Seattle Christmas Market

The market was fantastic, lots of stalls with all kinds of food. The fish was amazing, the area is well known for its sea food. Had a lovely time walking around, safe, enjoyable location and very busy.

So much to see and do in this area! It's summer in these, but with my daughter on Insta as the Polaroid addict, being a photographer this rainbow heart hand was a great background for me to catch a cute shot. I'm guessing the village is full of beautiful lights at Xmas time. Definitely visit.

It was a truly festive experience. The market had plenty of shops, offering a wide variety of food items and unique holiday-themed gifts. The decorations were absolutely beautiful, with twinkling lights and festive displays creating a magical and cozy atmosphere. It was easy to feel the holiday spirit just walking through the market. One of the standout features was the live performances, which were the highlight of the visit. They added so much energy and cheer, making the experience even more enjoyable for visitors of all ages. The food, while not exceptional, was decent and served its purpose. It wasn’t anything gourmet, but it was good enough to fill the stomach and keep us going as we explored the market. A big hit for the kids was the double-decker carousel ride, which was included in the ticket price. They absolutely loved it and had a wonderful time enjoying the ride. It was a great addition to the overall experience.

🥘FOOD🥘: 7/10 Quality: Many options for food with a wide range of variety! And overall they taste not bad, we got a mulled red wine, hot apple cider, crepes, tornado potatoes, and so many other foods too! The food turns out to be better than I expected and I am glad that I got to try the food from different stores. Appearance: Actually the food all looks great and filled with Christmas colors! I had a great time taking food pics! Portion size: Would not have expected anything big portion because we are in a Christmas market, but they came in decent size! Price: 🧑🏻‍ Service🧑🏻‍: 8.5/10 Friendliness: Service is solid! I love how friendly and smiley they are, made us feel super welcome and warm in literally the coldest day of the year. Timeliness: The line was quite long so we wait a while for the food and they were worth waiting tho! Environment: The Christmas lights, decoration, performance, music, atmospheres are filled with the holiday joy and festive vibe! This is definitely a great place to visit before leading up to the holiday season! Bring your friends, family and significant other over to make a night out of it! I cam with 3 of my other friends and we had the best time! They also have many cute artistic and handcrafted stores that allows you to take home some great holiday gifts and souvenirs! Location: Great location right at the heart of Seattle, and under space needle! Incredibly hard to find parkings so we parked a couple blocks away and walked to the market!

The lights and decorations are beautiful. I would recommend visiting when it's dark because its way more beautiful with so many lights than going during the day time. The carousel was fun. Potato tornado was super tasty. It is expensive considering entrance fee and money to spend on food and shops inside. Overall it's worth going once.

So magical! ✨ It’s our favorite new family holiday tradition 🎄The carousel is two levels this year with an awesome view-And free again! 🙌 my kids are definitely repeat riders 😊 They have a kids scavenger hunt, Santa photos, fairytale forest, many sweet treats and so much good food! My husband and I came back for a date night which was so pretty and felt like a whole different atmosphere. We stayed warm with hot Glühwein. Definitely recommend! (There is an admission fee but kids under 6 are free- it keeps everything clean, on site security and a beautiful displays- it’s a private event not city funded so it makes sense) we got the family seasons pass early for half off 🙌

We were here yesterday because we were hoping to try out a traditional German Christmas market in America, and we got $5 tickets. We took the light rail and monorail there which went pretty smoothly and then had to wait just a few minutes to get into the market. Unfortunately, they were yelling at people to get rid of all outside food and drinks at the entrance which it did not mention on the tickets, in the email they sent, or easily found on the website before we came. My husband had just made a warm thermos of coffee to get through the cold weather, and brought water to drink and some granola bars for the kids, and did not want to throw it all out. It would’ve been nice if they would’ve made this obvious on their website or sent a reminder in the email with the tickets. After we went to the side and asked to speak to a manager, however, he briefly looked in our bag and told us to go ahead. Since this was a strictly outdoor event, we didn’t think they would be as picky as they are for indoor concerts. The market itself was OK, but there wasn’t really much to do after looking at the very overpriced stands. From looking around, it seemed that there was nothing under $20 even for a little 2 inch wooden ornament, which was crazy. The food and drink was also expensive. For example, a small paper cup of cider was five dollars and a small paper cup of mulled wine was $10. We bought two pretzels for six dollars each which were tasty and a cream puff for $10 which was also pretty good, but those were just a snack. There were tables and chairs to sit in the one building near the bathrooms, but everything else was just for standing. Probably the best thing about the place was the live music with local artists singing and playing instruments in the big pyramid building. The two story carousel also looked fun for the kids, but there was a huge line to wait in as is to be expected. One thing that was not super helpful was that once you left the fenced area, you could not come back in. We were lucky to have dry and sunny weather, since it might have been quite slippery in the rain. They did have plastic tiles over the grass and walking areas. We were there for about two hours and then took a look at the fountain and the center house and left. None of us thought it was that exciting, and I don’t think we would come back again. From seeing photos, it does seem that it is quite pretty at night, but Seattle is definitely not a place I want to be for long when it is dark out.

$20 + fees admission. I was about to walk away when I saw admission was needed but decided to just go since I was visiting Seattle for the first time. Good amount of food though pricey. Good amount of shops with a variety of stuff. Good amount of artists and handmade stuff. Lots of lights and decor. Big food hall to sit, eat and chill. It isn't a bad Christmas market. Not huge, took me about an hour and a half after making a double pass. But it's debatable whether it was worth the $20 + fees. The food and souvenirs I bought were already pricey. Not to mention the $25 parking I had to pay. It's probably a one and done experience for me.

A Christmas themed event to go to! However, definitely mixed opinions on this place. Starting with the positives, I enjoyed the number of vendors supplied here. They actually have some delicious foods and it's cool how some of the food is themed to the Christmas market. There are plenty of lights and decorations to enjoy and great views of the space needle. The cons however, include the price admission to the park. They've definitely done better with pricing compared to last year, but I paid $12 pretax and I wished it was cheaper since it's already planned that we're buying things inside. The place can be crowded and lines can be long, so it definitely affects taking photos. The foods can be overpriced! Many of the staff/vendors were nice and the food didn't take that long to make. This place definitely brings the holiday spirits up. The selection of products were good and diverse.

What an amazing experience! Loved the lights, the music, food and the carousel! Loved the Chimney Cake , the long queue was worth the wait for the pistachio cake and with pistachio cream. Also, liked the potato twisters. We also had the chicken kababs and loved it. Food was expensive for sure but liked whatever we ate! Parking was pricey too, this is an expensive affair but we had a good time.

I feel this year is definitely improved, I'm glad they finally decided to offer a lower cost entry time. We took the $7 offer and went there right after opening and that is a good price point. They have very nice vendors for Christmas gifts and many vendors are even local, not cheap, but very nice options. There are a lot more food booths and a nice mix of sweet and savory. We had Currywurst (tasted delicious), pretzel (super yummy), Belgian fries (not really authentic), Canolli (to die for) and crepes (ok). They got the booths for drinks right at the entrance down the stairs, many cocktail choices, beer, hot chocolate and cider - many options even without alcohol. We didn't have much wait time anywhere, but that might have been the early start. The only busy booth was the hot chocolate right from the beginning. They have a very nice indoor seating area to warm up, which was nice to grab food and sit down. Santa was around for the kids and a band was playing Christmas music. I'd say go if you can get a cheap entry slot, prices are high, so for us, only the $7 made sense. I would definitely go again if we are in town, not sure if I would drive there specifically, but if your are already at the needle, go try it out.

The market itself was fine, there were plenty of shops and decorations around. We tried some desserts, pretzels, butter, coffee, and a bratwurst. Definitely better than the Baltimore Christmas market (that was a joke), but it wasn't worth the price of admission. We paid over $77 for 4 people which was the price including the military discount. Pretty crazy how expensive that is also considering the decent markup for all of the food and items inside the market itself. Also, it didn't feel very German. Sure, there were some German shops and every shop had German versions of their names on display, but there were a lot of shops that weren't even European. The service and selection were decent, but the overall experience was lacking. It didn't feel very authentic. This is one of those things you do just to try, but you don't bother going back to.

For the $7/person entry fee, it was fine to walk through and wander around for an hr. There was a moderate amount of light displays but due to weather conditions, many of the trees were either blown over or put down.

So imagine that your local shopping mall charged you an admission fee, made you wait for an hour before you could get in, had overpriced food, long lines at the vendors selling food, a severe shortage of places to sit and eat the food, and was really crowded. Add to that scarce and/or overpriced parking in the vicinity (yes, public transit is an option but will likely require two or possibly three segments for many King County residents [for me, it's bus+light rail+monorail]), and a Leavenworthesque vibe of "gimmicky fake German". If that appeals to you, then the Seattle Christmas Market is the place for you! But, since momma always said to say something nice, I'll say that some of the holiday decorations and lights were nice. And if you want to wait in line for it, you can have a free carousel ride. And perhaps it is a more pleasant experience if you go on a rainy weekday.

We visited on the day before Christmas with a party of 6 adults and 4 small children and it was a very nice experience. There are plenty of food and craft vendors to choose from as well as a large auditorium in which to sit. We were lucky enough to grab a large table to eat lunch. We purchased Brats, Potato Twisters, Schnitzel, Stew, Dumplings, and Cheese covered Pears. All were pretty tasty. There was a two level carousel that was fun for the kids, and the lines were not that long. The only complaint is that the food was wicked expensive, $15 for a potato twister, $14 per brat, just a bit steep. Overall, nice attraction to visit.

This is a cute Christmas market but I have to say I wouldn't pay more than $5 weekday/special day entrance fee. If you are looking for something Christmas themed to do and want to support local/small business then this is ideal. There are lots a places to grab a sweet treat or meal so I would definitely take advantage of that. Oh and a cup of the German hot mulled wine could warm you up. Service: the booths are manned by individuals and they were eager to help you find just want you want!

Our 6 years old grandson was visiting Seattle before the Thanksgiving, there are very few places offers Christmas activities. So we took him to Seattle Christmas Market. Yes the the lights were nice and carousel were fun, but if you are not into eating and buying there isn't much for the kids. As described in their website, the Santa Clause should be walking around, but we didn't see him at all. One of the staffs told us that he might be in the beer garden. My grandson was so disappointed!

We had such a fun time coming to the Seattle Christmas Market. Very festive and everyone was having a good time. Price points are reasonable and all the options to buy and eat different things are very reasonable and everyone was so happy and pleasant. So fun! For those complaining about the cost. Stay home if you can't afford it. While the rest of us enjoy it.

I was really surprised to see how low the overall rating of this place is. Yes it's pricey, but if you've been to pop up markets before then you know sometimes that's just how it is, especially in Seattle. My friends and I spent hours here and had fun without spending tons of money. They have an indoor eating area where they were doing trivia competitions, a big carousel and so many fun stands that sell great Christmas presents and/or delicious food! We got a discount on tickets because we went student day which I recommend doing if you're a college student. We will probably go again this year as well!

We finally went after hearing how amazing this was for so many people. It definitely can get you in the Holiday spirit and they have some good food and drink items. I loved the Christmas band they had the night we went. I was told this past year the selection of vendors was a little smaller. We went on a weeknight which was cheaper, but I will say a lot of the vendors started closing up early before the actual end time of the event. I don't know if I would necessarily go every year, but it's a fun first time thing to do.

What a magical experience! A group of us traveled up from Portland including our friend from Germany and we spent hours exploring, eating, and drinking German beverages. We never had to wait long for anything although it did get very busy in the evening. I could see this trip being an annual tradition.

I visited the Seattle Christmas Market on a $5 ticket day, and I'm glad I went! It seemed less crowded than peak times, which allowed for a more enjoyable experience. The atmosphere was full of holiday cheer with Christmas music, decorations, and plenty of festive gifts to browse. There were a variety of vendors that were local small businesses- Christmas gifts, foods, and desserts. The vendors were all friendly! Everything is pretty pricy! For food, we had the prosciutto raclette with melted cheese, which was average. The cheese actually hardens pretty quickly. We also had the potato-filled pierogis from Ukrainian Homemade Traditional Cuisine. I enjoyed them and highly recommend! There is also indoor seating. Afterwards, I had a delicious hot chocolate! Overall, I don't think this will be an annual tradition for me, but I don't regret visiting and glad I experienced for the first time. If you are coming here, make sure you bring a bag to put your items and recommend coming on a $5 ticket day. It's definitely a festive way to get into the holiday spirit!

Trying to decide between one or two stars. The food was good if you were ok spending a lot of money and standing in a 30 minute line. We did go on a busy night - and my bratwurst did hit the spot. Beyond that, this felt like a bit of false advertising and a less than magical experience. First off - they heavily advertised a 7$ ticket price - but realize that this is a sliding scale. When we showed up - the tickets were 19$. What did you get for 19$? A free ride on a carousel, some Christmas Lights - but not enough to warrant going to see the lights, the chance to shop at overpriced vendors, the Madonna song Like a Virgin revamped into a Christmas song (there was a serious lack of Christmas music here unless you count the Karaoke in the food hall, which had too few seats). There is no nativity - fine - but you won't find Santa either, and the whole thing is actually quite small in size. A handful of vendors and a food court. I thought we had only seen half the event and realized we were at the exit. The first item I picked up at this event was a card mocking baby Jesus. I get it - people in Seattle want a secular holiday experience. But don't mock the holiday. Bah Humbug! You will get more Holiday cheer at Snowflake Lane, or Bellevue Garden D'lights - and for far less money. Heck - even the Tulalip Casino lights would be a better choice. Also, there are plenty of free holiday markets around. This lacked holiday cheer.

This event had some charm, but, in my opinion, it was overpriced for its size and value. We paid $23/person and $40 for parking. It wasn't worth that. We saw everything, shopped, and snacked in under an hour. We ended up lingering just trying to get our money's worth. They were some cute products for sale and some tasty-looking food (even a few options for vegans!) We bought some ornaments, soap, and some random goodies. The potato twisters were really yummy, and the guys serving them up were very friendly and fun. Really, the rating just comes down to how much it cost to enjoy about an hour's worth of browsing.

Such a cute experience! The decor was cute, the shops were great, and the food was fantastic. We ate so much and enjoyed everything we got. Wish there had been a second entrance since the main lot was on the far side, but otherwise no complaints. They had indoor seating, which was needed to get out of the rain, and plenty of options. Prepare ahead for weather and expect to do some spending!

Not sure why the low rating?! This was such a fun experience. We went on a Sunday afternoon and the market was just starting to get busy. We strolled around, snagged a photo with Santa, rode on the carousel, ate our way through all the delicious European treats while sipping on mulled wine! Fun, eh?!? Chimney cakes, chickpea bratwurst, ho ho hot cocoa, potato twisters and Feuerzangenbowle! If you are wondering what that is, a rum soaked sugarloaf is set on fire and allowed to melt into a pot of hot mulled wine. This was the best! They have tables to sit and eat at inside Seattle Center too. The treats can be $$ but hey, you get to do this only once a year. It's ok to binge! So, do check this out if you haven't already.

It's just kind of tacky to charge admission to a market. Like - don't make your shoppers pay to get in if you want them to be spending money on the vendors. Another example of how this city is failing to make festivals and events open and accessible to all by charging a gate fee. The market itself was fine I guess. It's big, lots of lights and a variety of shops and food vendors. Not too crowded. No live entertainment. I'm comparing it to the free huge Christkindlmarket in Chicago or all the one scattered all over Europe in December. This one was just missing something. It felt like a capitalist Instagram hellhole, devoid of personality, authenticity, warmth, or even an ounce of seasonal cheer.

When the 'season' hits, there is all kinds of things going on and when you're looking to get the family out into some festivities Seattle Christmas Market comes to mind. The good is, there are plenty of vendors with all sorts of food, treats, gifts and more to try. Purchases will for sure benefit small businesses and other independent crafters trying to sell their creations always a nice contribution and great way to get perhaps some niche gifts. Also, another highlight is the hot gluhwein that will keep you warm and happy after a couple cups. The bad, are the crowds. People all over. Men, women children, strollers, dogs, friends, grandmas, grandpas, cousins and more all come out and you constantly dodging people. If you want to take any pictures of the props and scenery, good luck lining up the perfect shot. Want some food, get in line with like 20 people. If you're looking to get out with some out-of-town visitors for the Holiday and looking for a crafty unique gift I'd recommend, but other than that, save your money.

Welcome to Seattle, Christmas Market! I loved the idea of the festive market, but can see areas of improvement in the execution. Entry into the event was organized chaos - we had one line for the timed entry, but then season pass holders had a separate line to go inside. So even with the timed entry (which I'm assuming was for crowd control), you can expect the market to be packed to the brim with visitors. Lines were also hit or miss depending on which stall you're trying. The tornado potato stand had almost an hour wait after ordering, and as there wasn't really isn't a great place to wait, this led to more crowding and congestion. Also if you want to park closer to the event, there are a few garages available in the vicinity ranging from $20-35. Combine the cost of admission, parking, food and gift purchases, it's definitely a pricey visit. Otherwise, it was fun to see the different vendors and I would love to see even more unique food options as well in years to come.

I believe this is the 1st year of this Christmas Market. Why not come by and check it out? So we did, it's at Seattle Center near the fountain. We bought tickets online, you select a time slot when you would arrive, show up, go through security screening, scan your tickets, you are in. It reminds me of Bryant Park in NYC with similar vendors, foods etc. Decent amount of stuff to see here, plenty of opportunities for photo ops, live streaming, and all that social media stuff. Expect long lines for foods and high prices. IMO nothing really looked that interesting to me to buy and eat. Also, nothing really piqued my interest on buying things from the retail vendors, I don't really need an alpaca scarf. Overall, glad to have checked it out to get in the Christmas spirit!

Usually for me, it's custom to checkout a holiday event or performance with family members or college friends. This season, I attended the Seattle Christmas Market with The College Friend (12/3/23). I purchased tickets online for the 12 noon entry. Because it was a Sunday, scored on nearby street parking. This was helpful because the SCM was also on the same day as other Seattle Center events like Urban Craft Uprising and The Nutcracker. The venue is surrounded by fencing with only one point of entry and exit access. The Seattle Christmas Market is located by the Armory, the International Fountain, and Climate Pledge Arena. Definitely dress for the weather as the entire event is outdoors, except for the covered area with seating at Fisher Pavilion. Despite having timed admission, there was still a line and the cumbersome security and ticket check-in points. Note: there is no in/out from the event venue unless you had purchased a season pass. Once onsite, there adequate holiday decor, venue merch shop, and kitschy vendor huts selling various things, food, and beverages. Pretty pricey and some vendors were cash only and I didn't recall a conveniently placed ATM. The only thing that was free was the Nordstrom carousel, but again another line. We had many photo ops, split a pretzel with mustard, and I bought two flavors of roasted nuts for The Homie. We did roam the event grounds twice. The rain finally was letting up and it was pleasant to be among humanity post-pandemic mode. I'm sure it would be amazing to attend in the late afternoon and evening when the decorative lights would be visible. This was mostly out of curiosity and part of a progressive holiday outing with The College Friend. Honestly, I think there are other events that are more approachable and affordable. Instead of something like this or crowded shopping malls, consider visiting neighborhood farmer's markets or Pike Place Market, think local and indie retailers and artisans, arts and cultural venues, art galleries and museums, plus check online - there's lots of seasonal art fairs and holiday markets that are free or low cost all around the greater Puget Sound area. I was game to try this once. But I concur with other Yelp posts that echoed my similar sentiments. Most likely, I would not recommend a return visit next year.

Updating this review due to obviously crafty social media policies. This event felt unsafe, had a line of people demanding refunds at the info center, confiscated coffees at security only to have broken espresso machines, and has the audacity to be deleting 27 google reviews to bring their score from 2.2 (which I thought reflected my experience) to 3.4 this morning between 9:22am and 11:30. My family has been following the reviews because it's validating to know other people had a negative experience. I gave some benefit that it was a new event the day of, when I wrote this review, hoping that the organizer would make better decisions about crowd control measures, security policies, and their vendor relations. However, I'm really not impressed by their obvious inability to take feedback. This is NOT a community driven event, it is NOT authentic, and it is not transparent with its attendees.

The $22ish admission fee is what ruined this for me. For that steep of a price, I would expect a larger selection of stores to visit...or a mini bag to carry items. Instead, 30% of the layout is for taking pictures. 2 stars instead of 1 because I was able to find 2 stores I really like: McCormick jam and eggatelier. I don't like jam but I am obsessed with mccormick's apple pie jam. Eggatelier has the cutest crochet designs.

If you are on the fence about going to the Seattle Christmas Market, jump off!!! It was so well done, I had such a good time!! I have been to several Christmas markets in Europe and though they are fun, festive and charming, the trinkets seem more like imported junk. The wares for sale here in Seattle seemed to all be local vendors selling cool made things. The food was so good!! We tried so many things, a pretzel, raclette sandwich, spaetzle, cream puff and meat pies were all amazing!! I would have any of them again!! I was so worried it would be like the Bite of Seattle this year that was so terrible, but this was the complete opposite. It was so cute, festive and charming, you couldn't believe you were in Seattle. Go go go!!!! And stop by the info booth and say hi to Javaris, super cool guy providing excellent customer service!! I had such a good time I kind of forgot to take pictures but here are a few we managed to get !!

Ok I'm going to give this place 5 stars despite the low reviews. Is it expensive? Yes. But in my opinion, it was worth it. It honestly exceeded my expectations. For those who are complaining about the entrance fee, this is not a farmers market. There's a large (covered) sitting area, a beautiful holiday setup, a carousel, etc. which is costly! I would rather pay an entrance fee and have a great experience rather than to have something free but with less/no amenities and just have food trucks/tents or something mediocre. Ok now on to the review! It's beautiful and decorated really nicely for Christmas. And the vendors are SO good! Some are a bit overpriced but again, I enjoyed it and would definitely go again. 100%! Tried the crepes, and the potato crisps, which were awesome and hot cocoa was amazingly delicious! There's German hotdogs, schnitzel, apple cider, meat pies, raclette melted cheese, gluhwein , apple cider, and SO much more! There's also a ton of little stands selling adorable ornaments and handcrafted items. Everything is setup in a very nice way, not farmers tent style. Loved it and can't wait to go back!

The market is a bit pricey but overall a fun place to hangout. It's a good location to go to with kids or as adults but be prepared with tickets and be prepared to face the cold weather :) We tried the potato tornado at one of the stores and it was delicious. Most of the merchandise being sold is a bit expensive though and that must be expected for markets like this one. There is a heated seating area and a couple of rides for kids too. There is live music, gluhwein and ofcourse hot chocolate. And a lot of other vendors.

A great Christmas Market at Seattle Center! There is a variety of crafts and booths to browse with excellent service. My favorite booth was the hot/bbq sauce booth which had the best tasting sauces I've had. For the food, there are great bites to choose from. My favorite was the cottage cheese Varenky which had a rich creamy filling that was fantastic. For the food, my only complaint was the pretzels which did not taste like traditional ones and was more like bread. To me, the wait was not worth it. There is a large indoor area with tables that you can sit down and eat at to get out of the cold. Overall, it was a great value for the money. I opted in for season passes and can't wait to come back!

The entrance fee to enter this Christmas market does not provide value, when the vendors inside already have things overpriced. The market itself isn't that grand or overly decorative to justify the entrance fee. Moreover the staff is definitely not in the happy and jolly mood for it being a fee based Christmas market. The are mostly all types of stores inside that you would expect in a Christmas market. Overall, it wasn't anything out of ordinary or extravagant than any other Christmas or non-Christmas market, hence it not worth the entrance fee!

OVER PRICED AND HIDDEN FEES. Don't come here, they inflate their tips by including the service fee when you check out. The cost to what you experience does not equal the entrance cost. I have gone to events like this in multiple cities such as Chicago and San Jose. This is the only one that charges a fee to enter. It's a rip off.

It was our first time visiting the Seattle Christmas Market and we had an amazing time! There was a very wide selection of food vendors and artisan huts, of course some with longer lines than others, but average wait time was decent! There is an admission of $19.99 and then average food prices were $15+. We tried several items such as mulled wine, pretzels, chimney cakes, slow roasted pork shank, Ukrainian dumplings and bratwurst. All items were 10/10. I look forward to what next year brings!

I attended last year the first Seattle Christmas Market & it was Grand celebration. The Services were prompt, the tickets were reasonable & love the Carousel ride & Food stalls.

Basically the same company that runs the Vancouver (BC ) Christmas Market has migrated across the border this year to throw a similar experience in Seattle. Compared to the Vancouver Christmas Market, the Seattle Christmas Market is about half the size. The vibe is similar. Entry line moves pretty quickly, there is a metal detector to go through. Not to miss: 1. Glühwein 2. German sausage 3. Pierogis 4. Crepes 5. German beers Major missing items (present in Vancouver location but not Seattle): 1. German Christmas pyramids 2. Hungarian chimney cake 3. Pork hock 4. Beavertails It is currently $20/adult for entry. From my understanding, Xmas Markets in Europe are free, as well as the Glühwein. But USA runs on capitalism so... nothing is free! There are also a variety of booths selling items/trinkets/snacks. Lines were surprisingly manageable (only 1-2 people ahead of us) wherever we went. Nice to have a Xmas Market in Seattle so I don't have to drive to Canada. Prices are a little steep but it's *for the experience*

Some of the comforts of a German Christmas market (i.e. familiar menu and drink options) and lots of kitchy, theme-park like decor. What can you really expect, we're not in Europe, we're in Seattle. Still, I think the effort that was made to transport everyone to a different place was pretty cool. The market included lots of locally made crafts and food, roclet, gluwein, beer, etc which is the only additional things you need to pay for. Limited seating in the food hall but lots of small round tops around the kiosks outside. The carousel is included in the entrance fee and the line goes through pretty quickly so ride as many times as you wish. We would have liked to pick up holiday mugs but we didn't see them. The singer that was performing our night was pretty awful, very loungy. I'm sure she can sing but projected over that much space did not sound flattering. Would have preferred playing German Christmas music or something theme appropriate on the overhead speakers.

(Won Tix from their Instagram giveaways but review from our recent visit is 100% honest) Went on a stereotypical rainy Seattle weekend. Booked the 3 pm slot. When you reserve you have a thirty minute window to enter, but if you miss it you can just jump in line for the next entry group. When we went, there was practically no line. Security was quick with a purse check and metal detector. Upon entry, there are some nice photo ops with a giant wreath, nutcrackers, and lit Christmas trees. There are several wooden huts lined up left, right and front that are like the ones in the actual winter markets in Germany. Straight ahead is the cool multi level open tower where the glühwein (mulled wine, $9.50) and Kinderpunsch (childrens punch, $5) are sold. To the right of that the carousel. Past the tower is a beautiful giant wall through Christmas tree. Then in the floor ground interior area is a beautifully decorated area to sit down at tables, warm up, and dry off. Past and to the left and right of the tower are most of the food options. I think they did a great job of curating European food vendors. They had schnitzel ($23), pelmeni (east European dumplings, veggie or beef), spaetzle with chicken or veggies and rotkohl ($18-$20) Hungarian goulash in bread bowls, French crepes, more dumplings, tornado potato on a stick, big cream puffs ($9.50), hot chocolate, coffee (good price for coffee, TIP: they sell hot chocolate too and this line may be shorter than the purely hot chocolate vendor next to them), hot cider, beer (Bitburger and Paulaner), and pizza. Food smelled really good but most of us had dinner plans later. A friend got some dumplings and shared which were pretty tasty. I liked that they served everything in compostable containers. Another friend said the hot chocolate was just okay. All of us found the glühwein to be super tasty. Nicely spiced, sweet but not too sweet, and served at a nice steamy temp. We wandered the booths and enjoyed samples and oggling at the talented artisan vendors. Prices were artisan prices, which means more than your everyday store but fair considering the handmade small batch local products and the fact that these vendors have to stand all day in the cold and probably pay for a spot at this market. We loved the sauce samples from Black Flag Rubs and Spices and the caramel corn from Experience O!, fudge, mushroom hot chocolate. The crochet vendors, the handcrafted pottery from Motley Mountain, and jewelry were all so pretty. Me and the girls had fun looking at each vendor while the guys didn't care as much and just liked that they could chat and drink. So, though we spent 3 hours there, it was fun because we had a big group. There actually wasn't that much to do except stand around and look at the vendors and eat. There was live music but wish there were some activities. And maybe if they had more covered areas and heat lamps, that would make dreary days that are more often than not more bearable. Overall, they did a great job with making it look so magical and had a great selection of vendors but the high food prices on top of the $20 per person admission and lack of activities left us wanting more. We had fun but hope that next year they bring some activities and try to make it more fairly priced for people.

I love Christmas and festive markets but this was underwhelming. I went twice in December (once during the day and once at night) and there wasn't much included in the ticket itself. The merry go round was fun but it felt janky and unstable. The market was smaller than expected with large crowds and very congested lines. It was hard to walk around. Lots of small business booths which was great to see. The love lock installation was tiny and easy to miss but we have a tradition to add a love lock to every installation/bridge we see/visit so it was a special moment for us still. The lovers' lane bridge was cute and had multiple mistletoes which we ran through and kissed under haha but the bridge itself was pretty short.

Pay to get in and "shop" various booths with decent, yet massively over priced goods. Food was mediocre and $20/$25 a plate. My son enjoyed the carousel, that was free and earned the star. Christmas markets are usually quite fun but this one, was not.

Huge ripoff. The goulash was $23. Small portions of mediocre quality. The best food we had were meat pies. But at $12-$14 each, the prices were absurd. Nothing tasted fresh or hot. Everything was mediocre quality, lukewarm, or a bit stale. I'm glad I checked it out but I will never return. Once is worth it if you're curious but plan to spend at least $100 on top of entry fees and parking. A bit ridonk.

Good market, good food and fun times. Like to visit. Vendors are great. Like the atmosphere

Planned to take the youngest kids from our family group to a holiday outing. So, I checked into the overrated Seattle Christmas Market. Research brought me to a YouTube video that was brutally honest about what was offered; not positive. Then I checked Google reviews; many happy customers, but a huge number of those who felt ripped off by the high entry fees and huge food vendor prices. Yelpers shared their experiences also; some were happy, while others were not, resulting in an overall low rating. The message is clear, if you have a couple hundred dollars to invest in an event that is FREE over most of the world, go for it. This market does not appear to be able to compete with the European Holiday Markets. Since Seattle is involved in a revitalization effort or so I heard, it would seem more than appropriate to provide artists and vendors a no-cost or low-cost event to support their efforts and projects. IOW something for the residents of the city, not for the city. Seattle has become overpriced in every arena as well as dangerous and dirty. Spend extra for gas to travel to far superior holiday events in outlier communities. For us, a better choice. Support them and send a message about the greed in Seattle. That's the selection we made and we are darn well glad of it. Thanks to all who shared their thoughts and experiences whether they were good, bad or ugly.

Location is beautiful and so many small businesses with amazing food options, good drinks, lots of gift options and twinkling lights!

Over priced extremely small event not worth 50 for two adults hard hot cider tasted like regular hot cider for 10 . Parking was 27 for 3 hours total waste of money. People that worked there were friendly but needed more booths went through the whole thing 3 times in one hour. SAVE YOUR MONEY

I thought this was a great place to visit during the season. You do have to buy tickets for timed entry, along with of course paying for any food or items (i.e. crafts, trinkets, gifts) in the actual market, so it can be a pricey outing. However, I do think the ticket system helped control crowds. Overall a fun way to spend an afternoon in the winter.

I haven't written a review in months and felt compelled to share my experiences as I did not feel it was a one star business worthy to shut down (that's what one star businesses mean) Value - I agree with the sentiment about a fee to enter the market. The concept of having to pay to enter an exclusive area that customers may or may not purchase is off putting. Holiday markets are free in Europe but they're also free in NYC, an American city. It is possible and I hope the organizers can brainstorm how such funding can be done. If size is the issue, maybe increase the area for next year. On the other hand, I feel conflicted because the area was very clean and there was security. A feeling that is rare in downtown Seattle. Overall, it felt very safe and overcrowding wasn't much of an issue. There were lots of people but my group and I could still move along on a Saturday late afternoon. Lines weren't unbearably long except for the bratwurst booth. It can be busy like the theme parks or convention centers but you're not packed like sardines. So, the price does serve a purpose in cleanliness, safety, and some crowd control. To reiterate, I do would like to see the price decrease as I would only see this as a one time visit at its current price point. Service: It's decent overall. All of the merchant booths that I shopped at were friendly and willing to help consumers with their questions without being pushy. I do believe there could be improvements in info booth: agents were unable to help guide visitors to specific booths and the maps were online only, which did not have detailed locations. This makes it hard to navigate. The attitude felt like we were at the DMV, inattentive and uncaring. The tipping in some of the booths may be appropriate for the above and beyond customer service, but there are instances where the bare minimum was not performed and yet some merchants would ask for 15/20/25% it's creating unnecessary pressure and needs to stop. Selection: It's very small but a decent first go at a holiday market by Seattle. I wish there could be more artisan shops as opposed to food. I also do think the prices are expensive and felt as if I was in Manhattan again. I would be curious to know if a portion of the high ticket fees go to merchants. If so, then organizers should look into finding merchants who have affordable price points. There was a booth with handmade cotton table pieces (?) and we found stitches being loose. The price for a 8x8 piece is $40 and felt cheated out of the price. Meanwhile, I can appreciate that there are booths that I haven't seen in the markets that occur in Seattle all year. There are some that are recognizable but not as prevalent. The organizers did well in selecting interesting booths for the locals to see. Food selection: I love the spinning wheel and love musicians, however the drink menu leaves much to be desired. Both the gluhwein and cider tasted exactly the same except for the difference in the fruit. There should be differences in spices. Also, both the drinks were small size and quite sour. Not a pleasant experience. The raclette sandwich is also not giving the full product. Influencers mentioned the slab of cheese on the sandwiches. In reality, our sandwiches did not have this at all and were only given a small dollop after we had to ask. Completely different from the promotions and also different copycat brand from NYC. Quite disappointed. TLDR: it's not a horrible idea. I love the concept and missed holiday markets so I wanted a similar commercial experience in the city. Hence why I decided to still purchase the ticket. At the same time, many improvements could be made that doesn't justify the high ticket price. I recommend for those who have never been to a holiday market before. The lighting and wooden booths make the ambiance pretty decent. For those who have experience, go if you're finding something to pass time and please have low expectations. With that in mind, I still enjoyed it! Would love to see a much better experience next year. If the entrance fee is the same, I won't be coming and I believe the same opinion is true for other customers.

I didn't know what to expect out of this market but there was so much hype that I decided to buy a ticket. Thank goodness I bought it on presale cause it was horrible. I didn't even want to spend $15 to enter a market that was supposedly like a Europe Christmas market. In Europe you just roll down the street with no entrance fee and it's so festive and merry. This market not so much. It was so small and I think the most festive part was the huge tree that's about it. We walked around the whole market in 10 mins and stayed maybe 30 mins just because we got a hot chaud that tasted like microwaved hot wine with no extra spices included. The food was so overly expensive I couldn't wrap my head around it. They advertised Spätzle and there was none is sight. We walked around each booth twice and none. If you wanna pay $21 for a bread bowl and soup you should def go. Don't waste your money and walk around a neighborhood if you wanna see lights and be festive and that's free! I would maybe give them a 3 star if it was free.

Pricey for a small venue and no crowd control. Purchasing tickets online was just a process that doesn't need to be drawn out AND THEN you have to create an account to get the tickets. This is just a way to get buyer information . That's not the worst part, customer service was terrible. Upon going through security, the first guard was disrespectful to me and my guests when we were moving to get our tickets scanned. This guard stated "this is not hard folks. It's just like an amusement park." Then scanning my tickets, the individual scanned one ticket and then I switched over to the second ticket and took more than 60 seconds to scan it as if I didn't switch the ticket. It was overcrowded and packed, lack of crowd control.

Way too expensive for admission to a tiny little fair. Long lines with timed entry and separate ticket and entrance lines. Having been to much better (and free to enter) Christmas markets in Chicago and New York, I'm sorry Seattle, but this ain't it. Kinda ruined all our Christmas cheer today.

What was great was the German Traditions stand. The Gluhwein needs work, though. Vancouver's version is better (Germany even more so). However this is the first year. Lots of room for improvement, and also, it was a lot of fun! The biggest issue is that on Jun 28, 2023 King County requires businesses to accept cash. The fact that only about half accepted cash and most that did NOT was the food, is bad. Especially when you factor in that Germany looks down on being cashless, and this is a German Tradition. America is not a cashless society, and we do not want to be. I would have given full 5 if everyone accepted CASH.