A German-themed Christmas Market in Adelaide

It’s the season when malls in Malaysia go all out to impress shoppers with decorations that beg to be Instagrammed. So much so that it has almost become a must-do activity with friends and family. So when I moved to Australia, I was looking forward to doing the same at the malls here. However, to my surprise, the Christmas decorations at the malls were quite modest.

Outdoor Christmas Deco at Rundle Mall. Photo credit: @adelaide_streets

Christmas Ever After theme this year. Photo credit: Pavilion KL

So where does one go for a dose of Christmas? Turns out that the outdoor markets are where the locals soak up the festive atmosphere. After some googling, I ended up at the Christmas market at Hahndorf, a historical German town just a 20-minute drive from Adelaide’s CBD.

Welcome to Hahndorf. Photo credit: Ian Lee

You just can’t get more German than this. Photo credit: Ian Lee

The Christmas market was held at the end of the main street. There was a stage where performances were held throughout the evening. Food stalls were grouped together at one section, away from the rest of the stalls selling locally made goodies.

The window displays and store fronts were all decked up. Photo credit: Ian Lee

Performers entertaining the crowd. Photo credit: Ian Lee

Beautifully made decorative items. Photo credit: Ian Lee

Even santa has to eat! Photo credit: Ian Lee

As a Malaysian, I made a beeline for the food section of course. Since it was a bit early for a full-blown dinner, I bought a serving of Dutch pancakes and an overpriced potato twister.

Eating on the job. Nomnom. Photo credit: Ian Lee

After snacking, it was time to check out the rest of the stalls. There were some food-related goodies like Christmas Pudding, Chilli Sauces, Baked goods. And of course other merchandise like handmade children’s clothes, Christmas decorations, toys…It was easy to see that the more popular stalls were those that had more enticing displays. A big sign describing what’s on sale can also be really helpful to market-goers.

Christmas pudding in all sorts of flavours. Photo credit: Ian Lee

French goodies for sale. Photo credit: Ian Lee

Before leaving, we managed to catch Santa for a photo-op.

Oh look! It’s Santa. Photo Credit: Santa’s Elf

All in all, I had a good time at the Christmas market. Even though I didn’t shop much, it was still an enjoyable experience. After all, no matter where you are, the local market is where you can get a sense of what makes a town or city special. And this Christmas, I got the feeling that Hahndorf is a pretty special place.

If you’re behind on your Christmas shopping, experience a virtual Christmas market at Shoppertise Marketplace and do some last minute Christmas shopping!

Merry Christmas to all our readers!

*This post was originally published on Pocketbook.io