It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s time to get out and enjoy some holiday cheer. One of the ways you can do that is by attending the Christmas Village in Baltimore, Maryland. We have a mix of shopping, food, drinks, crafts, community, and above all culture. I had the honor of participating for a full day and I loved the experience! This was a preview weekend which means that some of the highlights will only get that much better!
What is Christmas Village
Whether you attend the Baltimore or Philadelphia Christmas Village it’s grounded in culture. The Christmas village is a model that is reminiscent of the outdoor markets that take place in Germany. It’s a place to shop, eat, and engage in German culture. You will see a lot of German delicatessen as well as the spirit of Germans stemming all the way back to 16th century.
So what can you expect in Christmas Village in Baltimore?
Food
You will find German traditions such as Bratwurst, beer, potato pancakes, and sauerkraut.
There are a few loved favorites returning with a few spins:
Raclette Cheese
This yearly favorite is a beautiful mixed of freshly melted in front of you cheese on the freshest bread you have ever eaten!
Some new changes is you can get more toppings! Check out the salami and prosciutto you can add to your sandwich. Oh and everyone for the most part loves the pickles.
Drinks
We for the most part love holiday drinks especially adult holiday drinks. They have the traditional hot chocolates, apple cider, etc. they also have spiked hot cider, spiked hot chocolate where you choose the alcohol you want in it, and a variety of mulled wine. My favorites were the spiked hot chocolate with Kahlua and the cherry mulled wine!
This is this year’s souvenir cup choice:
Don’t forget you can continue to refill your cup with your drink of choice!
Let’s Shop
So what’s Christmas Village without shopping? I went around to many of the market vendors to see what they had in store and I found some extremely interesting ones!
Piggyback Treats
This is a one stop shop for all dog lovers! You can get hand knitted scarves that are made from second hand yarn. All of the products are made from rescued material from going to waste. I love that. Taking recycled materials to make even better products is the way it should be. We do entirely too much wasting and anything to help offset that gets a A+ in my book. I tried them last year well not me but my furry brother aka my mom’s dog and he loved his treats. I definitely will get them when I go to the Philadelphia Christmas Market. If you’re living in Baltimore you can get you some too!
Cynful Bliss
Now again there’s nothing like a great dessert. Having an adult only dessert in a jar that is absolutely amazing is just the best! These “sin” in a jar are definitely worth repenting for later!
Mixed with your favorite alcohol these decadent desserts are just what you need to give as gifts or to keep for yourself. They also make great additions to any party or gathering this season! Trust me you are gonna want to have these in your possession. My favorite is the peach cobbler. It’s strong and right.
Pressed Up
You know I love a good holiday shirt! I am the queen of having a shirt for any occasions and I found my new favorite shop. Pressed Up had the holiday looks already ready for me. They also take orders online which is key for me because they will be seeing me shop more often. I bought a shirt but I’ll reveal and tag as the holidays unfold just know it includes one or my great past times! I love to shop local as the same shirt I would have gotten from a large chain and now I have it and it’s supporting women entrepreneurs.
I’ll definitely tag the shirt I selected which was hard since they have the cutest options in sizes from baby to adult!
Bacon Dreams
This is where bacon merges into the dream of all dreams! What’s better than bacon? Bacon on a stick. Thick cut beautiful bacon dipped in sauces and flavorings of a lifetime. Have you ever had vanilla bourbon bbq bacon? No well listen JDs House of Bacon takes bacon loving to another level!
I didn’t even have to eat it to see the quality. This ain’t your run in the mill bacon. This is extremely quality bacon!!
The bacon is worthy of a drive. Now if you’re too far and driving isn’t an option hit the link or go to their Instagram and order some to be delivered!!
Indoor shopping
One of the distinctions that Christmas Village Baltimore is that there is plenty of indoor tent shopping too. This is a heated tent that has plenty of food and drinks and a place to sit and take a break!
Even little kids love being at Christmas Village! There will be Santa this upcoming weekend and a kids corner to help parents find a space just for them. There is also Gingy! He was one of the highlights from the visit as well. I was able to walk with Gingy and see him bring smiles to children and adults of all ages!!
Anyone who knows me knows I love mascots and I’m always going to get a pic. Gingy and I are friends now!! Also on December 4th is mascot weekend where you can come and see all of your favorite mascots! Honestly I’m getting excited just typing it!
It’s one thing to fo from day:
To night:
Walter Sondheim Fountain on the promenade
I love the decorations and trinkets you can get from German vendor Käthe Wohlfahrt. These hand made ornaments and decorations are a beauty to behold. You can get items from as low as $1 to a few hundred dollars!
While there I also attended the tree lighting ceremony!
And there is ice skating nearby to enjoy as well!
Ferris Wheel
Who doesn’t love a great Ferris Wheel ride? Bundle up and enjoy seeing the city from up top! It’s a beautiful view seeing Inner Harbor especially at night!
Baltimore holds a special place in my heart. Not only do I have friends and family here it’s also where I spent my 2nd and 5th wedding anniversary. There’s a lot to do in the city as well as Inner Harbor has a little something for everyone.
The market is also dog friendly!
This is just a snippet as it was preview weekend! There will be more planned. You can find more information here!
I hope you get out and enjoy Christmas Village Baltimore! I’ll give you a behinds look at the Philadelphia Christmas Village in about a week! Let’s get out and explore both cities and spread holiday cheer!!
