists a tentative ski opening of Nov. 27 and notes that opening dates can change without notice. Until the resort confirms a date, treat that Friday as a hoped-for opening.
The next day, the season moves back toward Lake Michigan. The 32nd annual Holly Berry Arts & Crafts Fair runs Saturday, Nov. 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Frankfort-Elberta High School. Admission is free, and the fair offers handmade gifts and a holiday raffle. The Frankfort-Elberta Area Chamber's 2026 calendar lists the same date and hours. The fair closes at 3 p.m. on a Saturday, and the art center stays open until 4, so both fit into the same Frankfort day.
Dec. 5 Belongs to Frankfort
The first Saturday in December takes place entirely in downtown Frankfort, with a warm-up the evening before. The Benzie Shores District Library holds its Friday Family Fun Night, "Holidays Around the World," on Friday, Dec. 4, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with games, crafts, music and food.
On Saturday, Dec. 5, the afternoon starts at the Garden Theater with Santa's Workshop, where families can make holiday crafts, hear stories from the elves and visit Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Downtown Frankfort lists the workshop from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The library's calendar lists its "Stories at Santa's Workshop" segment at the Garden Theater from 4 to 5:45 p.m. Plan on the earlier end time if you are bringing children for the stories.
After the workshop comes a sleigh ride through downtown. At 6 p.m., the tree in Rotary Park is lit while the Frankfort Elementary Choir sings Christmas carols. Downtown Frankfort's event page lists the Community Tree Lighting from 6 to 8 p.m. The Chamber's 2026 calendar marks it as a Chamber event.
Downtown has one more scheduling layer this year. Frankfort's Main Street Social District runs year-round, seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., according to the city and DDA management plan dated April 10, 2026. The district's page names ten eligible establishments and directs visitors to look for signs showing which are participating. The ten are Dos Arboles, Birch and Maple, Vita Bella, Stormcloud Brewing Company, Villa Marine Bar & Grill, Slurping Bear Asian Bistro, Dinghy's Restaurant and Bar, The Hotel Frankfort & Restaurant, Old Town Grill and Tap, and Furnace Street Distillery. Both Frankfort holiday Saturdays fall within the district's posted hours, and the first one comes a week before the busiest day of the season.
Dec. 12 Puts Two Towns on One Saturday
The week of Dec. 12 starts small. On Thursday, Dec. 10, the library's Destination Storytime goes to Crescent Bakery from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., with holiday-cookie decorating.
Two days later, two towns hold their main holiday shopping days at once. In Beulah, Christmas Magic is set for Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., listed at 273 S. Benzie Blvd. The Crystal Lake Community Business Association schedules it every year on the second Saturday in December. The day includes Christmas shopping with Moonlight Madness, face painting, Santa, horse-drawn wagon rides, a holiday party and a lighted parade.
Downtown Frankfort holds Mistletoe Magic Holiday Shopping on the same day, from noon to 6 p.m. Downtown Frankfort describes it this way:
"Shop small and sparkle bright at Mistletoe Magic! Downtown Frankfort shops are celebrating the season with holiday specials, festive treats, and one-of-a-kind gifts."
The two events overlap for most of the day, but their posted hours start and end at different times:
| Dec. 12 window | Beulah: Christmas Magic | Frankfort: Mistletoe Magic | Oliver Art Center Winter Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. to noon | Underway | Not yet started | Open |
| Noon to 4 p.m. | Underway | Underway | Open until 4 |
| 4 to 6 p.m. | Underway | Underway until 6 | Closed for the day |
| 6 to 7 p.m. | Ends at 7, with lighted parade on the schedule | Ended | Closed |
Beulah opens two hours before Frankfort and stays open an hour later, and Beulah's schedule includes Moonlight Madness shopping and a lighted parade. Frankfort's day runs from noon to 6 p.m., and the Oliver Art Center's Saturday hours end at 4. With those posted hours, it is possible to spend the morning in Beulah, go to Main Street and Coast Guard Street in the afternoon, and get back to Beulah before Christmas Magic ends at 7 p.m. The Frankfort Social District's posted 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. hours cover all of Mistletoe Magic.
After Dec. 12, the only market left on the list is in the Coast Guard station. The Winter Market stays open on its regular hours through Thursday, Dec. 24, at 4 p.m.
If you are weighing a Frankfort, Beulah or Crystal Lake property this season and want to know how the year actually runs there, the Shawn Schmidt Group is glad to walk you through it. Request a Private Consultation.
