Adams Morgan's Holiday Season Has Moved to the 1600 Block of Columbia Road
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
The Potter's House at 1658 Columbia Road NW has been dark since January. The 65-year-old bookstore cafe closed abruptly over financial problems, and The Washington Post described a room "devoid of community and laughter" this summer. On Thursday, Nov. 12, the lights come back on for a holiday market that runs every day through Dec. 23.
Festival Center is a few doors down at 1640 Columbia Road. The Saturday farmers market sits up the road at Euclid Street, and the newest places to eat are a few blocks north. The season starts this Saturday, Nov. 7, when two very different markets open on the same afternoon.
The dates overlap, so most weeks have more than one thing going on:
Nov. 7 is the busiest date on the calendar, and only the street closure brings it back to 18th Street.
PorchFest brings 100-plus bands to porches and stoops around the neighborhood. This fall, the organizers are adding vendors for the first time, ahead of the holidays. The Adams Morgan Partnership's September newsletter says vendors will set up in the 18th Street roadway while it is closed from Columbia Road to Florida Avenue. The Eventbrite listing divides the market in two. "Vintage on 18th" has clothing, accessories and collectibles, and "Arts on Belmont" has artists, jewelry designers and makers.
Check the timing before you go. The official PorchFest page lists the event from noon to 5 p.m., but its FAQ says the first performance starts at 2 p.m. and the event ends at 6 p.m. The page also warns about road closures and detours. The C51 and C53 buses, which normally run on 18th Street, will detour via Florida Avenue and Columbia Road.
That detour runs the buses past the day's other market. At Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road NW, the Adams Morgan Partnership listing describes a family-friendly market with Tatreez embroidery goods, catered food, coffee and cold drinks, along with MENA-area nonprofits. The organizer, Build a Sky, lists Neeso's Bakery and Serene Coffee Roaster as food vendors, and author Dr. Basem Garada is on the program.
| PorchFest vendor market | Greetings from Bethlehem | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | 18th Street roadway, plus a section on Belmont | Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road NW |
| Hours | Noon–5 p.m. in the listing, performances 2–6 p.m. per the FAQ | 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| What's for sale | Vintage clothing, collectibles, art, jewelry, handmade goods | Tatreez embroidery, crafts, food and coffee |
| Getting there by bus | C51/C53 detour off 18th Street | Columbia Road is on the detour route |
The Bethlehem market stays open about an hour later than PorchFest's latest listed end time. So the afternoon can finish on Columbia Road, a few doors from the building where the season's only daily market opens five days later.
The Potter's House opened in 1960 as a coffeehouse church, a cafe and meeting house that welcomed anyone who walked in. The holiday market is how it reopens for the season. It's a partnership with Ty Cumbie, who owns Tiny Vinyl Shop around the corner at 2501 Champlain Street NW.
City Cast DC reported that Cumbie, a longtime patron, first approached the organization about a long-term partnership to revive the cafe. That isn't happening for now, but the conversation produced the holiday market. Gail Arnall, the Potter's House executive director, said the organization had already been looking for a way to open the space to the community again, even temporarily.
"We were thrilled when Ty came to us with this possibility of a holiday market that serves our community. It was really just an answer to prayer." Gail Arnall, speaking to City Cast DC
City Cast reports more than 15 local vendors. They include crafters, vintage clothing and accessories from Tiny Vintage Market, housewares and holiday treats, along with local catering, family activities and live music. The market's press release covers everything "from vinyl records to leather belts" and adds a cafe with food and drinks. It also says the vendor lineup is still being finalized and the music and family events are still being planned. For the detailed schedule, check Tiny Vinyl Shop as the opening gets closer.
The hours stand out from the other big holiday markets. City Cast puts the Potter's House market alongside the 22-year-old DowntownDC Holiday Market, which opens Nov. 13, and Dupont Circle's newer D.C. Holiday Market, which opens Nov. 12. The Potter's House market is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, so you can stop in for coffee before work or pick up a gift on the way home.
Your purchases go back into the building. According to the press release, some of the proceeds will support the Potter's House as it works toward reopening in 2027, and City Cast says the target is early next year.
Before the Potter's House opens its doors each Saturday, the FRESHFARM market is already set up where Columbia Road meets Euclid Street. FRESHFARM's 2026 guide lists its hours as 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and its season as June through December. The Adams Morgan Partnership's September 23 newsletter gives the same hours and puts the market in Unity Park. Some older Partnership event pages still show the 2025 schedule of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 8:30 a.m. start is the current one.
Saturdays from Nov. 14 through December fall into a routine. Shop for produce at Unity Park in the morning, then walk down Columbia Road to the Potter's House, which has been open since 8 a.m. The farmers market closes at 1 p.m., and the Potter's House stays open until 8 p.m. Shoppers who arrive by mid-morning can catch both.
The places to eat are changing on this stretch too. PoPville reported on Oct. 14 that El Meson Espanol is open at 1826 Columbia Road NW. It serves tapas, paella and Spanish wine in a space that housed El Rincon Espanol and then, briefly, Morgana. After a day at the Bethlehem market or a late afternoon at the Potter's House, it's the newest spot for dinner on Columbia Road.
Closer to the markets, Alexis Grea Bakery has its sign up at 1756 Columbia Road NW. PoPville noticed the signage in September, but the shop still says "coming soon" and hasn't announced an opening date. The Georgetowner described the plan as French viennoiserie, including croissants, brioche and pain au chocolat. If it opens before Dec. 23, Saturday's walk between Unity Park and the Potter's House will have a bakery along the way.
Eighteenth Street still has new places of its own. CARLA opened at 2001 18th Street NW on Sept. 24 with walk-in service, $5 bites all day and $11 spritzes. For the holiday stretch between Nov. 12 and Dec. 23, though, the dated events on the calendar are on Columbia Road.
A few things aren't set yet. The Adams Morgan Partnership's holiday page still shows its 2024 tree lighting and Snowy Thursdays schedule, so watch for 2026 dates there before planning around them. The Potter's House vendor list and music schedule were still being finalized as of the October announcement. At the plaza at 18th Street and Columbia Road, Jubilee Housing expects to break ground in 2027 on a 51-home mixed-use building with a community plaza.
The dates that are confirmed are Nov. 7 at Festival Center and on 18th Street, daily hours at 1658 Columbia Road from Nov. 12 through Dec. 23, and Saturday mornings at Unity Park through December.
If you're planning out your Saturdays this season and want someone to compare notes with on the 1600 block and the rest of Columbia Road, Tamara Miller would be glad to hear from you. Schedule a free consultation, and we'll talk about the neighborhood over coffee, maybe at the Potter's House once it reopens.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Waterfront MD
Whether you want to buy, sell, or invest in real estate, you need a winning strategy.
1313 14TH ST NW WASHINGTON DC 20005