To think that most christmas markets are having us over

Same. The sausages and mulled wine were a seasonal fave about 15 tears ago but once they started having swat teams of police around the corner in case someone tried to hurt people then it definitely took the shine off. That and being shoulder to shoulder with people and the mulled wine from lidl costing silly prices.

The Birmingham one is excellent!
I didn’t have any drinks so unsure of prices but the food was reasonably priced and no tat to be seen.

TbH I find all farmers markets expensive. As my friend said same as Sainsbury's but dearer! The whole concept of mulled wine,sausage roll or mince pies hilked up.Similar items for sale .candles ,pictures or those truck type cheeses

Our city does have a non-shit-shed craft fayre in a big hall and that is actually much better. Just tables in a large hall with local sellers. Yes, there is way too much crochet, but they have some nice things.

I’ve given up on UK markets.

I’m currently in France and taking day trips to the various Christmas markets and over the border and I’m really enjoying them. Unique, I’d say 80% of stuff is decent quality, locally made items. Not like the UK where the stalls repeat themselves.

Large cup of mulled wine is 6 euro and then you get a euro back when you return the cup.

A massive bowl of tartiflette is about 13 euro, (had to share it) good quality sausages and buns (not from a Lidl jar) are about 8 euro. I think I read somewhere the authorities are quite strict over what is sold.

There has been a high level of security seen at each market, given attacks in previous years and there have been road barricades and bag searches.

My advice: DO NOT visit at the weekend and check out international bank holidays. Spain and Italy had one on Friday and yesterday’s visit was highly unpleasant compared to previous days.

And you need local currency and cards handy.

Peterborough cathedral Christmas market was nice. The one on the main square there now is full of crap.

Is the same at Nottingham Winter wonderland, £9.

5 years ago they were £5...

Where is today's?

Buy a tray of chocolate muffins at Costco, top them with ceap melted chocolate and a few random cheap sweets. Boom!! £5 Christmas muffins!!!

Ooh yes. Went to one in Lille a few years ago, magical. However the key ring I bought dh ( not cheap) broke.

Christmas markets sure ain’t what they used to be.
I remember years ago going on a coach trip to Lincoln market. I still have some of the dainty ornaments I bought. If got so busy the police were called to stop people going in and they then had to rescue those trapped on the middle of it all!
Nowadays I try and support my festive market but it really is a rip off. Much better and cheaper food in M& S.

European ones tend to be better. That said we went to the ones on Cologne a few weeks back and they weren't the same standard as the ones in Austria.

Manchester Christmas Market and the frenzy that is London are at best soulless money pits and at worst festy, overpriced, germ factories with zero charm or atmosphere. Everything has become so cookie cutter - you could literally be in any town. Same products, same food, same miserable children and stressed/broke parents. Give me a little alpine village style one in the backend of non-touristy Austria any day.

I live in an area with loads of independent shops (that work well not like the thread where they're all terrible!).

There are two Christmas farmer's markets and they're brilliant, going to one today. They'll be brass bands, choirs, and no food over a tenner unless it's an amazing load of food and then it's about £12.

Don't go to the Chatsworth market. Go to the Nether Edge Christmas farmer's market if you're in the area!!

I park at the farm shop and walk down. (To be fair, I do a big shop at the farm shop after.)

One of the vendors at Chatsworth told me that all the food and drink stalls at the market are also owned by Chatsworth now.

I don’t really ever feel the vibe at these places. I had a bit of fun once at Leeds Christmas market with my DC but it was tacky as hell. It was essentially a fairground with expensive stalls. We stretched to a hot choc and donut each, bought a couple of crochet super mario finger puppets for DS and went in the obstacle course house thing (no idea what they’re called). I think we came away about £80 lighter.

Used to go to Manchester’s or York’s but both are just so crowded, you spend half of the time walking at snails pace and queueing. It isn’t relaxing or ambient imo, it’s just a rip off.

i went to one with dm, canterbury
i was so disappointed
i think she liked it

Yes, it was at the weekend for the market if that is all you do. We stayed at the caravan site so didn't have to park and could just go up there as we wanted. the caravan site was fully booked from last November/December. If you get the house and garden tickets to see the decorations and lights, (about £36 each at the weekend) parking is free for one car

Surely though these will price themselves out of existence at some point?

Though people are so weird about Christmas "experiences," maybe not.

I am curious if this is greed on their part, or really represents their costs as far as far as putting on the event from their end.

I suspect there is a sweet spot with something like this in terms of size. If it is too large, it starts to become a major event for the council and they are paying out a lot for all the infrastructure elements.

I live in Canada, and in my section of the country there are a lot of local farmers markets. They tend to be very strict about things being locally produced. Christmas markets are almost always run by the farmers markets using their regular infrastructure, and I think that keeps costs down a lot. It also limits the size of the market, but I think really nice things at fair prices is better than larger but shit and expensive.

I don't know how the UK ones are run but I saw a TikTok recently about the Union Sq Holiday Market in NYC and the cost of running a stall there is INSANE! And that didn't include all the other stuff like storage, etc. Hence the prices are crazy. The fault is not on the vendors but the people who own the market and will get worse the more people fall for the "magic of a Christmas market".

My local one is usually quite good but I was less impressed this year and the German food stand was charging £9 for a sausage in a roll, no chips. They used to be a fiver!

I have had a stall at a few xmas markets myself. I looked into the one in Bath. Years ago, it was £3000. Probably even more now. £20 is more my price range 😅

They're all a shit rip off.

one Of my kids is at York Uni. Lord is the Christmas market a massive rip off.