As an alternative to playing parking lot wars and trekking through bustling shopping malls, hit Downtown’s first ever Heartmade Holiday Market on Dec. 9. The free, family-friendly event benefits Hoof Prints and Heart Beats, which offers free equine therapy for children and adults with physical disabilities and social disorders like autism.

The collaborative effort — in which booth fees are collected as donations — was conceived by photographer Tracy Manford Carlson, who is HPHB’s chairman of the board, and graphic designer Sonja Fulbright. The creative duo will transform Main Street Square into a holly, jolly marketplace where artisans, jewelers and food purveyors will peddle their wares as Christmas carolers stroll about and Santa poses for pics with kiddos.

Though this is the inaugural event for Heartmade, it follows a pair of successful spring markets held in 2016 and 2017 that boasted a similar set-up. “We jumped at the opportunity to partner with the Heartmade team on a holiday event,” says Angie Bertinot, director of marketing and communications at the Houston Downtown Management District. “We hope this will be a holiday tradition for years to come.”