In the cozy town of Starkville, sleigh bells are ringing, stockings are being hung and pumpkin spice is being replaced with gingerbread and peppermint. There is no doubt — the holiday season has arrived in Starkvegas. As holiday preparations begin, there is no better time to start picking out gifts for loved ones. 

The Starkville Holiday Bazaar brought back the magic of handmade gifts, giving customers a variety of options for gifts made with care. On Nov. 5 and 6 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Mississippi vendors gathered in The Mill for customers to browse for the perfect holiday gifts. Among these shops were a variety of artisans selling handmade goods and gifts filled with love and care.

Upon entering the Holiday Bazaar, Christmas music and the smell of holiday sweet treats filled the room. Crafts from local artisans filled the shelves, from pottery to quilts to jewelry, each one with a special story.

BJ Hatten of North River Studio Stained Glass discussed her fond memories of practicing her craft with her mother.

“My mother taught me how to do this, and we had a business together, which is still my business today,” Hatten said with a smile. “It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve really enjoyed it.”

Hatten’s stained glass artwork sparkled in the light. In the colorful shards of glass, a reflection of the past is barely visible — a glimpse of warmth found in creating art with a loved one. 

Hatten is an artisan of stained glass. She specifically specializes in Tiffany-style stained glass, a form that uses copper foil rather than the lead that is typically found in church windows and other common examples of stained glass. 

For the holidays, she sells a variety of stained glass ornaments. Classic Christmas ornaments, such as angels and candy canes, hung on a twinkling tree, and parrots and hummingbirds with vibrant wings and feathers danced around the booth. She even included her own version of the Christmas pickle tradition that many families enjoy. A small stained glass pickle jungle nestled in the white tree’s branches at the booth, waiting to be found. 

Each ornament was filled with personality and uniqueness that can only come from the human heart.

Close by was William Clark of Mississippi Mojo Mud Pottery, selling his own handmade pottery. He also started learning his craft in his youth and decided to pursue it full-time in his retirement. 

Charming faces sculpted onto mugs peered at customers, and a garden of small flowers adorned flower pots and jugs. Small pots decorated with Christmas trees and stars brought holiday spirit to his display. Each piece carried a distinctive charm that was held in its individuality. No piece was like the other. Clark reflected on the importance he holds in keeping his pottery genuine and handmade.

“I try to keep mine all authentic and on the wheel,” Clark said. “I don’t use molds; I just use my hands.”

Much of his pottery includes a characteristic detail that may go unnoticed without a closer look. His mugs and pots contain ridges in the clay that are not always seen in pottery. This is because these ridges are caused by the artist’s hands shaping the clay on the wheel. 

“A lot of people will smooth that out,” Clark said, gesturing to the marks on his pottery. “But it just shows that that’s me, that’s my fingers… so I always leave that in there.”

This stamp of ownership on his pottery distinguishes his work from mass-produced pottery, serving as a reminder of the quality and character of handmade artwork.

Another artist selling his work at this event was recent Mississippi State University graduate Kendrell Daniels. Having graduated in May 2025 with a fine arts degree from the university, he now sells his artwork at various festivals, and he also works on commission. His booth featured prints of his artwork as well as canvases. 

Daniels reflected on his beginning in art, saying that he discovered his love of painting in the T.K. Martin art program for disabled students. There, he discovered that he loved to paint and decided to pursue it as a degree in college. 

Vibrant colors filled canvases with pictures of angels that brought holiday cheer to the booth. Each canvas was unique and marked with his initials, K.D. When reflecting on his favorite part of the process, he noted that his favorite part was the reward of seeing the finished product and showing it to other people.

“My favorite part is the finish,” Daniels said. “Getting to show it to the public, I always get really great feedback, and that’s really inspired me to keep going.”

As the holiday season begins for the year, handmade gifts continue to carry their timeless charm and warmth, connecting us with the past, ourselves and others in our lives. The Starkville Holiday Bazaar brought these artisans a place to share their gifts with others and, along with it, the story of their art and its meaning.