The town of Wiscasset has gained a few new shops over the past year, making it an even better destination for holiday shopping than it's been in the past.

And merchants, with help from the Wiscasset Chamber of Commerce and Lucia Droby, owner of Carriage House Gardens and a major force behind the Wiscasset Art Walk, will be ringing in the holiday season in a whole new way in December with the Wiscasset Holiday Marketplace. From Wednesday, Dec. 7 through Saturday, Dec. 10, shops along Main Street will be open with a wide array of gift ideas and special offers.

Wiscasset has always been a beautiful town to drive through during the holiday season. Main Street is lined with trees covered in tiny sparkling white lights, shops are tastefully decorated, and the enormous Christmas tree on the lawn at the Wiscasset Common is spectacular. “Our village presents itself as a holiday marketplace already,” Droby said. “So why not take what's already here, and take it another step.”

With the Gardens Aglow event at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay expecting as many as 50,000 visitors, Droby and Wiscasset shop owners are hoping people will stop on their way and walk around the town to enjoy the Holiday Marketplace. Or just make Wiscasset their destination.

Art galleries and antiques shops will be open along with the retail shops.

Shops participating in the Holiday Marketplace are: BIRCH Home Furnishings & Gifts, Moulinette, DebraElizbeth's, In The Clover and Old Salt Coastal Gifts, which will have a bucket full of free gifts for kids. Participating galleries and antique shops will include: Wiscasset Bay Gallery, Sylvan Gallery and Showcase Antiques Gallery. There will also be eight “pop ups” — temporary vendors at the Midcoast Conservancy at 36 Water Street on Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pop-ups will include: Carriage House Gardens, Beelicious Market, Maine Craft Emporium, Stephenson Fiver Arts and Asian Accents.

There will be some outside vendors selling food and beverages. “Holiday marketplaces in Europe and some cities have really caught on,” Droby said. “I haven't been to any of the European marketplaces, but I've been told that the phenomenon of being outside is part of the appeal,” Droby said. “Walking around being bundled up and stopping for hot cocoa.”

Little Village Bistro, Le Garage and Sarah's Café will be offering specials during the week, and Treats will host a cookie-decorating event.

Droby is hoping to have a music group performing in Wiscasset Bay Gallery, and there will be free gift wrapping available, with community organizations doing the wrapping. 

The Wiscasset festivities will begin on Dec. 3 at around 4 p.m., with the lighting of the Christmas tree on Wiscasset Common, carolers, and Santa’s arrival.

During the four days of the marketplace, shops will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with some staying open later.

“This is all feeding into the larger idea of Wiscasset being a destination place,” Droby said. “We're working to give people more of an incentive to stop, park and walk, because it's easy to do that in Wiscasset. Uitmately we want to be thought of not as a pass-through place, but as a place where you want to go, and you want to stay.”

For more information about the Wiscasset Holiday Marketplace, including a list of participating businesses and lodging, go the the Wiscasset Holiday Marketplace website.