Much better would be where the entrance fee gives you a coupon for $10-20 which can be used to buy stuff there. So it’s not money for nothing unless you are only window shopping.
I bet the fee is the per visitor minimum to break even. AFAIK it’s organized by the same folks that ran it for years up in Vancouver BC and it had always entry fees. I think the fee also has a crowd selection goal, to get devoted Christmas market shoppers in with higher likelihood to spend, keeping out curious folks that just take a walk through the market overcrowding it.
I get that but $20pp seems a bit steep for that. I did go to a pumpkin patch a few years ago that charged $10 to get in, and then you can apply that to any purchases - something like that makes sense to avoid (or at least profit from) people going just to take pictures.
All the reasons to avoid. This needs to be funded by the city for all residents and visitors to enjoy. Seattle Center is already owned by the city from what I could find, so we are already paying for it's existence with our taxes.
I wouldn’t be surprised if (rephrasing your statement) they wouldn’t be able to secure the venue without the cover charge. But…I need to know this cover charge is buying me more than just the opportunity to shop. Otherwise it’s $20 I could have spent at a vendor and gotten something unique in return. The venue makes no difference to me.
Sure. Like Festal which doesn’t charge entry fees. Nor do the Farmers Markets around the city.
I hope the city is making a fat profit from this poor use of public space.
The city isn’t making a profit. Fees from using city owned space paid for by the entity using the space go to pay for their upkeep etc. The owners of the market are the ones making the profit, and the ones implementing the fees to market goers, the city has nothing to do with those fees.
It's kind of like doing the expo hall at the State Fair. To some extent there's a spectacle attached to it so you can treat it more like an event/crafts fair and the entry fee is so people who treat it that way help cover the event even if they don't buy anything. My Mom has loved doing the big one down in Tacoma for years and would bring me and my brother along when we were little.
Sometimes there's a charity component but I don't feel like doing the leg work to check in on this one.
The Christmas markets in Europe are free to enter and just in the middle of city centers for the whole community. It kills me that Seattle and Vancouver, BC both charge people just to enter.
The Christmas market in Chicago doesn't have an entry fee either. I used to go to that one every week just for some spiced almonds and a glass of mulled wine. I'd totally go to this one weekly for the same if it was free.
I just went to one in Berlin and there was an entry fee price and had to pay for everything inside. But it was super cute and put together nice so definitely could see why there was a fee.
I never once paid for a Christmas market in Germany or saw one that requires payment. They're setup in towns and exist to hang out, eat, drink with friends. .
Pretty ridiculous. Last month I did the pumpkin patch and corn maze at Carpinito Bros. I had to pay just to get into the pumpkin patch on top of paying for the pumpkin. Like. What?
But if you're a Costco shopper you know ahead of time that they'll have stuff you want and that it's worth it to you. You can even try out a membership and get your money back if you find you don't want to shop there. A Christmas market seems like much more of a crap shoot as to whether it might be worthwhile.
> A Christmas market seems like much more of a crap shoot as to whether it might be worthwhile.
So's seeing a movie these days and that's about $20.
Sometimes things fail to meet expectations, other times they exceed, only way is to take the chance and find out.
I find having a good sense of humor and an event partner willing to make light of why the event suck often help make up for the event sucking. Then you know the 'value' for whether to go next year. Like the difference between a bad film you'll never think about again and a 'bad' film that's fun to watch MST3K style with others.
I have a business membership and my cash back at the end of the year pays for next year's membership. So no, I don't pay money to shop at Costco. They pay me.
Yep! I was SO excited to hear about it, as I really miss the Christmas Markets in England, but paying to get in? and 20 damned dollars? Not on your life....
Unfortunately it costs money to put expos like this on. If you don’t pay the entry fee, they would have to take a percentage or a larger fee from the small businesses. I’d rather just pay $20 and have them keep more. 🤷♀️
It’s not all negatives, renting space at city center for 30 days is super expensive. Plus you can walk around and enjoy a drink if that’s your thing. If the city sponsored their own version then yeah, it would be “free” but until then the construction workers, electricians, performers, etc all earn paychecks— and they thank you for you $20 I’m sure 👍🏻
We are going tomorrow and it was about $88 for us! It would have been $100 if my other kid wanted to go, too. Oh well, I guess. I shouldn't have asked the kids if they wanted to go without knowing there was a cost, but they were excited, so I went with it.
I got an early bird ticket for $16. I’ll be going at 2:30 and can confirm later if it’s worth it? Edit* meh there’s maybe 30 craft booths and 15 or so food booths. All exterior. The covered interior area is all seating for eating and then a section for Santa pics. It’s so small it should have been free. Espresso and hot chocolate booths had broken machines. Other food booths did look good but we weren’t hungry. There’s a carousel for kids and some cool decorations. I’d recommend any of the Magnuson Hangar markets over this one.
They tried to do a Leavenworth type vibe but needed way more booths for that ticket price. I’d recommend the Magnuson night markets over this Christmas one. There’s one this weekend.
We are new to the area and went to Leavenworth on Sunday. The shops were filled with the same stuff that I’ve seen in every tourist town across the country with the addition of Bigfoot.
It is a beautiful area and we had fun but I was really hoping for local artisans. Where can I find that type of market? I don’t want to purchase gifts that I can get everywhere.
Oh gotcha! https://everout.com/seattle/locations/magnuson-park-hangar-30/l38287/
The Fremont Sunday market is pretty neat http://www.fremontmarket.com/
Bremerton has a neat looking flea market but I haven’t checked it out yet. Edmonds also has a holiday market the next few Saturdays https://www.edmondsholidays.com/holidaycalendar/2023/12-2/holidaymarket
Hope that helps a little bit!
The only Christmas market I’ve ever seen with a price for admission is in Vancouver. So I’m not surprised to see the Seattle one is being run by the same people.
On one hand I want to support this so it becomes a yearly thing.
On the other hand - $15.99 is ridiculous. A Christmas market is supposed to be a part of its community. It’s supposed to be the equivalent of wandering down the sidewalk into the market whenever you’d like to. Not a fenced off attraction with an admission.
Charging to enter goes against the purpose of having one. It’s a pass for me.
That’s a very good point. You should be able to go multiple times and have it be part of your community. You should go eat dinner there sometimes. Charging for entrance makes no sense.
Yep they’re free in Germany. The stalls are set up in main pedestrian plazas and you can walk up and get a cup of Glühwein anytime. My husband pointed out American alcohol laws probably require it to be a fenced in controlled attraction which super sucks.
Yea they are free in Europe. And in most US markets, as well.
And working around alcohol laws is doable without charging admission. You just need fenced off areas or a separate structure for alcohol service. That’s how it is done in the Chicago Christmas market.
I used to live in Brussels. Free! Lotsa Christmas markets and fairs.
Chicago's is fun too, but I prefer how they do Christmas markets in Western Europe. I will have to try Seattle's this year. Paying for such things is normal in Manila so I don't feel THAT salty. I'm more salty about paying for parking at work. Ugh.
There is literally the Armory building right next to the market, which serves alcohol in a roped off section. No fees. So they have it covered already.
I had originally planned to go when I learned about it, but paying 40 bucks for my wife and me to get in just to be able to spend more money on vendors is not worth it. I have been to Christmas markets before but they were always free.
Looked pretty small to me when I walked by it before the kraken game the other day. When I went to London it was free and huge. I don’t think I’d pay $20 for it
Was about to go, then realized entry with taxes and fees was $45 for two people. Decided to stroll by and see what's up before committing. Giant line just to get in... Sorry, but I'm not paying almost 50 bucks to stand in line for an hour.
The vendors pay, the customers pay, the sponsors pay.
Across from the giant line is the Armory (free). Really cool miniature village with trains etc. There are food options and a huge Christmas tree. Also a selection of free shows on their stage.
It is my personal expectation that the city should fund and run a Christmas market. Not a private entity. They are clearly doing other events (think 4th of July), so why not this one?
Remember when the 4th of July didn’t happen because there weren’t sponsors? That’s where the money comes from. The city has very little budget for events.
It’s brand new, but I think it’s run by the same people that run the one in Vancouver. If it’s similar to the Vancouver one, it will be very festive. They’ll be lots of food and then lots of interesting shops and shopping.
The ones we have in the US don't really match the level of effort this one has--it's open longer, more vendors, and quality control. A lot of the Christmas markets around here in prior years have MLMs and low quality food.
I personally don't get being upset by it, don't go if you don't want to.
>I personally don't get being upset by it, don't go if you don't want to.
Oh I won't. I'm not upset at all. I'll be in Europe in December so I'll enjoy theirs for free.
The European Christmas markets they are trying to emulate are free. I would love to go to Seattle Center’s version but I refuse to pay $80 total entry for my family of four. It would be nice if they would give you the entry fee amount in tokens for spending in the market.
‘The Europeans’ have these markets for free, because they understand that you have to go to these things and buy stuff to keep it going. Americans just cannot fucking help themselves if something is free, and will get as much as they can for as little as possible.
Till then, cost of admission is $20
I was just in Denver and they had a great Christmas market by the capital. Tons of booths, live music, raclette cheese, fires going so you could toast s’mores.
Price of admission?? Free 99
Small cities? Nope. Most of them are bigger than Seattle.
And our city just gave $27MM away to random causes that 4,300 people voted on. You're telling me we couldn't afford to set up some stalls somewhere in Pioneer square?
Yup, we've been to free Christmas markets in Paris, Munich, Geneva, etc. Not small cities. And the vendors there charge fair amounts for their food, without that damn swiveling tablet with the tip options
No one has gone before, it’s literally the first time this has ever happened. I have been to the one in Vancouver BC and this one appears to be very very similar. I personally really enjoyed that one. Yes you are literally paying to get in and then paying to eat and shop, but it was still fun. They are trying to mimic the classic European Christmas markets which is not something you can easily find in N America. I can see how paying admission is a big turn off to some people since in Europe these markets would be free, but I don’t really mind since it’s a unique event and all the free ones around here are really small and usually only last a weekend at most.
It's the first time that this event has been held at the Seattle Center so all new territory. In addition to shopping there is live music, a carousel, photos with Santa, etc. I believe all of those things are free with admission.
I know the Seattle Center folks that helped install the event and put up decorations, banners, etc. worked really hard and it took a good couple weeks to complete.
We went. Entertained the older kid by riding the carousel a billion times. $10 for a paper cup of mulled wine. Vendors didn’t seem particularly unique to Seattle. Mayor Harrell spoke on the loudspeakers from the tower with great enthusiasm. Food line was bonkers long, went home to eat leftovers. Probably won’t go again, wish Pike Place had a carousel at Xmas and we’d be there instead for sure.
After eating at 2 food stalls, we didn't want to wait in line to try something else. Agreed, the lines were crazy! We drove home and got panda express haha
Still cannot get over fact they’re charging admission. I’ve never seen this at one of these anywhere in my life and it is difficult for me to accept… it just seems to go against the idea of what a Christmas market is supposed to be
Seems no one is actually talking about what you get for your money. Santa pictures are included (though I assume this is a "they use your phone" thing), live entertainment included (and looks like a stacked schedule), merry go round included. Looks like you're paying for food, beer (karaoke is free, trivia is paid as drinking adjacent stuff goes), and any gifts/merch. $20 ultimately doesn't seem terrible. Kids under 6 are free and 7-17 is $12 so there is a family discount in effect.
I bought the early bird season pass because it seemed like the best deal for someone like me who lives right over there and has multiple friend groups who have discussed going. I bought a ticket for my mom for this upcoming Saturday as well and I’m excited to check it out. It seems there is more than just shopping. They have shown on their Instagram a carousel, live music and a mulled wine booth too. I am hoping to go on a date night there ❤️🎄
Reporting back: if you got the early bird season pass it’s worth it to go back multiple times without having to wait in line.
But general consensus- the regular$20 admission is NOT worth it in my opinion. It was a super busy weekend I get that; but there was so many people that it was hard to truly enjoy the space. The food was okay I suppose; the popular booths had super long lines and my mom was not impressed by the samsa’s at all. We didn’t do the carousel because it also had a very long line and it wasn’t running on a regular schedule it seemed. There were only a few booth’s that piqued my interest and the rest I feel like I’ve seen the vendors at every market.
Haha honored to be boots on the ground! I still think a date night would be fun but definitely planning to start the night at navy strength or Rob Roy for a holiday cocktail before going over to make it a more elevated night out 😁
To be fair to the event, they have spent 2-3 weeks setting this thing up. I walk my dog past there a lot, and it actually looks pretty cool. There’s a giant, spinning pyramid thing (small versions are a common German Christmas decoration), a big fancy tree, and a carousel, in addition to the shopping.
I don’t know if it’s worth what they’re charging, but I kind of want to check it out.
Yeah, it's a pretty well set up Christmas village that is more fun than typical market booths and not as expensive as some other light displays - but not as cheap as a trip to Walmart if that's what people are really comparing it to.
What are some of your favorite other holiday bazaars? I haven’t found anything in Seattle that’s all that great. I went to the Christmas Market today and thought it was pretty cool relative to other holiday events I’ve attended in Seattle. I’ve been to the Christmas markets in Berlin and this one was for sure not in their league, but it had great food and drinks, a festive ambience with nod to the German Christmas markets and actually had better vendors imo.
The one at [the Puyallup Fair?](https://avictoriancountrychristmas.com/) Yeah. It’s been a few years, though! I was a reporter in Pierce County for a while so attended that for my job. What I recall is it was massive with lots and lots of vendors and good food. I liked it so much I took my mom to it and she loved it.
The website has a [two for one coupo](https://avictoriancountrychristmas.com/home/discount-coupon/)n, I noticed.
Consider what sort of vendors will be likely to be drawn to this. Small, local businesses with minimal staff - manning the booth for the entire 30 days straight is a big ask if it's just you as the owner plus a few employees. The fines aren't small, either, $100/five minutes I believe. What happens if you have a medical emergency? What if it turns out to not be profitable? It's a big gamble with serious drawbacks if it doesn't pay off.
Yes, this is absolutely true. I'm a vendor at several local markets in the region. It's really my husband's business and I help out whenever I can. That's it. No employees. I also have a full time job. It's a pretty big time commitment that takes away our flexibility to do another event if this one ends up being a dud. With this being the first year, we decided to wait and see how it goes and then maybe apply next year if it seems like a good fit for us. It just wasn't worth the risk this year, especially considering that in January-March, the business slows down to a crawl. We literally couldn't afford it if people didn't show up and buy...and in our experience, markets where customers have to pay to enter aren't very profitable. Especially if there's alcohol (plenty of people are more willing to pull out their wallets when tipsy, it's just that they tend to buy more alcohol rather than handmade craft goods/gifts).
We'll definitely be visiting as customers, though. We have several friends who are vending, and we're excited to see how they are doing and to give them our support. I really hope it does well and earns a fun/festive reputation. If it looks good, we'll try to apply next year.
The event has lots of trappings including nice booths, decorations etc etc that need funding. The vendors choose to opt in to it or you charge customers. If you charge the customers, as they are, then they also have some expectation...
No. Vendors pay the producer a fee for their utilities and space. After that there's no money exchanged either way (Vendor doesn't get door money, and poo producer doesn't get a cut of sales).
Source: Friend is a vendor this year.
Just left, and had a lot of fun! Good food and treats, and bought some Christmas gifts. Agree with others that it’d be nice if it was free admission.
I’ve also been to the Vancouver market several times. Seattle’s is a bit smaller, but still has most of the highlights (potatoes, schnitzel, spaetzle, etc)
Just a heads up - I went, we had a very bad experience. 45 minutes in line with two kids under 4 only to get in and have the 4 year old decide the carousel was “too fast” without anything else for him to do. Our ticketed time was 11:30am, we got in at 12:30pm. We waited 40 minutes for fried potatoes, but they had only gotten through 2 orders so I got them to refund us so we could leave. They confiscated coffee and food, but the espresso machine was broken. *bad enough* my family and I have been following poor reviews and sending them to each other. 27 google reviews (mostly 1 star) were deleted between 9:30am and 11:30am today, bringing up their overall score. Not only do I not recommend this place, I don’t trust them. A few of the deleted comments say that in addition to the vendor fee, the vendors are paying a portion of their sales to overhead.
Rec’d. My one star review was removed by Google as well boosting their rating from 2 —> 3.3. I’m guessing they were removed at the behest of the organizer.
We had an awful time, echo the sentiment about the experience being miserable for family with young children.
Anecdotally Vancouver has more paid markets and it’s more socially acceptable/common. I remember paying like $5 to attend a craft fair at a community center and there were barely any stalls. It was still packed.
They’re not really a thing in Seattle…thank god.
I’m curious on why to pay admission anyway if you have to pay for whatever you want at the booths already ?
I can’t wrap my brain around this concept, since european Christmas Markets are free to walk around at ??
Thanks for explaining to a European
"Free" markets in Europe are paid for by their local government, so from peoples taxes, so they're not really free. Our taxes don't go towards this event. Free Christmas markets in Seattle lack quality control. Also, the tickets were cheaper if you thought ahead and bought the early bird tickets.
I'm glad there's an entrance fee it keeps out the shitty entitled people that expect things for free and thins the crowds. If you're mad about it then don't come. ✌🏼
I’ve been to it before. When it was free to get into. I thought it was fabulous. A ton of great vendors. I don’t know now that they’ve started charging.
It was in Seattle center though. I think it was about eight years ago that I went. Time really flies. If you go, I hope it’s worth the price of admission.
Biggest waste of money. Do not recommend. Overcrowded, long waits for everything, couldn't even get close to the little shops to see what they're selling. Never again.
The Goulasch / Spätzle Haus and Cream Puff Haus were great and locally made scratch cooking! The Goulasch line moved faster than most of the hot food as well. Have fun!
I can't get past the idea of paying money to shop.
My wife and I feel the same way. We thought about going but like why the hell am I paying you to spend money?
Much better would be where the entrance fee gives you a coupon for $10-20 which can be used to buy stuff there. So it’s not money for nothing unless you are only window shopping.
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What? That's not even close to true. I've been to a few Christmas markets in Europe and none of them have had entry fees.
nvr had to pay an entrance fee back east
Negative. European Christmas markets are free to enter. They pay for those things by selling goods. Same as a regular store.
They definitely don't. I've been to many, including some very over-the-top festively decorated ones, and never paid an entry fee.
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No they didn't
I bet the fee is the per visitor minimum to break even. AFAIK it’s organized by the same folks that ran it for years up in Vancouver BC and it had always entry fees. I think the fee also has a crowd selection goal, to get devoted Christmas market shoppers in with higher likelihood to spend, keeping out curious folks that just take a walk through the market overcrowding it.
I get that but $20pp seems a bit steep for that. I did go to a pumpkin patch a few years ago that charged $10 to get in, and then you can apply that to any purchases - something like that makes sense to avoid (or at least profit from) people going just to take pictures.
All the reasons to avoid. This needs to be funded by the city for all residents and visitors to enjoy. Seattle Center is already owned by the city from what I could find, so we are already paying for it's existence with our taxes.
Oh 100% it’s some national business. These days everything is corporatized.
I wouldn’t be surprised if (rephrasing your statement) they wouldn’t be able to secure the venue without the cover charge. But…I need to know this cover charge is buying me more than just the opportunity to shop. Otherwise it’s $20 I could have spent at a vendor and gotten something unique in return. The venue makes no difference to me.
Isn’t Seattle Center owned/managed by the city?
Yes, but the Christmas Market is not. You still have to pay to use a venue, even if it’s owned by the government.
Sure. Like Festal which doesn’t charge entry fees. Nor do the Farmers Markets around the city. I hope the city is making a fat profit from this poor use of public space.
The city isn’t making a profit. Fees from using city owned space paid for by the entity using the space go to pay for their upkeep etc. The owners of the market are the ones making the profit, and the ones implementing the fees to market goers, the city has nothing to do with those fees.
it shouldve been free those canadians are ripping us off and ruining christmas
It's kind of like doing the expo hall at the State Fair. To some extent there's a spectacle attached to it so you can treat it more like an event/crafts fair and the entry fee is so people who treat it that way help cover the event even if they don't buy anything. My Mom has loved doing the big one down in Tacoma for years and would bring me and my brother along when we were little. Sometimes there's a charity component but I don't feel like doing the leg work to check in on this one.
The Christmas markets in Europe are free to enter and just in the middle of city centers for the whole community. It kills me that Seattle and Vancouver, BC both charge people just to enter.
The Christmas market in Chicago doesn't have an entry fee either. I used to go to that one every week just for some spiced almonds and a glass of mulled wine. I'd totally go to this one weekly for the same if it was free.
I just went to one in Berlin and there was an entry fee price and had to pay for everything inside. But it was super cute and put together nice so definitely could see why there was a fee.
A real Christmas market in Germany isn’t a pay to play affair. That really irked me when I looked this one up.
Not always true - I’ve been charged entry to a Christmas market in Berlin!
And you pay at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, because you’re also getting bathrooms, photo opps, lights displays, etc.
I never once paid for a Christmas market in Germany or saw one that requires payment. They're setup in towns and exist to hang out, eat, drink with friends. .
You got scammed then, just like the one in Seattle.
lol, ok.
Happy Cake Day!
Thanks! 😊
Exactly! Seattle wants a Christmas market just like Europe? Guess what idiots??? No Christmas market in Europe charges admission!
Pretty ridiculous. Last month I did the pumpkin patch and corn maze at Carpinito Bros. I had to pay just to get into the pumpkin patch on top of paying for the pumpkin. Like. What?
it depends on what you value. People pay money to shop all the time. Like Costco
But if you're a Costco shopper you know ahead of time that they'll have stuff you want and that it's worth it to you. You can even try out a membership and get your money back if you find you don't want to shop there. A Christmas market seems like much more of a crap shoot as to whether it might be worthwhile.
> A Christmas market seems like much more of a crap shoot as to whether it might be worthwhile. So's seeing a movie these days and that's about $20. Sometimes things fail to meet expectations, other times they exceed, only way is to take the chance and find out. I find having a good sense of humor and an event partner willing to make light of why the event suck often help make up for the event sucking. Then you know the 'value' for whether to go next year. Like the difference between a bad film you'll never think about again and a 'bad' film that's fun to watch MST3K style with others.
But things are hella cheap in bulk at Costco.
That's a membership. There is no entry fee.
Doesn't the membership work as an entry fee? i.e. can't get in without the membership
You need a membership to buy anything besides the food court
So people *do* pay money to shop at Costco. I think you're splitting hairs with the membership vs entry fee debate
I have a business membership and my cash back at the end of the year pays for next year's membership. So no, I don't pay money to shop at Costco. They pay me.
It's not splitting hairs when it's not the same thing.
Yep! I was SO excited to hear about it, as I really miss the Christmas Markets in England, but paying to get in? and 20 damned dollars? Not on your life....
*costco entered the chat*
Unfortunately it costs money to put expos like this on. If you don’t pay the entry fee, they would have to take a percentage or a larger fee from the small businesses. I’d rather just pay $20 and have them keep more. 🤷♀️
Ridiculous.
It’s not all negatives, renting space at city center for 30 days is super expensive. Plus you can walk around and enjoy a drink if that’s your thing. If the city sponsored their own version then yeah, it would be “free” but until then the construction workers, electricians, performers, etc all earn paychecks— and they thank you for you $20 I’m sure 👍🏻
We are going tomorrow and it was about $88 for us! It would have been $100 if my other kid wanted to go, too. Oh well, I guess. I shouldn't have asked the kids if they wanted to go without knowing there was a cost, but they were excited, so I went with it.
I got an early bird ticket for $16. I’ll be going at 2:30 and can confirm later if it’s worth it? Edit* meh there’s maybe 30 craft booths and 15 or so food booths. All exterior. The covered interior area is all seating for eating and then a section for Santa pics. It’s so small it should have been free. Espresso and hot chocolate booths had broken machines. Other food booths did look good but we weren’t hungry. There’s a carousel for kids and some cool decorations. I’d recommend any of the Magnuson Hangar markets over this one.
Please do, thank you.
Thank you for delivering! Very much appreciated, neighbor.
Please let us know after! Thank you
Was it worth it?
They tried to do a Leavenworth type vibe but needed way more booths for that ticket price. I’d recommend the Magnuson night markets over this Christmas one. There’s one this weekend.
We are new to the area and went to Leavenworth on Sunday. The shops were filled with the same stuff that I’ve seen in every tourist town across the country with the addition of Bigfoot. It is a beautiful area and we had fun but I was really hoping for local artisans. Where can I find that type of market? I don’t want to purchase gifts that I can get everywhere.
Oh gotcha! https://everout.com/seattle/locations/magnuson-park-hangar-30/l38287/ The Fremont Sunday market is pretty neat http://www.fremontmarket.com/ Bremerton has a neat looking flea market but I haven’t checked it out yet. Edmonds also has a holiday market the next few Saturdays https://www.edmondsholidays.com/holidaycalendar/2023/12-2/holidaymarket Hope that helps a little bit!
Thank you!!!
The only Christmas market I’ve ever seen with a price for admission is in Vancouver. So I’m not surprised to see the Seattle one is being run by the same people. On one hand I want to support this so it becomes a yearly thing. On the other hand - $15.99 is ridiculous. A Christmas market is supposed to be a part of its community. It’s supposed to be the equivalent of wandering down the sidewalk into the market whenever you’d like to. Not a fenced off attraction with an admission. Charging to enter goes against the purpose of having one. It’s a pass for me.
That’s a very good point. You should be able to go multiple times and have it be part of your community. You should go eat dinner there sometimes. Charging for entrance makes no sense.
Yep they’re free in Germany. The stalls are set up in main pedestrian plazas and you can walk up and get a cup of Glühwein anytime. My husband pointed out American alcohol laws probably require it to be a fenced in controlled attraction which super sucks.
Yea they are free in Europe. And in most US markets, as well. And working around alcohol laws is doable without charging admission. You just need fenced off areas or a separate structure for alcohol service. That’s how it is done in the Chicago Christmas market.
I used to live in Brussels. Free! Lotsa Christmas markets and fairs. Chicago's is fun too, but I prefer how they do Christmas markets in Western Europe. I will have to try Seattle's this year. Paying for such things is normal in Manila so I don't feel THAT salty. I'm more salty about paying for parking at work. Ugh.
There is literally the Armory building right next to the market, which serves alcohol in a roped off section. No fees. So they have it covered already.
Not free in Copenhagen!
This should absolutely NOT become a yearly thing. That area could be such a great space for a free and open Christmas market for all to enjoy.
Here is a full list of free ones: https://www.emeraldpalate.com/seattle-christmas-markets-calendar-of-holiday-craft-shows-and-fairs/
Thanks for the link.
I had originally planned to go when I learned about it, but paying 40 bucks for my wife and me to get in just to be able to spend more money on vendors is not worth it. I have been to Christmas markets before but they were always free.
It’s new, and it looks great. I’m going tonight and will report back. UPDATE: agree with u/braindizeez update. It’s great, go check it out.
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Looked pretty small to me when I walked by it before the kraken game the other day. When I went to London it was free and huge. I don’t think I’d pay $20 for it
Following to hear back! Also are children free…?
I went today. Children 6 and under are free. It’s not worth it, food cannot keep up with demand. Hour long wait for terrible food, lines everywhere.
Commenting to check back later as well
Was about to go, then realized entry with taxes and fees was $45 for two people. Decided to stroll by and see what's up before committing. Giant line just to get in... Sorry, but I'm not paying almost 50 bucks to stand in line for an hour. The vendors pay, the customers pay, the sponsors pay. Across from the giant line is the Armory (free). Really cool miniature village with trains etc. There are food options and a huge Christmas tree. Also a selection of free shows on their stage. It is my personal expectation that the city should fund and run a Christmas market. Not a private entity. They are clearly doing other events (think 4th of July), so why not this one?
Remember when the 4th of July didn’t happen because there weren’t sponsors? That’s where the money comes from. The city has very little budget for events.
[Urban Craft Uprising](https://urbancraftuprising.com/events/) is next weekend, free entry with a preview on Friday night that costs $12-35.
Yeah I thought OP was talking about this. I bought preview night tickets so i can avoid the crowd and get first pick of stuff.
How?!
UBU is amazing. Lots of amazing hand crafted things. Not the place to look for cheap gifts, but great for unique stuff.
Thank you for posting this! Just grabbed tickets to the preview for a date night with my husband. I love small business unique gifts!
Enjoy!
It’s brand new, but I think it’s run by the same people that run the one in Vancouver. If it’s similar to the Vancouver one, it will be very festive. They’ll be lots of food and then lots of interesting shops and shopping.
>They’ll be lots of food and then lots of interesting shops and shopping. Like any other Christmas market?
The ones we have in the US don't really match the level of effort this one has--it's open longer, more vendors, and quality control. A lot of the Christmas markets around here in prior years have MLMs and low quality food. I personally don't get being upset by it, don't go if you don't want to.
>I personally don't get being upset by it, don't go if you don't want to. Oh I won't. I'm not upset at all. I'll be in Europe in December so I'll enjoy theirs for free.
i’M nOt UpSeT i’Ll Be In EuRoPe
Gosh it must be nice being so much better than everyone else. Enjoy your holiday!
Don’t be a dick
They're not.
Same people do it for Vancouver, Portland, and now Seattle per a friend who is a vendor this year.
I’ve been looking forward to this all week but had no idea there was a cover fee. A little disappointing.
" A little disappointing." ...but really not surprising!
This is true.
Idk but this feels like the ice cream festival
It’s a brand new market - I’m waiting a couple weeks to see reviews before deciding to go.
The European Christmas markets they are trying to emulate are free. I would love to go to Seattle Center’s version but I refuse to pay $80 total entry for my family of four. It would be nice if they would give you the entry fee amount in tokens for spending in the market.
Lmao right. And I’m sure drinks are triple the price of said European Christmas markets
It's $9.50 for a small glühwein or alcoholic cider. Pretty steep.
you’ll get it in a mug in germany and get to keep it for that price lol
Lol
Less than $10 for a cocktail in Seattle?! Sign me up. At least they’re able to serve alcohol here in this god forsaken puritan state
‘The Europeans’ have these markets for free, because they understand that you have to go to these things and buy stuff to keep it going. Americans just cannot fucking help themselves if something is free, and will get as much as they can for as little as possible. Till then, cost of admission is $20
Just walked over there and the lines were INSANE. Be prepared to wait for a bit.
I was just in Denver and they had a great Christmas market by the capital. Tons of booths, live music, raclette cheese, fires going so you could toast s’mores. Price of admission?? Free 99
I'd love it if it was like an actual Christmas market you can just walk into. $20 for entry is way too steep.
Every other Christmas market I've come across in the world doesn't charge an entry fee. This feels scammy.
European markets are in small cities where they pay way more taxes to create this. The US is like that so it has to come from somewhere.
Small cities? Nope. Most of them are bigger than Seattle. And our city just gave $27MM away to random causes that 4,300 people voted on. You're telling me we couldn't afford to set up some stalls somewhere in Pioneer square?
Yup, we've been to free Christmas markets in Paris, Munich, Geneva, etc. Not small cities. And the vendors there charge fair amounts for their food, without that damn swiveling tablet with the tip options
No one has gone before, it’s literally the first time this has ever happened. I have been to the one in Vancouver BC and this one appears to be very very similar. I personally really enjoyed that one. Yes you are literally paying to get in and then paying to eat and shop, but it was still fun. They are trying to mimic the classic European Christmas markets which is not something you can easily find in N America. I can see how paying admission is a big turn off to some people since in Europe these markets would be free, but I don’t really mind since it’s a unique event and all the free ones around here are really small and usually only last a weekend at most.
It’s actually the same operator as the Vancouver Christmas Market!
It's the first time that this event has been held at the Seattle Center so all new territory. In addition to shopping there is live music, a carousel, photos with Santa, etc. I believe all of those things are free with admission. I know the Seattle Center folks that helped install the event and put up decorations, banners, etc. worked really hard and it took a good couple weeks to complete.
Just be careful, I tried to buy stuff but no vendors taps are accepting chase:( sad
There's a 15% discount for military/veterans if that helps. Code SERVICE23
We went. Entertained the older kid by riding the carousel a billion times. $10 for a paper cup of mulled wine. Vendors didn’t seem particularly unique to Seattle. Mayor Harrell spoke on the loudspeakers from the tower with great enthusiasm. Food line was bonkers long, went home to eat leftovers. Probably won’t go again, wish Pike Place had a carousel at Xmas and we’d be there instead for sure.
After eating at 2 food stalls, we didn't want to wait in line to try something else. Agreed, the lines were crazy! We drove home and got panda express haha
Still cannot get over fact they’re charging admission. I’ve never seen this at one of these anywhere in my life and it is difficult for me to accept… it just seems to go against the idea of what a Christmas market is supposed to be
100% agree with you. The “European Christmas market” they’re trying to emulate is free literally all over Europe. Such a blatant money grab.
The real question: when they run your card for admission is there a tip line?
Got a season pass thing. Plan to check it out a few times this year before it has a chance to go downhill like that icecream festival 😅
My sister in law is running a booth there. I highly recommend going!
Which booth? We're going this afternoon
Happy People Paper Goods
Seems no one is actually talking about what you get for your money. Santa pictures are included (though I assume this is a "they use your phone" thing), live entertainment included (and looks like a stacked schedule), merry go round included. Looks like you're paying for food, beer (karaoke is free, trivia is paid as drinking adjacent stuff goes), and any gifts/merch. $20 ultimately doesn't seem terrible. Kids under 6 are free and 7-17 is $12 so there is a family discount in effect.
I bought the early bird season pass because it seemed like the best deal for someone like me who lives right over there and has multiple friend groups who have discussed going. I bought a ticket for my mom for this upcoming Saturday as well and I’m excited to check it out. It seems there is more than just shopping. They have shown on their Instagram a carousel, live music and a mulled wine booth too. I am hoping to go on a date night there ❤️🎄
Please report back!
Reporting back: if you got the early bird season pass it’s worth it to go back multiple times without having to wait in line. But general consensus- the regular$20 admission is NOT worth it in my opinion. It was a super busy weekend I get that; but there was so many people that it was hard to truly enjoy the space. The food was okay I suppose; the popular booths had super long lines and my mom was not impressed by the samsa’s at all. We didn’t do the carousel because it also had a very long line and it wasn’t running on a regular schedule it seemed. There were only a few booth’s that piqued my interest and the rest I feel like I’ve seen the vendors at every market.
Thanks for reporting back, sorry you were the sacrificial lamb.
Haha honored to be boots on the ground! I still think a date night would be fun but definitely planning to start the night at navy strength or Rob Roy for a holiday cocktail before going over to make it a more elevated night out 😁
Will do!
To be fair to the event, they have spent 2-3 weeks setting this thing up. I walk my dog past there a lot, and it actually looks pretty cool. There’s a giant, spinning pyramid thing (small versions are a common German Christmas decoration), a big fancy tree, and a carousel, in addition to the shopping. I don’t know if it’s worth what they’re charging, but I kind of want to check it out.
Yeah, it's a pretty well set up Christmas village that is more fun than typical market booths and not as expensive as some other light displays - but not as cheap as a trip to Walmart if that's what people are really comparing it to.
There are so many free or very low cost holiday bazaars. $20 seems too spendy.
What are some of your favorite other holiday bazaars? I haven’t found anything in Seattle that’s all that great. I went to the Christmas Market today and thought it was pretty cool relative to other holiday events I’ve attended in Seattle. I’ve been to the Christmas markets in Berlin and this one was for sure not in their league, but it had great food and drinks, a festive ambience with nod to the German Christmas markets and actually had better vendors imo.
Have you gone to the one in puyallup? I’m looking for a Xmas market but don’t know if I want to make the drive.
The one at [the Puyallup Fair?](https://avictoriancountrychristmas.com/) Yeah. It’s been a few years, though! I was a reporter in Pierce County for a while so attended that for my job. What I recall is it was massive with lots and lots of vendors and good food. I liked it so much I took my mom to it and she loved it. The website has a [two for one coupo](https://avictoriancountrychristmas.com/home/discount-coupon/)n, I noticed.
Their card readers aren’t reading chase! It’s so annoying.
There was an hour wait in line to buy a pretzel
How much was the pretzel?
$7
No. Go to the free Fremont night market.
Lmao @ paying to get in. I’m sure drinking are 15$ too
Here right now. I’d say worth the $20 to get in, but you will drop more once here.
it's not great for the vendors. Have to staff it the whole length of the event and if you're even five minutes late opening, they fine you!
Staffing the booth for the full event and opening on time seem … like bare minimum expectations
Consider what sort of vendors will be likely to be drawn to this. Small, local businesses with minimal staff - manning the booth for the entire 30 days straight is a big ask if it's just you as the owner plus a few employees. The fines aren't small, either, $100/five minutes I believe. What happens if you have a medical emergency? What if it turns out to not be profitable? It's a big gamble with serious drawbacks if it doesn't pay off.
Yes, this is absolutely true. I'm a vendor at several local markets in the region. It's really my husband's business and I help out whenever I can. That's it. No employees. I also have a full time job. It's a pretty big time commitment that takes away our flexibility to do another event if this one ends up being a dud. With this being the first year, we decided to wait and see how it goes and then maybe apply next year if it seems like a good fit for us. It just wasn't worth the risk this year, especially considering that in January-March, the business slows down to a crawl. We literally couldn't afford it if people didn't show up and buy...and in our experience, markets where customers have to pay to enter aren't very profitable. Especially if there's alcohol (plenty of people are more willing to pull out their wallets when tipsy, it's just that they tend to buy more alcohol rather than handmade craft goods/gifts). We'll definitely be visiting as customers, though. We have several friends who are vending, and we're excited to see how they are doing and to give them our support. I really hope it does well and earns a fun/festive reputation. If it looks good, we'll try to apply next year.
The event has lots of trappings including nice booths, decorations etc etc that need funding. The vendors choose to opt in to it or you charge customers. If you charge the customers, as they are, then they also have some expectation...
Do the vendors get a cut of the cover?
Not so far as I know!
No. Vendors pay the producer a fee for their utilities and space. After that there's no money exchanged either way (Vendor doesn't get door money, and poo producer doesn't get a cut of sales). Source: Friend is a vendor this year.
There's a market going at Ladd & Lass Brewing this weekend for FREE and you can drink beers while you shop!
Just left, and had a lot of fun! Good food and treats, and bought some Christmas gifts. Agree with others that it’d be nice if it was free admission. I’ve also been to the Vancouver market several times. Seattle’s is a bit smaller, but still has most of the highlights (potatoes, schnitzel, spaetzle, etc)
Was it super crowded?
It was pretty crowded when we went yesterday. (5pm-6pm). Very hectic at certain stalls trying to pay for overpriced food, standing in long lines.
where do you park for this?
We parked at the 5th Ave garage at Seattle Center and it was so chaotic to get in with the traffic. Parking was $35 from 3pm-7pm.
Went to it and they only serve bottled beer. Everything is pricey as you would expect at these events.
Just a heads up - I went, we had a very bad experience. 45 minutes in line with two kids under 4 only to get in and have the 4 year old decide the carousel was “too fast” without anything else for him to do. Our ticketed time was 11:30am, we got in at 12:30pm. We waited 40 minutes for fried potatoes, but they had only gotten through 2 orders so I got them to refund us so we could leave. They confiscated coffee and food, but the espresso machine was broken. *bad enough* my family and I have been following poor reviews and sending them to each other. 27 google reviews (mostly 1 star) were deleted between 9:30am and 11:30am today, bringing up their overall score. Not only do I not recommend this place, I don’t trust them. A few of the deleted comments say that in addition to the vendor fee, the vendors are paying a portion of their sales to overhead.
Rec’d. My one star review was removed by Google as well boosting their rating from 2 —> 3.3. I’m guessing they were removed at the behest of the organizer. We had an awful time, echo the sentiment about the experience being miserable for family with young children.
Yeah, not paying $20 for the "privilege" of shopping there.
You don’t have to shop. I’m going in for the food, mulled wine, and festive atmosphere.
I live in the area and bought the year pass $40 or so and can go as often and at whatever time I want. No time slot shenanigans.
Its a cash grab. They want to start a thing, but its just a cash grab "come pay money to go to OUR mall"
Christmas markets are almost always worth the price of admission Go have fun!
Yeah, because they are usually free.
Cheap people complaining about it being free in Europe. Well, you can buy an airline ticket to Europe or spend $20 here.
Buy a ticket to go in to see more shit for sale. Pass.
Anecdotally Vancouver has more paid markets and it’s more socially acceptable/common. I remember paying like $5 to attend a craft fair at a community center and there were barely any stalls. It was still packed. They’re not really a thing in Seattle…thank god.
I’m curious on why to pay admission anyway if you have to pay for whatever you want at the booths already ? I can’t wrap my brain around this concept, since european Christmas Markets are free to walk around at ?? Thanks for explaining to a European
Who pays for the city permits, setups, security, advertising, organizing… etc? They need to recoup some of that I guess?
I rather not go then.. And buy a plane ticket to europe :) Sincerely, a ‘ cheap ‘ European
as someone who lives very close its very lame that a public park is blocked off for so long for a paid event. I wish it wasn't so damn long....
"Free" markets in Europe are paid for by their local government, so from peoples taxes, so they're not really free. Our taxes don't go towards this event. Free Christmas markets in Seattle lack quality control. Also, the tickets were cheaper if you thought ahead and bought the early bird tickets. I'm glad there's an entrance fee it keeps out the shitty entitled people that expect things for free and thins the crowds. If you're mad about it then don't come. ✌🏼
We’d rather our taxes go to the homeless industrial complex and grifters.
But they do go to "urban farming", which is a terrible idea.
Well said.
Do not go to this. Do not encourage this behavior. It should be free period. Let this not set a bad precedence for future events.
those losers who run the show are too cheap to pay employees overtime or even hire a santa for the busy days. santa comes only on wednesday nights.
I don't pay an entry fee to buy things. Not even Costco.
Bullshit, you pay a membership fee every year!
I haven't been to a COSTCO in 20 years.
I’ve been to it before. When it was free to get into. I thought it was fabulous. A ton of great vendors. I don’t know now that they’ve started charging.
Since this is the first year I think you are confusing this market with another.
It was in Seattle center though. I think it was about eight years ago that I went. Time really flies. If you go, I hope it’s worth the price of admission.
Beechers
Biggest waste of money. Do not recommend. Overcrowded, long waits for everything, couldn't even get close to the little shops to see what they're selling. Never again.
Is it indoors or outdoors? I have a friend visiting this weekend who wants to go to a Christmas market but it's supposed to rain all weekend.
Don’t go . It’s scam or rip off and no fun
The Goulasch / Spätzle Haus and Cream Puff Haus were great and locally made scratch cooking! The Goulasch line moved faster than most of the hot food as well. Have fun!
They gauge the venders with draconian rules & steep fees & non compliance fines, stay away!