United Marketplace Tour
Some people make a list before they go to a holiday market. Some of us follow the shortbread. Either method will get you to the United Marketplace Tour on Saturday, November 21. Four Kingston-area United churches are teaming up at two sites, so you can spend a Saturday morning finding handmade gifts, picking up home baking and deciding where to stop for lunch.
Start at either church
Crossroads United Church teams up with Sydenham Street United Church at 690 Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard. The organizer’s flyer lists shortbread, crafts, baked goods and vendors at this stop. If your idea of good holiday shopping involves being able to point to the thing you’re buying and ask how it was made, give yourself time to look through the tables.
At 4080 Bath Road, Edith Rankin Memorial United Church is hosting with Cooke’s-Portsmouth United Church. You’ll find local artisans, baked goods and new-to-you finds here. Start at the location that’s handiest, then head to the other one if you want to see what’s different. Both sites are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so the tour works in either order.
Make a lunch date out of it
Both churches will serve a light lunch. That gives you a good reason to text someone who likes a church bazaar and invite them along. You can split up to look for gifts, compare finds over lunch and find out who bought shortbread for the drive home.
The tour is a collaboration among local congregations, and each location brings its own tables and volunteers. If you’re shopping for someone who likes a handmade gift, or you just want a Saturday outing that gets you talking to local makers and neighbours, it’s an easy plan. Pick one stop if you’re short on time, or visit both and see which gift makes it onto the list after all.
When and where
Saturday, November 21, 2026, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at both stops · Crossroads United Church, 690 Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard, and Edith Rankin Memorial United Church, 4080 Bath Road, Kingston.
