What do you get when you combine the geekiest local brewery (hint: they named their inaugural beer after the first monkey in space), a crafty company with more than a few notches on their comic-con belt, and over 20 vendors specializing in all sorts of nerdy wares? Nerdy noel 2.0, of course!

Last December, unique kind of holiday market held its first annual inception at Huntsville’s own Straight To Ale. After running Komai’s Oh My for the past 4 years, I’d learned that the city had a plethora of cookie-cutter Christmas markets, but not many options for finding gifts for the gamers, Potterheads, and Whovians on our lists. All that changed with Nerdy Noel in 2016, which saw over a dozen local artists and vendors filling the Straight To Ale gym with every geeky gift imaginable for sale.

The event was a big success for everyone involved–and with vendors, shoppers, and brewers all requesting a repeat performance, Nerdy Noel 2.0 was born. This year brings a few bigger and better changes, including a move upstairs to the Art Room of Straight To Ale–a large event space boasting its own bar. Shoppers can sip on drafts while they peruse the prints, presents, and Pops that vendors will have for sale.

This year’s Nerdy Noel will also see an increase in the number and variety of vendors. With the success of last year’s market, artists outside the immediate Huntsville area have signed up to participate. You’ll see some well-known faces from the North Alabama convention scene, as well as artists coming into town from Atlanta to join in the fun.

Since this event is free and family-friendly, we’re bringing in some of your favorite characters for photo ops! The North Alabama Cosplayers Club will be hanging out with a few of their famous friends like Wonder Woman, Anna & Elsa, Supergirl, and maybe even a few Mandalorians–and they’ll all be posing for pictures with you and your kids!

Sound like a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon? So do all the vendors! Check out all the small businesses and artists you can shop with at Nerdy Noel 2.0 this year:

Paintings By Dimitri-Internationally-famous art featuring fandom themes, mashups, and every geeky image your heart could desire!

I Sew Mean-Hand sewn and embroidered items like lace masks, earrings, ornaments, and keychains featuring everything from Pokemon to pirates, and Slytherin to Skellington (that’s Jack, of course).

The Druid’s Den-Gorgeous handmade pottery and ceramics featuring dragons, sea creatures, Celtic knotwork, wearable horns, and all manner of awesome weirdness.

Pixel Perfect-Awesome assortment of magnets, bow ties, earrings, and other items made from meticulously patterned perler beads in a huge variety of nerdy themes.

Float Shop– “Float” is a former Atlanta based artist that is now living in Huntsville AL, working in the mediums of canvas painting, collage, digital art and design. Using cartoons, comix, Sci-fiction, fantasy, graffiti and street art as inspiration “Float” has been bringing his own spin to painting, furniture refurbishing, sticker design, art prints, ect.

Komai’s Oh My-geeky gifts from different fandoms, including coffee mugs, flasks, lanyards, pint glasses, stockings, metal signs, laser-engraved plaques, fairy doors, magic sequin pillows, and more.

Sarah Wade Art-Watercolor art straight outta The Flying Monkey featuring mermaids, Marvel, and much much more

Huntsville Comic & Pop Culture Expo-They will be set up selling comics and Pops, and giving info on the Expo, which is an annual event returning in March 2018. It’s a huge celebration of all things geeky, with cosplay contests, lip sync battles, vendors, and more!

First Contact Sewing/Blue Dragonfly Creations-Unique wallets, bags, and accessories made by hand from recycled paper; handmade rugs and other home decor

Gwynne Spins-Hand-dyed and spun yarn and fibers in amazing colors, rainbows, and black-light reactive hues. Also, irresistible wool dryer Pokeballs!

Honeypie Bakery-Delicious cookies, pies, brownies, popcorn salts, and cocktail bitters, along with deliciously snarky cross stitch samplers

Elsweyr Shoppe– Handmade and commercially produced jewelry and other gifts from all your favorite fandoms

Jellibunn Creations-Plushies, clothes, keychains, notebooks, notepads, and cosmetic bags

Sarah Belanger, author of North Alabama Beer-A historical look at brewing in North Alabama over the last 200 years. It includes the origin stories of each of the area’s breweries, as well as the wild days of the Alabama saloon, illegal moonshining, and a couple of murders.

Jessica Nunno Art-Art prints of both nerdy fan art and original art. Some originals, buttons, bookmarks and cards!

Infinite Regressions-Nerdy nesting dolls and keychains shaped like nesting dolls.

Authors Ashley Chappell and Amanda Porter-YA Fantasy novels, The Darkness Trilogy, plus one quirky semi-paranormal southern satire about taters

Greta’s Creatures and Gifts-Geeky and pop culture toys for humans and cats

Hook & Bobbin-Sewn bags, pouches, ornaments and quilts featuring Doctor Who, Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong, and Nightmare Before Christmas

The DeeP Comics & Games-Comics, board games, trading card games, and toys

Contented Comfort-Handmade, fandom inspired soaps and perfumes in original scents and without detergents, dyes, parabens, and phthalates.

Fresh Baked Pottery and Confidently Crafty-Geeky/pop culture pottery and ceramic ornaments and magnets; and embroidered lace jewelry embellished with charms and steampunk style

Aardvark Tees-T-shirts featuring fan art, memes, mashups, and ALL things geeky

Nerdy Noel will take place at Straight To Ale Brands (2610 Clinton Ave W) on Sunday, December 10th from 12pm-6pm. Admission is free.