Tyler’s Holiday Bazaar lights up at the Rose Garden

Published 5:30 am Sunday, December 14, 2025

With Christmas just days away, handmade gifts, baked treats, and festive fun drew holiday shoppers to the Tyler Rose Garden Center this weekend for the city’s Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar.

Sixty local vendors filled the space with unique offerings, from handcrafted dolls and bath products to woodwork, yard décor, and artwork, giving visitors a chance to shop small while checking off their holiday lists.

“A lot of our vendors do shows outdoors, but in December it’s nice to be inside,” said Debbie Isham, Goodman Museum Curator & Special Events Supervisor.

Vendors praised the event as a strong way to connect with the community. Dalitso Muluzi, owner of Guwa Holdings, operating as Miami Creations, said his handmade soaps, body butters, woodwork, and baskets drew interest from both repeat and new customers.

“I think Tyler does quite well getting support for local businesses,” he said. “The bazaar continues to draw a lot of people, helping small businesses.”

Visitors also enjoyed the festive touches and family-friendly activities. Katelin Carnes said her 19-month-old son, George, loved riding the train through the garden.

“We’ve been wanting to come see the lights, but mostly we wanted to see him ride the train,” she said. “This makes a gloomy day a nice little weekend getaway.”

For shoppers seeking gifts with lasting value, Madeline Norman of Kokobeanz Doll Company emphasized the benefits of buying handmade.

“Buying local and buying handmade makes Christmas last longer,” she said. “These are things that can be passed down to kids and even their kids later — something that’s missing in holiday shopping these days.”

In addition to shopping, the bazaar offered children’s crafts, a train ride, an evening movie, and seasonal décor and lighting throughout the garden. Isham said she tweaks the layout and décor each year to keep the event fresh. “This year we added a lot of new yard art and permanent lighting that changes colors,” she said.

Even after the bazaar ends, families can enjoy the Tyler Rose Garden’s holiday lights nightly from 5 to 8 p.m.

For more information about the City of Tyler Parks and Recreation Department and upcoming events, visit tylerparksandrec.com or follow them on Facebook.

A vendor works on a painting, demonstrating the kind of unique artwork and handcrafted gifts available from the sixty local businesses featured at the Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Katelin Carnes, her husband Zachary, and their son George enjoy riding the train through the garden, a highlight of the family-friendly activities offered during the Bazaar event. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Shoppers browse unique offerings, including clothing and handcrafted goods, from one of the sixty local vendors who filled the Rose Garden Center for Tyler’s annual Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Amy Taylor of Dragon Stones speaks with a family shopping for crafts at the Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar, which gave visitors a chance to shop small and support local businesses. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Six-year-old Vivian Willingham participates in the children’s crafts section, one of the family-friendly activities offered at the Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Holiday shoppers attend the annual Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar at the Rose Garden Center, where sixty local vendors filled the space with unique offerings just days before Christmas. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Woodwork and baskets are among the handmade offerings from Dalitso Muluzi, owner of Guwa Holdings doing as Miami Creations, who said the bazaar helps local businesses by drawing a lot of people. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Two-year-old Henry Baggs enjoys riding the train through the Rose Garden Center, which was a popular, family-friendly activity during the Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar event. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

A shopper looks at artwork, one of the many unique gifts and decorative offerings available from the sixty local vendors at the Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Bethany Baggs with her 9-month-old daughter Jubilee while riding the train through the Rose Garden Center, a family-friendly attraction at the annual Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

A shopper looks at handmade wreaths, which are part of the festive décor and yard art offered by local vendors at the Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Wire jewelry is displayed at the Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar, which offered shoppers a wide variety of unique and handcrafted items from sixty local vendors. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

A vendor assists a family shopping for gifts, including jewelry and unique framed art, during the Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar, which supports sixty local businesses. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Juliet Watson paints an Elsa figurine in the children’s crafts section, a gift for her father during the family-friendly Holiday in the Garden and Bazaar event. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

(Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

A shopper looks at a vendor display featuring handcrafted dolls and unique textile items, embodying the spirit of buying handmade gifts that can be passed down. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

A handcrafted ornament is among the unique gifts and decorative items available from local vendors, giving shoppers a chance to buy handmade for the holidays. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

(Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)