Vendor Events in Charleston, SC

50 spots open

The Charleston Farmers Market is a weekly Saturday farmers market and craft fair held in Marion Square in downtown Charleston's historic district. The market features local produce, plants, herbs, cut flowers, prepared foods, artisanal goods, handcrafted items from local artisans, and live entertainment. Vendors include farmers, growers, food producers, food trucks, and craftspeople. The market attracts both local residents and tourists, creating strong foot traffic in a vibrant public square. Founded in 1989 and recognized by Travel and Leisure as one of the top 10 best farmers markets in the nation, it has been voted Best Outdoor Event and Best Farmers Market multiple times. The market operates April through November with additional special markets in December. Applications are competitive and typically open in fall for the following year.

25 spots open

The Charleston Farmers Market is a vibrant weekly farmers market and arts festival held Saturdays in Marion Square, a historic downtown location. Vendors include Lowcountry farmers and growers selling fresh seasonal produce from strawberries to pecans, prepared food makers offering artisan breads and ready-to-eat meals, and local artisans selling juried crafts ranging from jewelry to ceramics and photography. The market attracts both locals and tourists and features live entertainment and rotating food trucks. Operating from April through November annually, it is a premier destination for supporting local agriculture and accessing fresh, locally-sourced food.

20 spots open

The West Ashley Farmers Market is a weekly community farmers market held Wednesdays year-round from 3:00-7:00 PM at Ackerman Park in Charleston's West Ashley neighborhood. The market features local farmers and growers offering fresh seasonal produce, flowers, baked goods, specialty foods, and prepared meals. Vendors are local agricultural producers and artisanal food makers who source from nearby farms. The market also includes rotating food trucks and art vendors, with live music entertainment most weeks. The venue is family and pet-friendly with free parking and adjacent dog park and skate park facilities. This market supports the local economy and agricultural community while providing a weekly civic gathering place. A special Thanksgiving market runs in November.

20 spots open

The MOJA Arts Festival is an annual eleven-day multi-disciplinary celebration of African American and Caribbean arts and culture in Charleston. The festival features visual arts, music, food, dance, poetry, theater, storytelling, and traditional crafts across multiple venues throughout the city. Vendor opportunities include artisan booths, food vendors, and craft exhibitors who contribute to this vibrant cultural event. The festival attracts a community-focused audience and includes performances by local and regional artists. Organized by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs in partnership with an all-volunteer planning committee, MOJA has become a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event. Many events are free or low-cost, and the festival includes both ticketed performances and open community celebrations, making it a significant cultural destination.

20 spots open

2nd Sunday on King Street is a monthly pedestrian street fair held on the second Sunday of each month from noon to 5 PM on King Street between Queen and Calhoun streets in downtown Charleston. The event transforms the historic shopping district into a vehicle-free marketplace where vendors, artisans, local restaurants, and food businesses set up booths and outdoor tables. Visitors enjoy live music, locally made goods ranging from art and crafts to fresh produce and baked goods, and dining experiences featuring Lowcountry cuisine. The curated vendor program welcomes street artists, food cart operators, and pop-up businesses, attracting thousands of locals and tourists monthly. King Street is blocked to through traffic, allowing a relaxed shopping and cultural experience. Free parking vouchers are available. The event is organized with the support of the City of Charleston and managed by the Charleston Peninsula Preservation Trust.

25 spots open

The Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition is Charleston's premier open-air art fair, transforming Marion Square into a vibrant marketplace where regional artists exhibit and sell original works in oils, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, encaustics, and photography. This juried exhibition hosts dozens of talented artists who showcase paintings, drawings, sculpture, and mixed media while engaging directly with visitors. The event is free to attend and operates daily, drawing local art enthusiasts and visitors from across the region. As a flagship component of Piccolo Spoleto Festival, which runs concurrently with Spoleto Festival USA, the outdoor exhibition attracts steady foot traffic and provides artists with direct sales opportunities and community engagement. Held each spring, the exhibition celebrates the Southeast's creative visual arts community and offers a memorable shopping and browsing experience in a historic downtown location.

25 spots open

Spoleto Festival USA transforms Charleston's historic district into a cultural hub each May and June, with performances spanning opera, theater, dance, and music across theaters, churches, and outdoor venues throughout the city. The 17-day festival draws thousands of arts enthusiasts and tourists, creating sustained foot traffic across multiple neighborhoods. Running May 22 through June 7, 2026, Spoleto offers vendors access to a concentrated audience of culture-focused shoppers during peak spring season. The festival's scope spans over 110 performances, meaning attendees move through the city frequently between venues. This mobility makes Spoleto different from a single-location event: vendor success depends on strategic positioning near theaters, main pedestrian corridors, or outdoor gathering spaces where crowds accumulate between shows. Vendors selling complementary items, jewelry, prints, crafts, local foods, and specialty goods, find consistent traffic. The audience skews toward educated, affluent attendees willing to spend on quality items and experiences. Because Spoleto pulls people into the historic downtown core for an extended run, it functions as a destination event rather than a drop-in market. Foot traffic remains strong throughout both weeks, not just weekends. Late May and early June weather in Charleston is warm and favorable for outdoor vending. If your inventory appeals to arts audiences with disposable income, Spoleto's vendor opportunities reward thoughtful placement and curb appeal.

25 spots open

Taking place at Marion Square in downtown Charleston, this prestigious 2D fine art exhibition is a cornerstone event of the annual Piccolo Spoleto Festival, one of the Southeast's most respected arts celebrations. Running from May 22 through June 6, 2026, the outdoor setting transforms the historic square into an open-air gallery where artists display and sell paintings, drawings, prints, photography, and other two-dimensional works. The location at 329 Meeting Street places the exhibition in the heart of Charleston's cultural district, making it accessible to both serious art collectors and casual pedestrians exploring the area during late spring. What distinguishes an outdoor art festival like this from traditional gallery shows is the direct interaction between artists and the public. Vendors work their booths throughout the exhibition period, offering visitors the chance to speak with creators about their inspiration, techniques, and the stories behind individual pieces. This personal connection often appeals to collectors seeking authentic work and artists looking to build lasting relationships with buyers. The festival draws a mix of attendees: art enthusiasts making deliberate trips to view and purchase work, tourists exploring Charleston during the pleasant late-spring weather, locals discovering new artists, and gift-seekers looking for original pieces to take home. Being part of the larger Piccolo Spoleto Festival means the exhibition benefits from significant cultural attention and foot traffic. The festival spans several weeks and includes performances, additional exhibitions, and events throughout Charleston, so visitors often combine their gallery visits with other arts experiences. For artists and vendors, this 47th annual iteration represents an established platform with a reputation for attracting serious buyers and providing quality outdoor exhibition space in a walkable, vibrant neighborhood. The May-early June timing catches the transition into summer, when Charleston sees increased tourism and pleasant outdoor weather encourages people to spend time at Marion Square and the surrounding downtown area.

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