The Marshfield Fairgrounds Stays Open After August, Through Two Different Gates

This winter the Marshfield Fairgrounds runs two separate seasons from two separate gates. Gate A on Main Street hosts an indoor farmers' market one Saturday a month from November through May. Gate E on South River Street is the drive-through entrance for six weeks of holiday lights. Saturday, December 5 is also the day the rest of Marshfield's holiday traditions line up around those two gates, from Marshfield Hills to Ocean Street.

Gate A: a market that runs on the third Saturday into May

The Marshfield Fair's Winter Farmers' Market at the Grandstands is held indoors under the grandstands at Gate A, 140 Main Street, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It started its season with an October 17 market. The rest of the season is scheduled like this:

• Saturday, November 21, 2026
• Saturday, December 19, 2026
• Saturday, January 16, 2027
• Saturday, February 20, 2027
• Saturday, March 20, 2027
• Saturday, April 17, 2027
• Saturday, May 15, 2027

Each date falls on the third Saturday of its month, so after the first one you can plan the rest without checking the calendar. The fair calls it a rain, shine or snow event. Its event listing describes about 20 local farmers, chefs and artisans selling produce, meats, dairy, seafood, honey, wool and eggs, plus three bakeries and prepared food. Every market also has free talks, live music and activities for kids. SNAP and HIP benefits are accepted.

The market's vendor map for the 2026–27 dates lists Bayberry Farm, Captain Marden's Seafoods, Courage Provisions, Dias & Daughters Farm, Fowl Play Farm & Miss Bee Haven, Honey I'm Home, Soul and Soil Shoppe, Summer Dreams Farm and The Wild Patch, along with others. The map doesn't say which vendors come on which winter Saturday. If you're going for a particular farm or the seafood counter, check the fair's vendor page or ask the vendor before you go. The fair's current-season roster also lists Swanson Baking Company.

Gate E: the light show's schedule thins out on early December weeknights

Fiesta Shows brings the South Shore Celebration of Lights back to the fairgrounds from Friday, November 27 through Wednesday, December 30, 2026. Cars enter at Gate E, 62 South River Street, not at the Main Street address. The show is not new. The fair's own 2022 listing called it "New This Year!"

The opening weekend right after Thanksgiving runs Friday through Sunday, and then the weeknight schedule fills in gradually through December:

The show is dark on Mondays and Tuesdays until the week of December 14, which leaves Wednesday and Thursday as the only early-December weeknights. Thursdays end with December 17. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which fall on a Thursday and Friday this year, run on the holiday schedule. Every open night has four one-hour entry windows starting at 5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m., and the last car is admitted at 8:15 p.m.

Prices depend on the night and on where you buy. A car costs $22.99 online or $30 at the gate on weeknights, and $26.99 online or $35 at the gate on weekends and holidays. Buying ahead saves about $7 on a weeknight and $8 on a weekend. There's also a $30 online Flex Pass that works for one visit on any open date and time, with no date to pick. The Flex Pass costs $3.01 more than a dated weekend ticket bought online and still less than either gate price. It's a good gift for someone whose December plans aren't set yet.

Saturday, December 5 puts the whole town on one route

Most weeks in November and December, Marshfield's holiday events are spread out. On the first Saturday of December they line up in an order you can follow in a single afternoon and evening, moving from the north end of town to the coast and then inland to the fairgrounds.

1. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Marshfield Hills. The North River Arts Society's Holiday Arts Sale is open at 157 Old Main Street.
2. 4 p.m., Ocean Street. Refreshments and entertainment begin at the Molly Fund's Annual Tree Lighting at Dandelion Park, 1896 Ocean Street. The Molly Fund lists a visit from Santa, carols, hot cocoa and cookies, and the tree is lit at dusk.
3. 5 to 9 p.m., the fairgrounds. Saturday entry windows open at the Gate E light show, with the last car in at 8:15 p.m.

The arts sale has a few details that make the timing matter. It opens with a Preview Party on Friday, December 4, from 6 to 9 p.m., and tickets are sold separately. The regular hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on December 5 and 6. This year the sale also stays open during the society's office hours, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, December 7 through Thursday, December 10. Most work is priced between $35 and $399, and both members and nonmembers can submit art. Each artist can also hang one larger painting over $400 in the "Gallery on Stage," and those stage pieces are 10 percent off at the Preview Party only. If you're after a larger painting, Friday night is the one time it's discounted. If you'd rather browse the $35 to $399 range without a crowd, the extra weekday mornings the following week are a good option.

The Ocean Street stop has a new seafood counter across the way

The tree lighting at Dandelion Park now has a new neighbor. Salty Days Fish Co. lists 1899 Ocean Street as its Marshfield location, with a Marshfield menu and kitchen hours on its locations page. The space used to be Ocean House Coastal Grille, which the Patriot Ledger reported would close on January 24, 2026, with Salty Days named as the planned next tenant. In February, WhatNow Boston reported that the new location was part of the Shops at Ocean's Gate and was expected to open in summer 2026. Winter hours along the coast can change on short notice, so check the posted kitchen hours before planning dinner around the 4 p.m. start of the tree lighting.

The library fills the quieter Saturdays in between

The Ventress Memorial Library at 15 Library Plaza has events on the Saturdays and Sundays that don't have a market or a light show.

• Craft Swap, Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is the first weekend after this post goes up, and it's a few weeks before the arts sale artists drop off their work.
• Marshfield Historical Society presentation, Sunday, November 15, 2 to 3:30 p.m., in the library's program room. The topic hasn't been posted on the library calendar yet.
• Second annual Welcome to Winter Walk, Saturday, December 19, 1 to 2 p.m. The group meets at the Girls Varsity Softball Field, 257 Forest Street.

The December 19 walk links back to Gate A. The December farmers' market at the grandstands closes at 1 p.m., the same time the walk begins on Forest Street. You can do the market, then the walk, and then come back to the fairgrounds that evening, when the light show runs on its Saturday schedule. It's the last Saturday before Christmas.

After the light show closes on December 30, Gate A keeps going with a market on January 16 and one on the third Saturday of every month after that until May 15.

At The Guimares Group, we track build schedules the way this post tracks the fairgrounds calendar, with dates, milestones and no guesswork. If you're planning a new home on the South Shore and want weekly updates you can rely on, talk to a New Construction Specialist.