For centuries, communities in Germany have transformed town squares into glittering Christmas markets, where visitors feast on roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, and browse stalls piled high with artisan wares. The Vancouver Christmas Market brought this holiday tradition to the city’s drizzly downtown core 10 years ago. This Yuletide, organizers are celebrating the anniversary with their biggest market yet.
The market has moved from its original location outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to a larger space at Jack Poole Plaza on the city’s waterfront, with a picturesque view of Burrard Inlet and the North Shore mountains.
This year, 20 new vendors have been added for a total of 80 stalls lining the market’s twinkling lanes, of which 24 are food or beverage and 56 are merchandise.
The food and beverage huts feature classic favourites such as German spiced mulled wine called gluhwein, Bavarian beer, bratwurst, pork hocks and pretzels. There are also lesser-known standouts including raclette, which is gooey, freshly melted Swiss cheese poured over meat or veggies, and poffertjes, Dutch miniature pancakes piled with sweet toppings such as strawberries and Nutella.
Christmas gifts or housewares are sourced around the globe, from locally crafted glassware and jewelry to traditional European wooden toys and nutcrackers, and this year’s event has a greater focus on sustainability with more eco-friendly sellers.
There’s also plenty of family fun with a brightly lit carousel, photos with Santa, a nine-metre Christmas tree, treasure hunt and a kids’ arts and crafts igloo hosted by 4Cats Arts Studio. For couples, there’s a 12-metre lovers’ lane enveloped in lights and an opportunity to seal one’s romance with a love lock.
Anyone hoping to host a party or gathering at the market has the option of booking a one-hour reservation at the Wunderbar, a heated, wood-panelled hideaway where mixologists shake up cocktails or non-alcoholic beverages served with charcuterie boards or German desserts.
The market opened on Nov. 20 and runs through Dec. 24, with daily hours of 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. apart from Christmas Eve when it closes at 6 p.m.
If you go: https://www.vancouverchristmasmarket.com/