European Christmas Market

I've been to the European Christmas Market a few times- this year I brought a friend from out of state. We went on a Friday evening and it was surprisingly quiet. It's free to wander the market which is great for those on a budget looking to get in the holiday spirit. They sell spiced mulled wine in fun collector mugs which is a great way to warm up while browsing the market since the vendors are outside. There are a variety of vendors with holiday decor, gifts and food. Our favorite stops this year were Burly Babe, who had phenomenal photography prints primarily of National Parks, and Lucy Iburg, who I bought the coziest mittens from! Last year when I came there were also a bunch of baked goods for sale from vendors set up in the depot, but they weren't there this time. There are a number of parking ramps nearby. I'd recommend the Lowertown Ramp- it's reasonably priced and close walk. Overall great time and can't wait to go back next year!

very few vendors and I get they are artist, well some of them but honestly. there were a lot of manufacture items there too I only bought a 5x7 charcoal drawing of a Raven $25 bought 2 hot chocolates with allegedly shot of whiskey in each lol what a joke it was cold. so I splurged two tiny half cups of cocoa cost me $15 !!! arrrggh and mine tasted like mostly water cause apparently she did not bother to stir the half packet of cocoa she put in each cup. I felt cheated. The drawing and spending time with a long distance fri who drove up from Wisconsin to go ..was the only great thing about this event There was supposed to be vendors outside and events games food .,but there was nothing and the 5 trucks we saw all shut down and closed because it was cold! Well duh . It's a winter carnival . Very disappointed

A wonderful way to start the holiday season. It's always on our holiday to do list to head to the Union Depot and enjoy this festive outdoor market. They expanded it this year which was lovely! A wonderful day to attend seeing it was a 40+ degree day on a Sunday (during the Viking game). Lots of unique and wonderful vendors selling their goods. Also in the expanded section they had kids activities including a carousel and mini train to ride (both free). Then some of the vendors had free activities and goodies for the kiddos including painting a wooden car, coloring a mini European market puzzle and decorating a wooden bookmark. Lots of different food and drink items. Most of the lines for food/drinks during the weekend will have long lines. The parking lots around the market are also roughly $10 for the event.

Such a fun event! It is popular so it is busy but that is to be expected. So many fun booths to look at and lots of food options. We got the hot apple cider, mulled wine in a boot mug that you get to keep, dinner sausage and some macaroons. Everything was really good but the crème brûlée macaroon was my favorite. I also got this hand carved hand painted ornament for my tree which is so cute. All the vendors are really nice and there is a decent amount of parking but I recommend car pooling. Highly recommend checking it out for a fun Christmas activity. They do have a bunch of stuff for kids as well.

It was a cold afternoon with temps around 17 degrees (we're Californian). We had just gone to the Chicago Christmas market earlier in the weekend and wanted to try out the St. Paul Christmas market. The market is definitely more convenient here (and much less expensive). We went on a Friday early afternnon (learned out lesseon from the Chicago Christmas market to not go on a weekend). The is more walking space in the the walking areas and we didn't feel like we were shoulder to shoulder. There were more variety of shops here. The pastries and perogies were excellent. Thankfully the vendors we purchased from take electronic forms of payment (unlike Chicago). We would have stayed longer but our legs were getting frozen (LOL).

I had no idea what to expect but, WOW, this was an event! We targeted getting there a little after 11am on a Sunday, understanding that it started at 11am. It was packed! Traffic was crazy. Parking was crazy. Crowds were crazy. Dress warm as the market is all outside. There are many food and merchandise booths to peruse. I found these warm faux fur driving mittens that I loved. I also tried the pancake balls (can't remember their official name). They were delicious! Covered in powdered sugar and raspberry sauce. So yummy. Lots of families attending. There is a free mini train ride for all ages. Lots of people walking around with a mug shaped like a sock/boot. I had a great time. Be patient given the number of people attending.

We had a good time at the European Christmas market for our second year in a row! This is a great walk through for families with school age kids or couples/friends looking for somewhere new to wander! There is a variety of different vendors offering homemade goods as well as goods brought in from different countries. There is good deals to be found but don't expect blowouts - things are speciality gifts and are priced as such. The walk ways between vendors can be a bit narrow and crowded so I would caution anyone with additional mobility needs to come early or late to avoid the crowds. There is food and drink available also at a slight premium price level but we both had coffee-esque drinks from one seller that were both delicious. We tried some of the cuisine options throughout and didn't find anything we were thrilled by, a lot was fair food quality and oversalted in our opinion but we understand the constraints of preparing food for an event like a market where amount needed is unknown and food must be able to be prepped fast. We bought a couple gifts throughout and stayed for around 2 hours which is about all you need to look through everything. Be warned the free parking options are slim and a lot of the pay lots nearby can be spendy so give yourself extra time to find a good spot and walk up!

This was one of the coolest holiday events my husband and I attended this 2023 season! The setting really makes you feel like you're shopping in an Alps-seated little Germanic town, complete with vendors selling mittens, schnitzel, beeswax candles, and other wonderful gifts and decor for many folks! What we really loved was the anniversary cup we got with the purchase of our mulled wine, which is in the shape of a boot, so very fittings. We also loved the live performance and dancing available for entertainment. There are plenty of little firepits around to keep you warm in the cold! And throughout there are some activities for the kids as well as wonderful decoration around to get you in the spirit!

Very cool event, even bigger than last year. Similar experience to others where there were HUGE lines for everything and the place was absolutely packed. It was difficult to park and having a kiddo in tow was not ideal.Lots of venders with knickknacks and such if you're looking for gifts.

I can see the appeal and why everyone seems to love this event, but here's my honest experience. Attended Saturday in the afternoon. Traffic around the area was at a standstill for blocks around the event... parking was a complete nightmare and took forever! Finally walked in at around 6pm. It was incredibly overcrowded and the lines were state-fair-level long. Many of the vendors were sold out of food for the day, so we really couldn't try anything that we had been planning to try. After being pushed around by the crowd for a while, we managed to make it to the alcohol tent towards the back of the event. Long line for this place as well, but it moved relatively quickly (S/O to the staff for running a tight ship). The mulled wine and the commemorative mug were very much worth it! Lovely concept that gets you into the holiday spirit, but poor experience on a Saturday afternoon. Please be prepared for a winter version of the State Fair if you plan to attend.