Jack Poole Plaza has been taken over by Christmas cheer with the return of the Vancouver Christmas market.

After launching in 2010, the Vancouver Christman market is a live showing of Christmas cheer while German delicacies fill up the downtown Vancouver area in which sounds of live music and bright lights fill the area with a traditional Christmas vibe.

According to their website, “the Vancouver Christmas Market brings this festive Old World tradition to Vancouver. This cherished holiday event offers an authentic German feast for the senses. Stroll the twinkling pathways of a European-inspired Christmas village in the crisp winter air.”

The market is filled with over 80 European and local artisan shops. These shops vary from Christmas ornaments to a mushroom vendor and everything in between. Now, in its 11th year, the market has grown into a mainstay in the downtown Vancouver area. They were forced to skip last year due to COVID-19 but already have lines extending onto the sidewalks.

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The market is well known for its German food that is at the heart of the market. A combination of freshly made pretzels and pork schnitzel is sure to cut through the cold winter air.

Malte Kluetz is the CEO and FOunder of the Vancouver Christmas Market. Malte spoke with voiceonline and has this to say about the growth of the market.

“We have really worked to bring a traditional German Christmas Market to Vancouver,” said Kluetz. “Each year, we add new elements and experiences to make the market a more enjoyable meeting space for friends and family members alike. From sparkling photo opportunities to festive spots to enjoy a drink, there’s something for everybody at the Vancouver Christmas Market.”

The longest lineup at the market came from Traditional Spanish Churros, which come from Spain. The churro spot has a variety of toppings for their churros which include dark chocolate drizzle, Nutella and Oreo crumble.

Traditional Spanish Churros suggests dipping their specialty dessert in coffee, egg nog or hot chocolate. Traditional Spanish Churros say that their product is, “satisfyingly crunchy and tantalizingly sweet, these traditional Spanish fried-dough pastries are the perfect indulgent treat.”

The one food vendor that was drawing a crowd as they prepared their food was Cheese Me Raclette. Their melted cheese on top of a charcuterie plate had people salivating and lining up to experience the raclette on their own.

Raclette is a type of Swiss cheese that is designed to be melted and poured on top of snacks such as charcuterie or bread.

Cheese Me Raclette brings a slice of Switzerland to the Vancouver Christmas Market. They are the only vendor currently serving delicious raclette in the city of Vancouver. Cheese Me Raclette’s menu items are all served with freshly melted cheese scraped from the wheel that has found the balance between practical and over-the-top.

One of the new vendors at the Christmas Market is Perfectly Nuts. Perfectly Nuts brings a wide variety of flavoured nuts to the market. Their combinations of smoky and sweet have been a big hit at the market.

When you are indulging in salty nuts, a quality Bavarian beer is a perfect beverage to wash them down. The Christmas Market is home to Bavarian Beer Hause, the perfect place to share a Bavarian brew with friends and family. They have a half-dozen options for beers and will help wash down whatever German snack you are munching on.

Speaking of German snacks, my personal favourite at the market was the freshly made German pretzels.

The market has two different options for pretzels. They have the smaller hard-baked pretzels at THOSE Pretzels.

If you’re looking to try before you buy, THOSE Pretzels is perfect because they have a ton of free samples available before you decide on your favourite flavour.

THOSE Pretzels are a favourite for at-home snacking but when you’re in the thick of it at the market, you’ve got to try the freshly made soft-baked pretzels over at Mr. Pretzel.

Mr. Pretzel has original butter-covered pretzels and dessert pretzels that are covered in cinnamon sugar. Their pretzels are fresh out of the oven and were my personal favourite at the market. They are covered in just the right amount of butter and salt and can come with a dip to complete the perfect snack.

Aside from food, the Vancouver Christmas Market has a variety of beautiful Instagram-able photoshoot areas. The Market is shaped around a massive Christmas tree that has an astonishing 36,000 lights on it. You are also able to enter the base of the tree to snap the perfect photo.

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When you’re ready for a little bit of a break, the Alpine Lounge is the spot for you. The Alpine Lounge is a large, heated tent with water views and plenty of tables to sit around at.

The other centrepiece of the Market is the floating stage in the centre court of the market. The floating stage features live music for you to tap your toes along with your favourite holiday tunes. The Christmas Market calls it their pyramid, which has decorations throughout the three floors around the performers who sit on the floating stage at the second level.

Lineups are much busier on weekends than weekdays but speaking from experience, we only waited about 15 minutes in the line to get in on a Sunday evening. The market is definitely going to busy all the way up to Christmas and should become even busier once the month turns over to December.

The Vancouver Christmas Market is open now and will stay open until December 24th. It is located at the Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver and you need to buy tickets online to secure your time and spot for the market. A season’s pass is available for only $19.99 and makes it worth your money if you plan on visiting more than once this winter.

All guests, vendors and employees must be fully vaccinated, and show proof of vaccination along with valid government identification if born in 2009 or earlier to access the Market.