DTLA Welcomes new christmas market
On Nov. 29, Downtown Los Angeles welcomed the Los Angeles Christmas Market for the first time. Themed as the bustling city of Germany, the market features festive holiday music, freshly baked food, treats and dozens of open-air booths.
Located on 777S Alameda St., the Los Angeles Christmas Market is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 PM-10 PM until Christmas Eve, from 12 P.M.- 5 P.M. The market also offers easily accessible parking at ROW-DTLA which provides free on-site garage parking for the first two hours.
At the entrance of the Christmas market, customers receive a map displaying featured activities on the “Winter Wonderland” side and the “Downtown North Pole” side. The back of the map contains a scavenger hunt, where guests can locate and collect six different stamps and turn them in for a prize at the end of their experience.
On the Winter Wonderland side, customers could walk into an outdoor Christmas-themed movie, such as Christmas Vacation. The Winter Wonderland side offers igloo passes to guests who want a more immersive experience. Those with igloo passes can attend a 90-minute igloo experience, featuring crafted drinks, bites and desserts. Compared to the normal market ticket prices which are $15 for early purchase, $20 for weekday admissions, and $27 for weekend admissions, the igloos range from a starting price of $180 to $380.
The North Pole side features Santa’s Special Visit, where guests of all ages can meet Santa Claus and take holiday pictures. The Downtown North Pole area also contained numerous food options, including cheese wheel pasta, chowder, apple cider, eggnog, hot cocoa, poffertjes (dutch batter cakes that resemble small pancakes), smoked salmon and more. For example, the Los Angeles Tea Emporium is one of the many specialty booths the market offers on the North Pole. The shop features exclusive items to its Christmas Market brand, including exotic teas. The booth is run by Sylvia Wignua, who has noticed positive sales for the booth and lots of Christmas joy from the customers.
“I love the market, it’s helped build the Christmas spirit and assisted customers with holiday shopping,” Wignua said. “We have had a very positive response to being here, and I hope to return for the following years to come.”
Samo student Luca Donahue (’26), visited the market, immersing herself in the festive activities and trying the various traditional foods.
“I really enjoyed going to the market, I hadn’t been to anywhere like this before and it really put me in the festive spirit,” Donahue said, “I especially enjoyed the apple cider.”
