The Vancouver Christmas Market is an essential “must-do” in our lead up to Christmas. Only in its fourth year, the Vancouver Christmas Market is wonderfully festive, dripping with atmosphere, and spilling over with yummy smells and delicatable eats. If you haven’t been you are missing out!
We visited the Christmas Market in late November and the crowds were at a minimum. We were able to easily move from vendor to vendor. The kids had a terrific time decorating candels and icing gingerbread snowmen. The Christmas spirit cascaded over us while we sipped on glühwein, nibbled on weisswurst and listened to the enthusiastic performance of a local high school. For the 2nd year in a row, our youngest dumped apple cider down his coat…he likes to keep his parents grounded! Kudos to the Market for serving kid-friendly-temperature apple cider; thank you for not making us hyperventilate in a effort to quickly cool down an overly hot drink!
It didn’t take long for our boys to drag us over to the carousel. Each ride is $3 or 5 rides for $10. The ride is generous in its length and parents are encouraged to ride (no ticket required for standing) along with their children. After the kids’ turn on the carousel we convinced them to wander through the indoor market. A breath-taking display of exquisite Christmas decorations were on display. There are beautifully hand-crafted wooden ornaments and whimsical glass creations. Last year we purchased the Christmas pickle. According to German tradition, the child who spots the secretly hidden pickle ornament on Christmas morning receives an extra present from Santa Claus. The pickle was most popular last year and has been asked after numerous times this year, already!
If the atmosphere and beautiful Christmas ornaments haven’t got you hooked, the food sure will! Every year I must bring home lebkuchen and stollen; this year 2 boxes of lebkuchen may have followed me home. The wonderful smells emanating from the charming wooden huts will have you salivating the duration of your visit.
We had a wonderful family afternoon at the Vancouver Christmas Market. Best of all is the re-entry pass. Pay for your entrance once, download an app, scan a QR code, and you receive a pass providing you entrance for the entire season! The Vancouver Christmas Market runs daily from 11am – 9pm and ends on December 24th at 6pm. Make sure to visit their website for loads of great information (including when the super cheap admission rates are active). Enjoy experiencing a traditional German Christmas market right here in downtown Vancouver!
