Christkindelmarkt, Leeds, England

Yes, you read that title right. We went to a German Christmas Market but did not have to leave the UK. The city of Leeds hosts their Christmas Market every year in Millennium Square. We visited on a brisk yet sunny Saturday.

Not a well-lit sign, probably better at night

Entering the market

We wandered through the little avenues, admiring the wares and looking for snacks. Lots of trinkets and bric-a-brac were on sale.

Christmas sales

Cuckoo clocks

Looking for food, not items!

We saw several snack options including exotic items like zebra burgers, mulled wine, sausages, etc. Our ultimate choice was satisfactory to everyone.

The mushroom stall, no sale!

Poffertjies are better!

More cooking...we'll be back!

Continuing on, we found the carousel which demanded to be ridden. For the first time, both children rode by themselves. It spun very quickly too, delighting riders and watchers.

J mounts his ride

L mounts her ride

J in action

L in action

Many other festive decorations caught our eye as we walked around the various stalls.

Alpine Lodge ready for fancy German-style dining

Who put that nice building back there?

One of many moose heads

Even the rubbish bins are festive

We visited the beer hall but didn't find any seating, so we decided to grab a sausage from one place and sneak off to the Leeds City Museum Cafe for lunch, where the kids could get some regular food. The sausage was delightful.

There's the museum, just past the green roof!

On our way back home, we visited the smallest civic playground ever!

J and L share the downtown playground

Ready for more action

The Three Towers, an inevitable Lord of the Rings "sequel"

The market runs from early November through mid-December and is definitely worth a visit!