50 Seasons!

1976 : 1st Annual

In 1978, Armadillo World Headquarters was in deep financial trouble and getting deeper. An offhand comment by Lucinda Williams inspired Bruce Willenzik to dream up the idea of a Christmas market at The Armadillo.
Leea Mechling stepped up at the last minute to bring in this show through all the chaos and save Armadillo from financial destruction that winter. Scheduled for just two days the event was such a success, Armadillo added more days the next week. Armadillo staff and vendors liked it so much. We started calling it an annual event, even though we’d only had one year.

1977-1980 : The Next Four Seasons

Jim Franklin created a poster of armadillos pulling Santa on a sleigh on the moon. He also had a booth doing airbrushed portraits. This was the first year when we actually had a floor map to scale. By the end of that year, the Bazaar was firmly established, now as a new Armadillo tradition.
For the next few years, the Christmas Bazaar was not able to cure all of Armadillo’s financial woes, but it kept the place alive year after year. Attendance grew by 50% a year. By the 3rd year we had a waiting list. By the 5th year, crowds were at capacity almost all day, every day. 27,000 people came that year in that small space. The result of five years of the Christmas Bazaar at AWHQ made it possible to pay off the Chapter 11 bankruptcy just a week before our lease the up.
The Armadillo World Headquarters closed December 31st, 1980.
The AWHQ days had an open stage. Musicians of every caliber would come down, find a slot, get up there and perform. Marcia Ball was there most days. In 1980, Maria Muldaur worked the show almost every day, volunteering to do sales help for artists in trade for goods. Popular bands were formed after impromptu music sessions on the Armadillo Bazaar stage.
more seasons at the AWHQ

1981-1983 : The Show Must Go On!

With the closing of Armadillo World Headquarters December 31st, 1980, the staff was forlorn and lost, looking forward to any way to get back together. Bruce Willenzik bourth the rights to the show from Hank Alrrich, Armadillo Productions. A lot of pressure was put on Bruce to continue the show without the facility. Miracles happen. 1981 began a new awakening.
The Cherry Creek years. 1981 through 83.
A series of fortuitous events led us to being able to procure an old grocery store in South Austin. Hiring the Armadillo World Headquarters production crew as our staff, we were able to transform that dead Tom Thumb into a respectable recreation of the energy of Armadillo World Headquarters for Christmas. We started paying the bands that year and booking in advance.
Year after year, another miracle happened which allowed us to keep that location for three years. It was not going to be available again in 1984, so we need to find something else.

A long-time day shift manager Cris Arnold made his first appearance selling moccasins for an outfit called Bald Mountain. Bart and Cynthia Kelly joined the staff in 1981. Anne Kelley (Johnson) was born in 82.

1984-1986 : Austin Opera House

We had to find a new venue.Henry Gonzalez was the go between that got Tim O’Connor to talk to Bruce about moving the show to the Austin Opera House. At first Tim was a bit hesitant and only had room in his calendar for a 7-day show that year, but we worked it out and made it happen. The room was a lot smaller than what we had used at Cherry Creek Plaza. That little ballroom was so small that it always seemed crowded, even when there was only a few people there. When it was busy, that place was jammed.
In 1985, a competing show with big backers tried to take the identity from the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar and have their own Dillo Christmas downtown. Resulting conflict and chaos upset Bruce enough to set him on a course of bringing the Armadillo philosophy and values to the rest of Austin through a long career in community service.

1987-1989

1990-1992 : 15 Seasons!

1993-1994

1995-1997 : Austin Music Hall

1998-2000 : 25 Seasons!

2001-2003

2004-2006 : 30 Seasons!

2007-2009 : Austin Convention Center Years

2010 : Palmer Events Center

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015 : 40th Season!

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021 : Armadillo Outside!

In light of the ongoing health crisis across the world, we asked our artists what they wanted to do and they said let's go outside! So we did. We had all the seasons in 3 days. And the best time celebrating with the City. So much fun!