Vancouver Christmas Market

First things first, I come from the land of shit Xmas markets, so this place, comparatively, was RAD. –another thing, I’ve lived in Germanic lands & am intimately familiar with all things Weihnachten. This market is authentic enough to keep me happy here in No. America.
Does the Vancouver Xmas Markt have heisse Maroni? Nöö. Does it have both Glühwein & the ever popular Feuerzangenbowle? Oh, ja, baby. I was stoked, too, to see both the Flammkuchen & rotisserie meat stands. Did I mention the Spätzle yet? How about the Kartoffelpuffer? They are as tasty as the name is funny. Besides einheimische Küche, here’s also international fare including Döner & goulash. We happened to have availed ourselves of the brat&weisswurst/frankfurter stand. The sausages and sauerkraut were not just not hot, but barely warm. –cold buns, too. –good thing we were already warmed by the rum-​spiked Glühwein!
The late-​day musical X-​Factor interlude at the center gazebo was both touching and wince-​inducing. At one point I caught myself singing along to Feliz Navidad & it felt good.
The hubs and I unintentionally avoided crowds by visiting the Xmas Markt on a Saturday afternoon. It was a family affair, but not clogged with visitors and long lines. We could navigate the grounds without too much fuss. Lange Geschichte kurz gemacht, I’d go back.

My family was desperate for a holiday-​themed activity to get into the spirit and I was excited to finally give ‘er a try.
Be prepared to jostle your way through crowds and lineups to pay for less than stellar yet highly overpriced food that you have to gobble up while standing uncomfortably in the cold.
I was hoping for some good eats so I kept trying my luck in search of something to satisfy my palate — even stealing bites off my family’s plates to no avail.
Apart from food and drinks there was little else to do. To break down the cost for one hungry hippo like me…
$ 8 entry
$ 3 ATM fee (many vendors were cash only)
$ 6 mulled wine
$ 6 wild mushroom soup
$ 14 jäger Schnitzel
$ 8 Cheesecake
Good thing I didn’t bring my partner along or we’d have been in for an expensive and underwhelming evening at the Christmas Market.
Thank goodness for the mulled wine, but really too bad there isn’t much more too it.

I think it’s a good little Christmas market, especially given that it doesn’t have any competition.
I’ve gone the last few years and always had a groupon or some sort of coupon. I honestly feel that since they don’t have any real competition, the vendors have marked up their prices a little too much.
The carousal ride’s nice (even for the grownups), the food, overprices but still okay.
If you don’t like crowds, avoid the weekends!

This place has sort of lost it’s appeal for me. When I first came here a few years ago I was really excited and everything was really authentic and not as hyped. Now… it’s just become a less-​Asian version of the Nighmarket with ridiculous line ups for food and pretty much anything. Since they added Tornado Potatoes and other Asian treats it went downhill.
The vendors are still similar to the past with lots of imported goods + local goods for those who are into that stuff. You can find some personal Christmas presents here although it is a bit more expensive than going elsewhere… but support the small businesses!
The coolest part of the experience is seeing the ornaments and the carousel (sorry, I’m still a kid at heart). Also the huge Christmas tree and… maple taffy! Whoot!
+ Pro-​tip: Don’t miss out on the Mulled Wine. Will keep you warm and entertained throughout the lackluster experience.

One of the smallest Christmas Market.
I came here the first couple years when Car2go sponsored them. This meant that if you are a car2go member you get to go in for free. Well they got rid of this promo since last year and I stopped going. So is is worth it. The price you are paying the answer is no. The place is super crowded and super small. Why put a carousel to take up so much space in a small area. As well the food are over priced. So you pay to get in and get rip off. this place is like going to a night market.
Ok at night they have a few people singing Christmas carol and whatsoever. Umm still not convinced it well worth it.
Whats more interesting the place is the same every year. WOW. Same vendor and pretty much the same layout. So I guess pay once and you have the experience.

I’ve passed x-​mas market many times and didn’t get to check out until this year. Buddy told me about early bird special and we got there before 4pm. FYI early bird special goes from monday to friday 11am-​4pm and we both paid $ 4. There were so many cute ornaments to see, however price was very expensive. Nativity store was interesting that their goods are made from Bethlehem.
I tried cinnamon pretzels for $ 4.50 and it was nothing special. I’d be impressed if the pretzels were soft and fresh though. Rather go somewhere else if they had better one. I enjoyed looking at x-​mas ornaments and nutcrackers that’s about it.

Crowded even for a Monday night. If you like long lines, confused and grouchy patrons, and expensive handcrafted wooden eating utensils — the Christmas Market might be for you!
Bought a Groupon deal for $ 11 including two tickets. We brought some cash with us because all the booths are strictly cash-​only.
We wandered around and got separated several times by the masses while we circled trying to find beaver tails, none this year apparently? Settled on some «truffle» spätzle ($ 12) and vegan sausage ($ 10). I found the spätzle to be smaller portioned and on the bland side, even with the truffle oil and crunchy topping. The vegan sausage was something I would have made at home with tofurkey brand hotdogs.
I made the mistake waiting in line for the coconut vegan eggnog. After 20 – 30 minutes we got to the front line only to discover the beverage was not warm due to a faulty hot plate. I would recommend the mulled wine or cider instead!
I can’t say I will be back, not even with children or my parents. The Market could be so much better with a bigger space, better food and more attractions. But I do appreciate the effort to bring a German-​style Christmas bazaar into the city.

Nothing in Vancouver is cheap. Such is life. But the Christmas Market can absolutely be worth the trip (and many return trips) if you plan ahead. Here are my 7 tips for making your visit to the market a jolly good time:
1. Buy the Groupon. If you’re standing in line right now, it’s not too late. The Groupon saves you anywhere from $ 5 to $ 14 depending on what package you pick. Now you’re already off to a good start!
2. Or come on a weekday before 4pm and you get 50% off admission.
3. At the ticket counter, spend an extra buck and get a season pass. And that’s the magic — you can come back to stroll around on any boring December day you want. No additional charge. Boom! Max merriment for your buck. I’ve been to the market 3 times this year and with Groupon I only paid 6 bucks total, so I’m getting entry for $ 2.
4. Enter market then drink Glühwein. (This one is simple, but it is extremely effective at bringing joy.) On Monday nights Glühwein is $ 1 off at the shop behind the Carousel.
5. Pretend that you are a kid again, and walk through the amazing Käthe Wohlfahrt shop which is essentially a museum of jaw dropping handcrafted beauty. It’s not just ornaments and wood crafts, it is artistry and best enjoyed with the look of an astonished 10-​year old on your face.
6. Do not attempt to go to the Market at prime time unless you love standing in lines. Pretend that the market is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Close your eyes. You can do it.
7. To all the Unilocalers who argue this place isn’t German enough, I say Nein! Go eat some traditional roasted almonds, schnitzel, brats, schnapps, borscht, poffertjes and anything else that is difficult for me to pronounce. And don’t let me catch you all in the line for those silly hurricane potato things.
Bonus tip: If you ask to taste any candy at the Candy Meister shop, they’ll give you a sample candy for free.

When I walked into the Vancouver Christmas Market my first thought was how did I get roped into this one?
Look I have a deeper appreciation for art and beauty than most people! After all I do have a yearly membership to the Vancouver Art Gallery and when I travel my first thought is where’s the city art gallery? Haha! I could be politically austere and tone down my review but my mind keeps wandering back to the Shakespeare line… To thine own self be true…
The Christmas Market (to me) is a big bazaar of German themed Christmas ornaments and goodies… The first thought that comes to my mind is Trinkets and Trash! Sorry guys I can’t sugar coat this! I should have stayed home and watched the Thursday Night Football game instead!
The best part of the evening was leaving the Vancouver Christmas Market and going bowling!

The Vancouver Christmas Market! Wow. Bringing but of Bavaria right to the west coast!
Love that the city center is chilly, rainy and there were no crowds at all today. It «felt» like a holiday season and joyful despite the rain. We were able to freely run about the marketplace and explore. From steamy mulled wine (both white and red) to grilled brats and fresh spatzle. There’s also an abundance of handmade goods: soaps, woodworks, and, of course, a dazzling array of ornaments (and those nut crackers). Much more to glaze over, of course.
What we really enjoyed, (probably anyone of all ages) is the lovely carousel in all its colorful holiday glory. Enjoy!
Do remember, there’s an entry fee. On weekdays, earlybirds get a discount. Not on the weekend, though.

This was my third year coming and the only reason why we came the last two times is because our daughter came in to town and this year our son. I see people left reviews about the $ 8 entry price. I don’t know if they ordered their tickets online but that $ 8 ticket is a season pass for the entire 2015 season. Food is good however I was disappointed that Beavertails weren’t there. I think they need to move the market to another location since it’s a bit too crowded with all the people and baby strollers.

Update for 2015:
Obviously consumable items are the biggest draw for me at these things. Nosh and Nibble came here and I had a great taste of the following:
Apple Gluhwein (~$ 6 after deposit return)
Jäger Schnitzel ($ 14.50)
Whole Pork Hock ($ 15)
Mushroom Spaetzle (~$ 11)
Nutella and Banana Poffies ($ 7)
Gluhwein is definitely the marquee drink to have here if you’re an adult. Mix hot apple cider with a zap of cinnamon and red wine and you have a warm mulled wine drink. For those keen on the red wine, you can also get the traditional gluhwein which I find has a smokier taste without the apple. I liked this drink because it was served at a good temperature I could drink from right away, sort of like a good latte.
The Jäger Schnitzel from Das Schnitzel Haus was another classic. This was tender pork beaten with a hammer and deep fried. The breading was crisp and the insides hot. The mushroom gravy was very saucy and made each bite very enjoyable.
The Whole Pork Hock from Haxen Haus was a thing of beauty. Coming from a rack full of barbecued pork hock, these pieces got cut up and served as tender pieces and a couple of juicy bones to gnaw on with a side of mustard. Is this why dogs love licking the bone? If you’re eating this by yourself, it’s probably going to fill you up if you’ve got a gluhwein in hand.
The Mushroom Spaetzle from Das Nudel Haus I believe is a new addition this year. These spaetzles are small macaroni-​esque egg noodles served with your choice of plain or with a sauce (+$ 3). We chose mushroom which made this taste much better than plain. I wasn’t as wowed by this box (meat lover here) but if you’re looking for a cheaper way to fill up here, this box will do the trick.
A night at the Christmas Market is not complete without dessert, so I looked for my favourite stand from last year, Poffies Poffertjes, where they serve soft poffies. Essentially these are chewy pieces of dough laced with icing sugar, butter, and optionally banana and Nutella chocolate sauce. I liked that they were all made fresh to order and all came out just slightly crisp on the bottom so you know it’s hot on the inside.

Time travel to a different place and time. It’s an adventure and the best place in Vancouver to get your Christmas on.
Nice vendors and one of a kind finds for the extremely hard to buy for… ethical gifts that are a pleasure to give;
Vegan Coconut Nog with Frangelico is out of this world. Real hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps shopping like a grown up with all the perks.
Go for the experience… return as family.

I’ve been here a few times over the years. Each year does seem to be better than the last.
$ 8 entry seems a little steep for such a small market, especially because it’s outdoors and Vancouver weather doesn’t always cooperate as it was raining the day we went this year.
Went in, went straight for the schnitzel place. $ 13 for a Jäger Schnitzel… totally worth it. Many of the other places also seemed pretty steep.
There’s a decent variety of vendors without a ton of overlap. Clearly the vendors are screened to make sure everyone has an equal chance of making money.
My biggest annoyance is the port-​o-​potties. In the first year, you could go into the building and use real washrooms.
It’s not a bad little market but it’s also not worth going every year, hence it’ll be a couple of years before I come back.

Good holiday spirit
I have been wanting to go the the Christmas market since 2 years ago and I finally made it there last night. Yes I do agree with the other reviews that it is overpriced, but it’s a once a year thing so I didn’t mind that. There are quite a few unique shops there. I wasn’t hungry when I went so I did t try any of the food other than the hot apple cider (part of the groupon). It was delicious! I would highly recommend getting the groupon that includes the ride and the drink. It’s much more fun that way.

It sucks that you have to pay a ripoff price of $ 8 to enter. Not worth it. A real Christmas market in Germany is free and there is no wall. Why would anyone want to pay money to go in then pay more money for food and drink. Does the mall charge a fee to enter the shopping area. The businesses in the mall pay a rent to the owners of the mall. This market is just a shopping mall. These businesses should pay the costs of operating the annual market.
If you want to experience a real Christmas market go to Berlin, Munich or any other German city.

Yes it’s small, yes it’s overpriced, but it’s a novelty. You come here to get in the Christmas spirit you get to feel just a tad bit German. What’s so bad about that?
It’s not like $ 8 will break the bank just to experience it, which gives you admission all season long. There are much more expensive things in Vancouver during Christmas.
Bottom line, it’s worth checking out at least once just for sh*ts and giggles. I mean, it is the holiday season after all, and everything inside will definitely get you in the holiday spirit.

The price to get in for a season pass was reasonable at $ 8. The food inside was expensive, however, semi worth it if you share and or if you actually get something that is authentically German made. What bothered me this year was that there were less German food booths with authentic German accents. I miss this as it added a nice touch of feeling as though you’re somewhere else other than Vancouver. There were booths promoting Canadian cuisine and or were carnival foods.
I was more disappointed in the people that chose carnival foods over traditional German holiday foods that is only available in a market place like this once a year. Do we really need to eat another curly/​spiral fries on a stick? Didn’t we do this at the PNE and the Richmond Night Market?
Sadly when you Google the festival it’s now called the «Vancouver Christmas Market» instead of the «German Christmas Market.» The title alone promotes and encourages the theme to stray out of focus which is a shame.
They still had mulled wine, therefore, my GF was happy. The lineups are slow and long for this, therefore, patience is required.
The times that I’ve been so far it’s been quiet if you get in early enough but it gets extremely crowded after 6 pm.
I did do some guilty pleasure eating but still they need to move to a bigger location and be more reasonable on the prices for food.

THE GROUPON THIS YEAR IS DISAPPOINTING TO USE. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WANT TO UPGRADE YOUR PASS TO SEASONAL.
First nobody could scan my voucher. They were all confused about how to make the group on work.
Second, I upgraded my admissions by paying $ 1 more for each pass to make them seasonal (as I went on a weekend). However, they refused to give us the apple ciders and carousel rides because they said those 2 items would stay valid only for Monday — Thursday. Moreover, they said once I redeem my voucher with the upgrade, I would lose the apple cider and ride because they would have to mark the voucher as redeemed.
I felt not welcomed this year because of this :(it didn’t make sense that I can’t get the other two when I can upgrade my ticket.
Anyway, foods are still good over there!