Thanksgiving is widely considered the start of the holiday season, but metro Detroiters know better: The shopping and celebration kick off with All Things Detroit, which is returning to Eastern Market on Sunday, Nov. 9.
The event — held twice a year, in the spring and fall — will bring together 200-plus Michigan-based vendors in sheds 3, 4, and 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shoppers can expect a variety of handmade goods, food trucks, a scavenger hunt, music, and photo opportunities with Santa at the “Holiday Carols”-themed market.
All Things Detroit has changed a lot since Jennyfer Crawford-Williams, who calls herself “the hype woman for small businesses,” started it more than 10 years ago. The first time the Detroit native held the event at Eastern Market, in 2014, she hosted about 60 vendors in one shed.
Ink Detroit, a clothing store based in Hazel Park, was one of those vendors.
“We’ve been doing it ever since,” says owner Steve Mansour, who is partnering with Crawford-Williams on making T-shirts to go with this year’s theme. “It’s a great experience because the event has grown into something that’s much bigger.”
Today, All Things is a multipronged brand that includes both the semiannual markets as well as a storefront in Corktown where Crawford-Williams carries products made by her small-business partners, many of whom do not have their own brick-and-mortar shops.
“One thing I really love [about All Things Detroit] is … we get to meet the people who purchase our products,” says Stacie Williams, owner of Sasha Sass Candles, who sells her products online. She’s been participating as a vendor at All Things Detroit for more than five years. “It makes it more personable,” she says. “We recognize some of the people who attend on a regular basis. We also get to interact with some of the other business owners, so you develop relationships with other small-business owners as well as with your customers.”
Shanell Douglas, owner of SkinCare Social Club, has had a similar experience building community at All Things Detroit. Her bathtub display — a “1920s-style claw-foot tub” filled with her products — has earned her quite the following. “The bathtub is our company mascot now,” she says. “I take it to events so people know that we’re there; they see the bathtub, they know it’s us.” (Crawford-Williams confirms the hype: “People purchase ‘Beat the Crowd’ tickets just to be the first to get her products. … Her display is beautiful.”)
Douglas and her famous tub will be at All Things Detroit yet again this November with plant-based body butters, bar soaps, and body scrubs. Also at the market, shoppers will find a variety of other products that would make for unique gifts: hand-painted “gingerbread-style” lanterns made from upcycled spirits bottles (Spirited Lanterns); tote bags for carrying a small furry friend (Tyler’s Totes); fashion pieces featuring Detroit’s skyline (Astouri); and Michigan-inspired loose-leaf teas (Specialty Tea Products, or STEAP), just to name a few.
For attendees who get peckish from all the walking around and shopping, Zella’s Bakery will have a spot at All Things Detroit yet again, serving up vegan cookies, pumpkin bread, and other goodies. “We love to talk to the community … to give them little tidbits on some plant-based best practices and how to not sacrifice flavor with healthy foods,” says Maia Anthony, who owns the bakery with her sister, Tolani Anthony.
Crawford-Williams encourages attendees who want to avoid heavier foot traffic to purchase “Beat the Crowd” tickets ($15, tote bag included) to get into the event at 10 a.m., a couple of hours before the general admission ($7) ticketholders. “Beat the Crowd” tickets are on sale now at events.allthingsticketing.com; general admission tickets will be sold at the door. Physical and digital maps will be available to help shoppers navigate the event.
This story originally appeared in the November 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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