Christmas Markets in Montreal, Canada

I love seeing pics of Christmas in cities around the world. When I browse Instagram around this time of year, the Christmas markets and scenes from places like the UK, France, Switzerland, and various cities in Germany always look so magical.

Thankfully, living in Montreal has it’s perks thanks to it’s European roots, and offers a lot in the way of Christmas markets, Christmas villages, and festivities as well.

We’ve got a few in the downtown city core, but also in the surrounding cities and burroughs.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Now if you’re not familiar with Montreal, we get our fair share of snow in the winter!

It can really be quite beautiful … as long as you’re not stuck shovelling out your car to get to work that is! 😳

And while I’m not a huge fan of the cold, I do love a white Christmas. Seeing Christmas lights and decorations around the city really helps to get me in the Christmas spirit, and makes the city feel so magical!

That said, currently in Montreal it’s a little … well, not so Christmassy. It’s been a pretty mild start to winter so far, with only one major snowfall which has already all but melted away.

Current weather in Montreal:
Current Weather in Montreal

But nevermind that, we’ve still got some great Christmas markets and festivities going on around the city! 😀🎄🎉

Christmas Village & Christmas Markets in the City Center

The two main Christmas markets in Montreal are in the Quartier des Spectacles, and Atwater Market.

The Great Montreal Christmas Market

Official website: noelmontreal.ca

The Great Montreal Christmas Market is located in the heart of downtown Montreal, in the Quartier des Spectacles, and is a great place to go for a stroll any time of the year really.

It’s right off Sainte-Catherine street, which is the main shopping/downtown street in Montreal, and is also next to Place-des-Arts and Complex Desjardins shopping center.

The market is open from November 25th to December 30th, generally from around mid-day to 9pm. Full hours can be found here.

The market is full of little wooden huts selling all sorts of things, from food and drinks - including hot apple cider, to Christmas decorations, to winter clothing and accessories.

If you’re heading there by metro, you can take the Green line to the Place-des-Arts or Saint-Laurent stations.

Complex Desjardins

Just to get a bit off-track for a second, if you’re in the area, you should also check out the Christmas decorations in the Complex Desjardins shopping center.

Complex Desjardins is right across the street from the Quartier des Spectacles Christmas Market, and is really beautifully done up for Christmas.

The shopping center is a pretty great place to do some shopping all year round, but it’s especially beautiful during the Christmas season.

They’ve got activities for kids including face painting, several dance and theatre shows, a little Christmas train ride for the kids, and of course the real Santa is also here, waiting to hear what you want for Christmas! 🎅

For full details, check out the Complex Desjardins website.

Montreal Christmas Village

The Montreal Christmas Village, which is the one at Atwater Market, is a mixed venue … there’s the outdoor Christmas market, as well as an indoor Christmas market, a Christmas tree farm, and also a Christmas activity center!

If you’re heading there by metro, you can take the Green line to the Lionel-Groulx station, and then it’s just a 5 to 10 minute walk to the market.

There’s also parking near by, but be careful as it can get pretty busy, and some parking areas only allow short stays of an hour or so, and fine you if you stay longer.

The Christmas village/market here runs from November 30th to December 24th, with an extra day on December 30th this year.

The vendors at the Atwater Christmas Village, as well as the Great Montreal Christmas Market in the Quartier des Spectacles, are vendors from Quebec, so you’ll find a lot of great local products here.

I found some amazing Quebec Alpaca wool socks here a few years back, as well as some nice winter wines, sweets, and of course Quebec Maple syrup! Seriously … if you visit Montreal or Quebec, you NEED to pick up some Maple syrup. Trust me on that!

Full details of the market and village activities, which are great for kids, can be found on the Noel Montreal site.

Other Christmas Markets Around the City

If you’re not in or around the downtown core, not to fret! There are a number of other Christmas markets around the greater Montreal area, including in Verdun, Longueuil, Dorval, and some areas further outside the city.

If you’re trying to determine which one might be closest to you, your best bet would be to check out the local borough’s website to see what’s going on in your area.

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That’s a Wrap!

Well, that’s it for now! I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you’re in Montreal, I hope you get a chance to check out some of the Christmas villages and markets around the city.

And don’t forget to pick up some Maple syrup! 😉