Spruce Meadows Christmas Market

Whether you are looking for gifts, decorations, food or crowds, you can find it at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market, which is running November 28-30, 2014. The Market has been going for the previous 2 weekends as well, so in case you plan on going next year, there are 3 weekends to catch it.

As Melissa and I pulled towards Spruce Meadows, the line of traffic backing up on 22x indicated it was going to be quite the crowd at the market. Luckily, there were tons of staff around to direct parking, and something that could have been nightmarish was at least bearable. After a short walk from the lot to the front gates of the sale, we were in.

There are a few buildings outside with sales inside, and a row of outdoor shops. We opted to head inside first and take a look around. Stalls in the buildings are well spaced out, and even with the massive crowds, we had a chance to walk around and look at everything. Some vendors are under certain "country" banners, so you can often find things that may be hard to come across. The perogy and cabbage roll vendors caught my attention early on, while Melissa meandered into some of the jewelry and decor stalls. Whether you are looking for the perfect decorations for your home or a unique gift idea, you are bound to find it here. As you continue through the main building you make your way to the area that are normally stalls for horses. These stalls are also filled with vendors during this time of the year and offer unique gifts. Some of the vendors are what you would see at the Stampede Tradeshow or at the local farmers markets, so if you are lucky you might be able to grab what you missed at the Christmas Market somewhere else.

The food at the Christmas Market always seems a step above what you would expect at this type of event. As I wandered the market, I saw a few people carrying a plate of sausage and perogies, and every single time I did a double-take. They looked wonderful, but the lines were a little long and I never got the chance to try them.  We did get a chance to grab the mini-doughnuts at one of the outside vendors though, and for the second year in a row, they were delicious. Warm doughnuts on a cold day seem to pair perfectly.

Aside from the shopping and the food, there are lots of things to see. This year there were dancers, carollers, animatronic shows and a petting zoo. On top of it all, Santa's reindeer are there, and children(and probably adults) are able to get their pictures with the reindeer.

Plan to get there early, and bring home some kettle corn. The Christmas Market at Spruce Meadows will start to get that holiday excitement brewing just in time for the holidays.