I visited the European Christmas Market in the St. Paul Union Depot on opening weekend to scope out one of the city’s Christmas traditions. The market itself opened in Dec. 2014 and has operated every year since then, even going so far as to create a virtual market during 2020. The market offers traditional European food, drinks, small gifts, live music and more. It caught my attention as a fun winter activity to attend with friends and family to celebrate the holiday season with good food and cute decorations. 

To start, parking around the event was difficult. We arrived around 4:45 pm, which appeared to be a busy time. As with any event downtown, there were two different ways to park, either on the street or in the designated event parking. The free street parking required a bit of a walk to the market, while event parking cost $10 and was located directly under or next to the bridge where the market took place. For a quick visit, I would not recommend the event parking, but I stayed for about an hour and a half, making the price well worth the while. 

The market has three different clusters of stations. One of these clusters had mainly merchandise, one had food and the other had a mix of both with kid-friendly activities. For the merchandise, they sold mittens, hats, ornaments, wooden houses, dolls and other Christmas trinkets. My favorite vendors were Winter Wonderland which sold mittens, sweaters and other woolen winter essentials, Bulry Babe which sold handmade basswood earrings and Coco Nola’s that sold tiny gluten free pignoli cookies. Almost all of the small gifts came from handmade sources, which added to the authenticity of the market. However, it did make some of the merchandise expensive. For example, a pair of Winter Wonderland mittens cost $25. While the price scared me a bit at first, the mittens had a variety of cute designs and were sufficiently warm. I did not try the hats, priced at $20, or the few sweaters they sold at the substantially more expensive price of $100. 

For food, my friends and I had a common goal of buying hot chocolate. However, only about three stalls sold it. The first line we joined had about a 10- to 15- minute wait, but they ran out of hot chocolate by the time we reached the front. Undeterred, we moved onto the next stall. My friend got the Russian tea instead, while I finally got my hot chocolate. Unfortunately, the hot chocolate lacked quality, but it only cost $5, which made it worth it just to have something warm in my hands. The Russian tea was much better, with a thick mixture of spices, tea and lemon juice. The stall also sold lefse, a traditional Norwegian flatbread made from potatoes, sprinkled with sugar and butter. It tasted sweeter than other lefse I’ve had before, but not unpleasant. 

The only downside we experienced was the small amount of outdoor heating. When we arrived, the temperature hovered around 15 degrees, making outdoor heating a necessity. They did have very small gas-powered fires, which only provided heat when either standing downwind or getting very close. Although the market provided a warming house it, because of the cold night, was rather crowded. 

As for entrees, I tried the French onion soup, consisting of a rich blend of onions, cheese, small pieces of bread and broth. Although it was difficult to eat while walking, I found it enjoyable because of how warm it felt. There was one long table for all guests to sit and eat, but it felt more appealing to walk around the market and take in the festive sight. When visiting, I recommend buying warm things like French onion soup and hot chocolate to keep warm. 

The market is  a great place to visit with friends and features good food and festive activities. The lights, stalls, merchandise and food all added to the holiday cheer. Whether right after Thanksgiving or the weekend before Christmas, the market provides abundant festive spirit for families and friends. Overall, I rate the Union Depot Christmas Market a 4.5/5. 

Verdict: 4.5/5