This holiday season in downtown Niles, two buildings host the posted events from mid-November to the week before Christmas. One is the Niles District Library at 620 E. Main St. The other is The Grand LV, an event venue at 104 N. 3rd St.
They are on the same calendar twice. On Saturday, Nov. 28, the library's author fair and The Grand LV's maker market are open at the same time for four hours, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A restaurant that opened this year and one that reopened at a new address this year cover the morning and the evening, so you can fill the day from a 6 a.m. breakfast to trivia that wraps up at 8 p.m.
Three Dates, The Same Two Hosts
These are the holiday dates the two buildings have posted between now and Christmas:
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Holiday Magic at the library, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free photos with Santa, a take-home craft, a magic show and other family activities.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: The Grand LV's Holly Jolly Market runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the library's Shop Local, Read Local: Author Meet & Greet runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 21: The library shows The Nightmare Before Christmas at its Matinee Monday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Community Room, and The Grand LV hosts "Once Upon A Christmas" from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Two of the three dates have both buildings running something on the same afternoon, and Nov. 28 has the longest overlap.
Nov. 28, Hour By Hour
These are the places with posted hours or events that Saturday, in order:
| Time | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Dougan's 2 Broke Eggs-N-Griddle, 402 Wayne St. | Breakfast and brunch |
| 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | The Grand LV, 104 N. 3rd St. | Holly Jolly Market |
| 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St. | Shop Local, Read Local: Author Meet & Greet |
| 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Saylor's Pizza Port, 322 Grant St. | Pizza, based on the hours posted at its January reopening |
| 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. | Niles Brewing Company, 206 E. Main St. | Trivia Night |
Dougan's says its hours may vary on holidays, and the Saylor's hours date from January, so call both before you go.
A Maker Market In A 1928 Elks Temple
The Grand LV is in a former Elks Temple built in 1928. The renovation kept the original features of the building and added clean, modern design. It seats 200. The main floor holds the Kull Memorial Stateroom, a 1,900-square-foot room with seven large windows that face the sunset over the St. Joseph River. The venue hosts weddings, showers, brunches and reunions.
For Small Business Saturday, The Grand LV turns into the Holly Jolly Market. According to its listing on Visit Southwest Michigan, the market has a curated mix of local and handmade artisans, small shops and boutiques. The vendor call named categories such as handmade soy candles, vintage decor, crochet plushies, pet treats, natural soaps, handmade leather jewelry, and small-batch organic sourdough loaves.
Admission is $2. You can also get in by bringing a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots, so the toy you buy upstairs can be your entry fee.
Nineteen Authors On East Main
An hour after the market opens, the library starts its own version of the same idea. Shop Local, Read Local is billed as the library's Small Business Saturday event. Local and regional authors sell and sign their books from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You don't need to register or have a library card.
The library's event page lists these participating authors:
- Amanda Valerie Judd
- Carmen Ella
- Cindy Lynn Sawyer
- Denise L DeLoach
- Diana Stout
- Elisabeth Garner
- Elisha Bryant
- Emily Goodwin
- Georgia Ann Moss
- Heather Curlee Novak
- Jacquie Sewell
- Joan H. Young
- Kelly Wiseman
- Kelsee Sharp
- Kitty McClintock
- Kristen N. Dobson
- Lucy Naylor Kubash
- Nancy Hibiske-Reed
- Theo Makombe
Bring cash. The library says some authors may only accept cash or have limited payment options. Between this and the $2 at The Grand LV, a few small bills will cover most of the midday.
The two events open an hour apart and close at the same time. If you want both, start at The Grand LV at 10 and head to East Main around 11. That gives you most of the afternoon at the author tables before both close at 3.
Breakfast And Dinner Are Both New In 2026
The earliest meal of the day is at a restaurant that opened this year. The latest is at one that reopened at a new address this year.
Dougan's 2 Broke Eggs-N-Griddle is the newcomer. WNDU covered its downtown opening on April 28, 2026. The South Bend Tribune described it as two friends of more than 20 years, Ann Hampton and Tanya Dougan-Kener, deciding to carry on what had been a family business. It's at 402 Wayne St., open every day from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It has free street parking, a lot across the street, and an accessible ramp. A 6 a.m. opening gets you to breakfast well before the market opens at 10.
Saylor's Pizza Port is the one that reopened. WSBT reported that the family-owned restaurant has been a community staple since 1989. It held its grand reopening on Jan. 6, 2026. The Herald-Palladium reported that the new home at 322 Grant St. is a renovated former Dairy Queen building and that the menu is the same one regulars already know. The hours posted at the reopening, 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, cover the rest of the day after the markets close at 3.
After dinner, Niles Brewing Company at 206 E. Main St. holds Trivia Night from 6 to 8 p.m. It's on the Niles Main Street calendar every Saturday in November, including the 28th. The brewery brews its beer on site and also serves other craft drinks from a full-service bar. Its own history marks Dec. 12, 2020 as "Day One," so it turns six just two weeks after Small Business Saturday.
Before And After The 28th
You need a ticket for the Nov. 21 Holiday Magic event at the library. The tickets are free, and the library has been handing them out at the Youth Services Desk since Nov. 1. Check the calendar for Thanksgiving week too. The library closes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and is closed all day Thursday, Nov. 26.
On Dec. 21, the library and The Grand LV again have events on the same afternoon. "Once Upon A Christmas" at The Grand LV has princess characters in holiday gowns and Santa, plus photos, Christmas treats and dancing, and it runs in two time slots. Tickets and official details are on Eventbrite. The library's Nightmare Before Christmas matinee starts at 1 p.m., half an hour before the first slot at The Grand LV.
As more holiday dates are posted, they'll appear on the Niles Main Street downtown events calendar.
The Jason Stroud Team follows downtown Niles on Saturdays like this one, from the new spot on Wayne Street to the pizza place that came back on Grant Street. If you own a home near downtown and want to know what it's worth, ask us for a free home valuation.
