The best Montreal Christmas markets to enjoy this holiday season

Taking place in one of Montreal’s coolest neighbourhoods that’s home to the coolest street in the world, the 2023 edition of Verdun’s Holiday Market will be taking place at the Verdun Auditorium from November 17 to 19, 2023. Organized by le Collectif Créatif Montréal—a group of artisans, creators and designers from Montreal and surrounding areas—it’ll no doubt be one of the more festive events of the season for shopping.

Starting on November 25 and running every weekend until December 30, 2023, the Montreal Christmas Village takes over the Atwater Market. Aside from the chalets featuring Holiday treats and trinkets, families can enjoy a visit to Santa’s workshop, buy a Christmas tree, sample sugar shack fare, and—during the Before Times—catch choir performances along with a kid-friendly Elves’ Kingdom to entertain your kiddos. It’s all about snacking, shopping and gifting thanks to 57 sellers plus five food counters.

Taking place November 25 to December 30, 2023 (check the schedule for exact opening days), , downtown Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles will be overrun with one of the city’s biggest Christmas markets to date. With as many as 61 vendors for goodies and foods as well as over 150 free activities to take part in, there’s tons to do, but if you want to simply stroll through and pick up a steaming cup of mulled wine? Well, that’s on the table too.

This year marks the seventh edition of this supremely popular craft fair, and it’ll be taking place on two weekends, November 25 and 26, 2023 as well as December 2 and 3, 2023. You won’t be disappointed: Its contingent of over 90 vendors from Montreal and the rest of Quebec descend on Locoshop Angus with one of the largest selections of potential gifts you’ll see this season. You’ll find clothes, home accessories, Christmas-themed products and a whole lot more, with part of the proceeds going toward the charity Le Phare, Enfants et familles.

Pop Montreal is best known as a music festival, but the organization has extended to present literary, art and fashion festivals, all under the Pop umbrella. It is also the organizing body of Puces Pop, a craft show that features Montreal artisans who make everything from cards to clothes to pottery to hand-carved toys—like real-life elves. Just be warned, it’s a victim of its own popularity: Puces normally gets extremely crowded. The winter edition takes place over two weekends—December 8 to 10 and 17 to 19, 2023—and is perfect for Christmas and all gift-giving occasions thereafter.

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One of the city’s longest running craft fairs, the Salon des métiers d’arts unites over 350 exhibitors at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. In English, it is called the Montreal Craft Show, but you’re more likely to hear it referred to as Salon des métiers, or simply Métiers. Getting a stall at Métiers is very competitive, so you know you’re seeing the best of the best when you visit this annual event running from December 7 to 17, 2023.

Explore the outer regions of Montreal with a trip to the Assomption Christmas Market. It’s an hour drive from Downtown Montreal, but worth the journey. Running from November 24 to December 23, 2023, the market presents rows of adorable shacks filled with Christmas-themed products. Cultural activities run throughout the market’s four weeks of operation. Check out their program and try to catch a performance of the traditional gigue Québécoise.

Run out of Laval’s Centre de la nature from December 1 to 3 and 8 to 10, 2023, this Christmas market north of Montreal is a great spot to expand your search even further for great local gifts from a variety of artisans. They’ll also be selling trees, and if you’ve got a pooch, you’re welcome to bring it so long as it’s on a leash!

Back for its fourth edition, this Christmas market that’s a 45-minute drive out of the city offers a wide range of options across the three weekends it takes place: From December 1 to 15, 2023, with a variety of gourmet and artisan gifts on over, as well as beguiling Christmas food and drink (plus a poutine or two). Watch folk dances, see choirs perform, and more.

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Over four weekends, from November 24 to December 17, 2023, Longueuil becomes an illuminated Christmas village that’s full of festive winter activities like Holiday song and dance, hot and fresh food, cup after cup of hot chocolate and mulled wine, and—of course—goods like jewellery, cosmetics and other local products made by more than 70 exhibitors. It’s family-focused, but ate nights night owls ought to enjoy the chalet-bar they’re setting up.

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Celebrate the Holidays with cruelty-free gifts and yummy gourmet vegan goods running the gamut: pantry stuffers, cosmetics, clothing, accessories and more, all ethically produced by local artisans. This year the market runs on December 2 and 3, 2023, and covers two floors of the Maison du développement durable, a space dedicated to sustainable practices. There’ll be free food samples and giveaways throughout the event.

If you want a true immersion in Montreal’s artistic heart, this market is it with bells on. Running from December 15 to 17, 2023, it offers the usual gift fodder, from jewellery to knitted jumpers to candles and soaps, but also art of all sorts: printed, sculpted, assembled, both weird and not. Among the main attractions are the artful wood toys by the Lafrance family: both artist brothers and art teacher dad produce a limited edition every year that draws the crowds.