From a blizzard snowfall in tropical Singapore to cavern corridors underneath castle ruins in Amsterdam, these markets offer their unique blend of tradition, culture and merriment. Find out which best suits you in this selection of 9 quirky Christmas fairs.
1. Christmas Wonderland, Singapore
Fun for the whole family
The Little Red Dot isn’t known for building or staging anything by halves. The annual Christmas Wonderland at the Gardens by the Bay goes all out with dazzling light displays, a food and crafts market as well as carnival rides.
Look out for stunning large-scale light installations such as a mesmerising 65m-long Walk of Lights, and the Spalliera centrepiece – a magnificent 20m-high sculpture handmade by Italian craftsmen.
Despite this being a tropical fantasy fairground, the nightly Blizzard Time brings the magic of ‘snowfall’ to the Gardens. It’s a sure crowd-pleaser for the children and the young at heart. Until 1 Jan 2024
2. Velvet Cave Christmas Market, Amsterdam
For history buffs and castle-lovers
A network of underground passageways and caverns runs under the ruins of the hilltop Valkenburg Castle in the Limburg region, just over two hours by car southeast of Amsterdam.
During the castle’s 900-year history, they’ve previously served as escape routes for mediaeval knights; now, the Advent season sees these dark corridors of carved marlstone take a merrier turn for the annual Velvet Cave Christmas Market. Until 7 January 2024
3. Striezelmarkt, Dresden
For the love of traditional Christmas bakes
What originally began as a one-day affair in 1434, the Striezelmarkt in Dresden – three hours south of Berlin – is now the oldest Christmas market in the country. Over 200 stalls congregate in Altmarkt Square, with the main highlight being the braided pastry once called striezel (hence the market’s name), now known as stollen.
Every year, local bakers gather here for a Christstollen bake-off at its annual Stollenfest – this year’s occurred on 3 Dec. Until 24 December 2023
4. Fira de Santa Llúcia, Barcelona
A Christmas stocking tradition with a twist
Barcelona’s oldest Christmas market, Fira de Santa Llúcia, is 237 years old and is sprawled in front of the Gothic Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (also known as Barcelona Cathedral).
Of particular interest is the massive selection of Tió de Nadal, known in Catalonia as Caga Tió – a more adorable version of the Christmas stocking. It consists of a wooden log with a face on it which gets covered with a blanket before being “fattened up”. Come Christmas Day, kids sing a special song and hit the log with a stick, upon which it releases a present. Until 23 December 2023
5. Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse Christmas Market, Yokohama
For a Japanese industrial chic winter
Just half an hour by train from Tokyo, the Meiji-era Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse is a shining example of adaptive reuse, and has become one of Yokohama’s most popular hangout spots since it opened in 2002.
The annual Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse Christmas Market has the area decked out like a German hamlet with lit-up Christmas trees, retail stalls as old-style countryside huts, a skating rink and the comforting aroma of schnitzels and warm pretzels.
This year’s promises to be the largest ever, and includes roughly 50 booths and a premium lounge area. Until 25 December 2023
6. The Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party, San Francisco
For the love of literature
For five weekends leading up to Christmas, the Cow Palace Arena and Event Center in Daly City just south of San Francisco becomes a giant indoor costume party and method-acting stage for The Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party.
Over 800 actors dress up as characters from the renowned English author’s novels, populating the stone-paved alleys, lamplit dining halls, theatres and boisterous pubs. Guests are encouraged but not required to attend in costume. Until 17 December 2023
7. Christmasland, New Taipei City
For Instagram-worthy wintery light shows
A month-long festive wonderland, Christmasland in New Taipei City is the largest Christmas event in Taiwan and boasts the country’s tallest open-air Christmas tree. What sets it apart is its elaborately-crafted array of lights and stunning art installations that provide visitors with ample Instagrammable opportunities.
This year’s programme features a “sweets party”, hosted by Santa Bear, Gingerbread Man, Macaron and friends. There’s a Christmas tree resembling a forest canopy surrounded by colourful dessert cakes, and an internationally-acclaimed 3D projection mapping show that incorporates naked-eye 3D projection technology. Until 30 December 2023
8. Christkindlimarkt, Zürich
A railway station-turned-wonderland
Each year, Switzerland’s largest railway terminal, Hauptbahnhof Zürich, morphs into a sprawling winter wonderland, with over 140 enchanting stalls that beckon visitors with an array of festive treasures.
Uniquely, the Christkindlimarkt offers two exclusive viewing platforms, reservable for intimate aperitifs with loved ones, where visitors can take in the panoramic vistas of the Swarovski-decked 32-foot Christmas tree and bustling Advent market below. Until 24 December 2023
9. Tivoli Gardens Christmas Market, Copenhagen
Thrill-seeking alongside creature comforts
Located within the iconic Tivoli Gardens, the world’s second oldest amusement park, this Christmas market offers thrilling rides, ice skating and an extensive selection of traditional Danish Christmas treats.
Visitors can balance their skyrocketing adrenaline with some hygge in the form of a warm mug of mulled wine – the festival goes through 11,800 litres of the tipple each season! Until 31 December 2023
For more information on Singapore Airlines flights to the above destinations, visit the official website.
A version of this article written by Syahirah Mazlan and Tara Sering was originally published in the December 2019 issue of SilverKris magazine. It was updated in December 2023 by Tamaryn Kong.
