The Best Places To Buy Souvenirs And Local Crafts In Toronto

Locally crafted items are the best kinds of souvenirs, and thankfully, Toronto is home to a thriving artisan community. While you can find a number of souvenir shops in the Eaton Centre downtown, here are some other spots where you can find unique gifts and local crafts in the city.

1. Arts Market

Market

Arts Market has three locations in the city: one in Leslieville, another on College, and the third in Riverside. The concept is to offer a permanent space with affordable rent for artistic entrepreneurs to sell their goods. Since first opening in 2011, Arts Market now showcases thousands of products and around 175 local artists, designers, and other creatives, and it can rightly be called Toronto’s first year-round artisan market. You can find items from pottery to jewelry, photography, gift cards, and other unique gifts.

2. Blue Banana Market

Shop

Blue Banana Market is in the Kensington Market neighborhood, taking up a wide three-story space filled with a range of gifts and items that span from creative to goofy. You can find locally handcrafted goods alongside coffee and teas, mugs, magnets, clothing, holiday kitsch, souvenirs, and far more—with an emphasis on brands and artisans from around Toronto and Ontario.

3. Waterfront Artisan Market

Market

If you want to browse for crafts and gifts in an open-air setting, you can head over to H2O Park for the annual Waterfront Artisan Market, which runs every Saturday from May to October. This market showcases a selection of around 75 local established and emerging crafters, artisans, chefs, and bakers.