European Culture Meets Minneapolis

The annual European Christmas market fuses European culture with the Twin Cities community

Yve Spengler

This annual event celebrates the spirit of Christmas in every way imaginable. For all the Christmas lovers out there, consider marking the European Christmas Market in your calendars for next year! The market is easy to get to from campus and filled with adorable crafts and steaming food to counter the cold weather.

This year was my second year attending the Christmas market, and, just like I remembered from last year, I was greeted by over 70 stalls with twinkling lights, Christmas carols playing cheerfully in the background, and the smell of cinnamon that followed us wherever we walked. Many families made an appearance, with adorable babies and toddlers running around and bundled in warm, tiny clothing.

I myself didn’t mind the cold after purchasing a pair of thick alpaca mittens and holding a warm cup of European hot chocolate. What made this hot chocolate different from others was the beautiful toasted marshmallow and gorgeous sprinkles on top, making each sip rich and filling. 

This market is definitely perfect for the foodies who love Christmas or celebrating winter in general, offering a wide variety of European foods especially themed for winter and Christmastime. Even for those who are not so into food, there are many stalls with handmade local art. I found myself wanting to buy so many cloth animal ornaments or handmade necklaces with intricate snowflake designs. 

The best part about this event, however, was how affordable it was – you really get to choose how much you want to spend or not. Although many things are admittedly overpriced, simply walking around to enjoy the food, smells, and smiling faces was worth the experience. If you are okay spending a little bit of money, trying delicious and authentic European food that can be hard to find elsewhere was also worth spending a bit of cash on. The market provides a cheerful environment filled with Christmas spirit, and is a great way to experience European culture whilst getting in the mood for winter festivities.