String lights dangle down from a cavernous ceiling, the sounds of a live saxophonist echo through the building and attendees pop in and out of vendors’ colorful booths, as — once again — the annual SoWa Winter Festival returns for its 10th year. 

The indoor holiday market, hosted at SoWa Power Station in Boston’s South End, opened for the season Nov. 28 and will run Tuesday through Sunday until Dec. 28. It boasts more than 125 local vendors selling handmade art and holiday gifts, which include clothing, jewelry, home decor, toys and stationery. 

For vendors selling their art, clothing, knick-knacks and everything in between, the highlight of SoWa is connecting with customers — and with other vendors. 

Alyssa Grundström, owner of Driftsea Creations, said her favorite part of selling her sea glass art at SoWa has been the opportunity to see other artists’ displays. 

“You’re really seeing their personality and their creativity come out,” Grundström said. “As artists, that’s one of the most fun and valuable things about having community like that.”

This is Grundström’s second year selling in SoWa but her first at the SoWa Winter Festival. At Driftsea Creations, she and her mom craft art made from hand-collected beach materials — sea glass, shells, driftwood and “anything else that you can find on the beach.”

Grundström and her mother, who live about 40 minutes north of Boston, said they were worried about the logistics of traveling to and from the city. However, after finally deciding to make the trek and sell at SoWa, they loved it. Now, the store only sells in-person in Boston.

Though being around so many talented artists can be a little “intimidating,” Grundström said seeing other vendors’ art ultimately offers “inspiration and more creativity.”

Since opening day on Nov. 28, SoWa newcomer Zachary Will said he and his business, Kona Brand, have received a warm welcome from the “veteran vendors” at the market.  

“They’re super nice and welcoming to me, being the new guy on the block,” Will said. “They’re giving me a bunch of tips and showing me around and making me feel like I’m part of the crew.”

Will is the founder and CEO of Kona Brand, a flannel shirt company that offers Hawaiian-style patterns instead of traditional plaid designs. What started as a high school class project is now his full-time business. 

Less than a week into his first stint selling at SoWa, Will said his experience has “been a blast” and is excited for the rest of the season. 

Sammia Atoui and her husband, Adrian Rodriguez, sell original woodblock and linocut prints at MiraMar, which they opened together in 2019. The couple began selling at the winter festival in 2021, though Atoui has previously vended at SoWa Open Market, a farmer and artist market that runs on Sundays, May through October. 

“SoWa’s a really nice place for us, because we are here in the summer and then in the winter, and so people start to know to find us here,” she said. 

Compared to the summer market, Atoui said SoWa’s winter market is much busier. And, since she doesn’t have to take down her booth at the end of the day, she said she’s able to create a nicer display for her block-to-paper prints, which adhere to themes of monsters, marina and mythology.

A major perk, vendors noted, is that the market is indoors, a reprieve from having to bundle up and sell outdoors during harsh Boston winters. 

“The winter has such tough weather,” said Atoui. “However, inside, it’s really kind of lovely.” 

In addition to its material vendors, SoWa Winter Festival features food vendors, drinks and holiday events, which include live music, beverage tastings and visits from special characters. On Tuesday, a saxophonist ambled throughout the market playing jazz tunes, while the Grinch skulked through the aisles and took photos with attendees. 

Michaella Sheridan filled in for her mother at the booth, Shindig Studios, an art boutique she described as “7-Eleven meets pop culture.” Sheridan’s mother, Katy, a retired art teacher, makes collage sculptures out of found toys as “a reminder that art doesn’t have to take itself too seriously.”

Sheridan estimates this is her mom’s third year selling her crafts at SoWa Winter Festival, and she’s previously sold at the Snowport Holiday Market in the Seaport District. 

“We love SoWa,” said Sheridan. “It’s always been really good to us.”