5 Christmas Markets to Visit Outside of Mississauga
Published December 1, 2017 at 7:09 pm
It’s Christmas! Well, almost.
Holiday season is officially upon us, and with that, there are an abundance of Christmas markets happening in Mississauga and far beyond it. Local food and vendors galore pop up at Christmas markets across Ontario every year around this time, and visiting one is a fun idea for an outing with a group of friends, a date, some family, or just a solo night of holiday cheer.
So, grab a cup of mulled wine and get ready for some serious strolling and gift ideas.
Here are five Christmas markets to visit outside the city:
5) Toronto Art Crawl Christmas Market
Hurry, hurry, because the Toronto Art Crawl Christmas Market is happening TOMORROW! That’s Sunday, December 3, 2017. This is the fourth annual Toronto Art Crawl Christmas Market, and it’s happening at The Great Hall in Toronto from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Toronto Art Crawl is all about unique, handmade gifts, so you’ll likely get some solid Christmas shopping done nice and early in the month thanks to this event. Toronto Art Crawl boasts 110 artists, four floors of shopping, live music, interactive demos, food, a cash bar, face painting, and more, and…there will be 25 VIP swag bags available worth over $100. Get your ticket for $8 online or $10 at the door.
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Photo courtesy of Toronto Art Crawl on Facebook
Looking for a unique Christmas Market experience? You’ll find it at the Christkindl Market in Kitchener from December 7-10, which has been running since 1997! This market is actually a festival of German Christmas, so you’ll get a dose of culture with your Christmas shopping — there will be polka bands and choirs, over 95 vendors including food, crafts, Christmas decor, toys, jewellery, and more. Here’s something really fun: two highlights at Christkindl are folklore and model trains. The market takes place at Kitchener City Hall, and it’s a pretty big deal annually in Kitchener.
Photo courtesy of Christkindl Market on Facebook
3) Port Dalhousie Christmas Market
You’ll find this epic Christmas Market over in St. Catharine’s from December 15-17. This even is newer, and now annual, and it takes place in the historic canal village of Port Dalhousie. The Christmas Market boasts handcrafted products sold from European-style wood cabins, Santa’s Vintage Photo Booth, an entertainment stage, carollers, festive food and warm beverages, according to organizers. There will be coffee, schnitzel, gifts, antiques, and beyond!
Photo courtesy of Port Dalhousie Christmas Market on Facebook
2) Ottawa Farmers’ Market Christmas Market
There are always holiday events happening in our nation’s capital! This year, Ottawa Farmers’ Market Christmas Market takes place from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on December 2 & 3, 9 & 10, and 23 at Lansdowne Park, and December 16 & 17 at EY Centre. Here, you’ll find over 120 local and guest vendors of food, crafts, and more, horse and wagon rides, live music, weekly prize draws, and even be able to take selfies with Santa, who will be popping by throughout the market days. The market is completely free to enter, and you’ll be sure to find all of your holiday needs.
Photo courtesy of Ottawa Farmers’ Market
The Holiday Street Market in Downtown Milton will feature more than 200 vendors over the course of three Saturdays: Dec. 2, Dec. 9, and Dec. 16 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free and an estimated 30,000 people are expected to come out to shop, eat and play at Ontario’s largest outdoor holiday market. The market is taking place on Main St. E. between Brown St. and Commercial St. It’s going to encompass everything you love: food, drink, poutine (it’s a category all by itself!), shopping, charitable contributions, and so much more. This one is a can’t-miss this year!
Photo courtesy of Holiday Street Market on Facebook / Wil Yeung Photography
Bonus: Toronto Christmas Market
We couldn’t forget about the most classic Christmas Market – the Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District! It’s heavily decorated, there’s food and wine, you can dine at a restaurant or grab snacks from vendors, and it’s one of the world’s best Christmas markets — to top it all off, this one’s quite close to home. Bear in mind this one isn’t open on Mondays, it gets really busy on weekends, and it runs until December 23, 2017.
