Until early 1944, the original commercial district in Oak Ridge was called Townsite. Then it became Jackson Square, and more than 80 years later, some longtime residents still call it Townsite. The Oak Ridge Farmers' Market has set up there on Saturdays for 49 years, and East Tennessee FARM calls it the oldest farmers market in East Tennessee. FARM, the nonprofit that runs it, operates weekly farmers markets.
The market changes after Saturday, Nov. 21. That's the last morning of the regular season, which runs 8 a.m. to noon. On Nov. 28 it becomes the FARM Holiday Market, open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and billed as "Handcrafts, Gifts, and Art by Local Makers." It runs four Saturdays: Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19. The tree lighting, the Children's Museum's new holiday event, both Oak Ridge Playhouse holiday shows and the Christmas parade all land on one of those Saturdays or just beside one.
Nov. 21 Is the Last 8 a.m. Opening
The FARM locations page lists the regular 2026 season as Saturdays, April 4 through Nov. 21, from 8 a.m. to noon. The Holiday Market starts an hour later and stays open an hour later, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you've spent the season showing up right at 8, that habit gets you to an empty square on Nov. 28.
The market is still at 281 Broadway Ave., and FARM says it accepts SNAP/EBT at all its locations. FARM's holiday listings describe the tables as handcrafts, gifts and art from local makers, so the December Saturdays work as a gift-shopping stop as well as a grocery run.
The weekend before the switch opens with a fundraiser. On Friday, Nov. 20, the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge holds "All Aboard the Silver Line: A 25th Anniversary Gala" in its historic gym. The evening includes a talk on Secret City trains through the lens of Ed Westcott, plus silent and live auctions. Tickets are $125 per person.
The Square Around the Tables
The market sets up among businesses with deep roots on the square. Dean's Restaurant & Bakery opened in June 2012 in the old Jackson Square Pharmacy space. The first business at that address was William's Drug Store, the first pharmacy in Oak Ridge. Photos of past Jackson Square businesses hang on the walls, along with an old phone booth and a vintage refrigerator. The Oak Ridge Heritage & Preservation Association gave Dean's its 2025 Historic Preservation Award and called it "an anchor business helping to keep Jackson Square alive."
Calamity's Coffee at 219 Jackson Square and 201 Cafe & Wine Bar both have November events listed on the City of Oak Ridge community calendar. With the market open until 1 p.m., there's room to browse the stalls and then sit down nearby before heading anywhere else.
Four Saturdays and What Falls Beside Each
Here's the holiday calendar sorted by market Saturday:
- Nov. 28: The first Holiday Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Dec. 5: The market, the Children's Museum's new Flattop House event and the Oak Ridge Playhouse's family show, the morning after the city's tree lighting.
- Dec. 12: The market in the morning and the Oak Ridge Christmas Parade at 6 p.m.
- Dec. 19: The last Holiday Market, during the week the Playhouse runs its second holiday show.
The first weekend in December has the most going on.
Dec. 4 and 5 Are the Busiest Stretch
The City of Oak Ridge holds its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at A.K. Bissell Park, 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike, on Friday, Dec. 4, from 7 to 8 p.m. The Holiday Market opens at Jackson Square at 9 the next morning.
An hour later, at 10 a.m., the Children's Museum opens a new event called "A Flattop Home for the Holidays," which runs until 4 p.m. The museum's description:
"Save the date for this new event that will feature the Flattop House decorated for the holidays circa 1945. Visitors will have access to the museum and the Flattop House and enjoy special activities and holiday-themed refreshments."
The Children's Museum of Oak Ridge said tickets would go on sale Nov. 1. The Flattop House is an original structure from Oak Ridge's Manhattan Project history. The museum's Victory Brick campaign pays to maintain it: engraved bricks for the walkway in front of the house cost $250 each, hold up to four lines of text, and can be ordered through Dec. 31.
The Oak Ridge Playhouse adds The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson on Dec. 5 and 6, with school performances Dec. 3 and 4. The Playhouse lists it for young audiences. It's the story of the Herdman kids, "the worst kids in the history of the world," taking over the annual church pageant.
So between Friday night and Sunday, families can fit in a tree lighting, a market morning, a 1945 Flattop House and a family play, all on one weekend.
Dec. 12 Starts at the Square and Ends on the Turnpike
The Holiday Market's third Saturday falls on Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. That evening, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Christmas Parade from 6 to 8 p.m. The parade is set for the second Saturday in December at 6 p.m. each year, so it shares the date with a Holiday Market Saturday.
The Oak Ridger reported in September that registration for the 2026 parade had opened and that this year's theme is "All-American Christmas." According to the Adventure Anderson event listing, registration is free, but entrants must fill out an online form before parade day. Spectators watch along Oak Ridge Turnpike, and BBB-TV broadcasts the parade live.
The same listing names the parade awards:
- Spectacular Sparkles Award: outstanding display of lights or other illumination.
- Elfin Magic Award: outstanding entry featuring children as the main part of the entry.
- Spirit Award: the entry showing the most enthusiasm during the parade.
With the lighting award in the mix, expect plenty of illuminated entries once it's dark. The Turnpike also ties December together. A.K. Bissell Park, where the tree is lit on Dec. 4, has an Oak Ridge Turnpike address, and the parade runs along the Turnpike eight days later. For details on where to watch or where entries line up, check with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.
Dec. 19 Is the Last Market Saturday
The fourth and final Holiday Market is Saturday, Dec. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It falls in the middle of the Oak Ridge Playhouse's second holiday show, Holiday Variety Hour – and a half by Reggie Law and Braxton Chase Kiser, which runs Dec. 16 through 20. The Playhouse describes it as returning, inspired by "the golden age of classic Christmas television specials," and lists it for general audiences.
That gives the week before Christmas a simple shape: one last morning at the square for handmade gifts and a night at the Playhouse that same week. Victory Brick orders for the Flattop House walkway stay open through Dec. 31, so there's still time for a gift that ends up in Oak Ridge history after the last market closes.
As a marketing director who spends a lot of time on Oak Ridge's community calendar, Christina Branham follows this stretch of the year closely, when the same few blocks of town fill up week after week. If you're thinking about how your home fits into a community with Saturdays like these, or you just want to talk about what's happening around Jackson Square this season, reach out to CBSELLSIT. Search Listings or Contact Christina any time.
