The Holiday Craft Festival, an annual event hosted by the University of Florida’s Stephen C. O’Connell Center, has been cancelled this year. 

In an announcement posted on its website, the O’Connell Center said the festival was cancelled due to “unforeseen scheduling conflicts.” 

“We deeply regret the disappointment this may cause and want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly,” the venue said. “Over the past few years, the festival has become increasingly more challenging to schedule. It coincides with several university sports seasons, numerous on-campus holiday events, and the lead-up to fall commencement ceremonies.” 

According to the University of Florida Business Affairs website, the craft festival is a yearly event “that showcases crafts that are authentically made by talented artisans and crafters.” 

For more than 30 years, the O’Connell Center has served as the host for the festival, but the venue said the event “has been a part of the Gainesville community for more than half a century.” 

The O’Connell Center said it is “diligently exploring all avenues to ensure the return of the Holiday Craft Festival in 2026.”  

“While we are not sure what this will look like at the current moment, we will inform everyone as soon as we have more details,” the venue said. 

Mainstreet reached out to the O’Connell Center on Friday morning for additional information about the craft festival cancellation and was told the person it could speak to was out of the office and should return Monday morning.  

The O’Connell Center said community members can stay informed about the future of the craft festival by filling out this form.  

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.