Minneapolis Christmas Market!

For years my sister has been talking the Christmarkets in Europe and how fun they are to peruse.  Mulled wine, hand made crafts.  Imagine my joy when the Minneapolis Christmas Market was announced.  I could have this wonderful experience at home instead of having to travel across the ocean!  Last night my husband and I and our good friend from Germany ventured out into the cold to explore the acclaimed Christmas Market.  Located in Peavey Plaza on Nicollet Mall, the market brings Christmas cheer to downtown Minneapolis and provides a primo lunch/dinner option for those that work in the area.

Despite the cold, we explored the whole market.  I loved looking at the intricate ornaments and crafts.  But I'm not into buying knick-knacks so my main mission was the German food!  We enjoyed gluhwien (hot mulled wine) and applwein (hot mulled hard apple cider), bratwurst, potato pancakes, pretzel stick, and apple pastry with caramel and cream cheese drizzled on top.

Christmas Market Tips:

• Go at night (it's open until 9) so you can see the whole village lit up with lights.  This will also allow you to snag free parking as most of the meters end at 6 pm.  We parked a few blocks north on Hennepin without a problem.
• It costs $6 to get in, but the tickets are reusable.  You can go as many times as you like.
• The gluhwein and applwein are initially expensive because you are buying the souvenir mugs.  If you go multiple times, bring your mug back.  The refills are cheaper.   I wonder if you brought a styrofoam cup if they would only charge you the refill price.  Also, the applwein right by the entrance on the top level is the best.  We got a mug on the bottom level and it was a little more bitter.
• Visit the syrup stand.  You get unlimited free samples.  Our favorite was the coffee maple syrup and the bourbon vanilla maple syrup.  
• The curry brat is so very delicious.
• The potato pancake is basically a homemade hashbrown patty.  It is served with sour cream and apple sauce.  It is amazing.  You get 3 decent sized patties so this is definitely sharable.
• Bring your food to the warming tent on the bottom level.  It is decently warm and has a bunch of picnic tables to make eating easier.

Per our German friend and those who have been to an authentic Christmas Market, this one is fairly legit.  To put a rating on it, it gets about a B+ to A- which is pretty good for the first year.

The last day of the market is Christmas Eve.  I recommend checking it out.  It isn't huge so you can devote about an hour to it and get the full experience and not freeze your tail off.