New West Christmas Market

The New West Holiday Market is a Christmas-themed food and artisan market that takes place outside New Westminster’s City Hall in December.

Hosted by the New West Farmers Market, in 2023 the event takes place on the weekend of December 9th and 10th. It’s a fabulous place to do your holiday shopping!

For the event’s official website, visit newwestfarmers.ca.

The New West Holiday Market in 2023

The New West Holiday Market first took place in December of 2020. It was a great success. The holiday market returned in 2021 and happened again in 2022 with even more vendors.

In 2023 the New West Holiday Market celebrates its fourth year. It takes place on the Saturday and Sunday of December 9th and 10th. On both days, the market runs from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.

There are over 90 vendors on site this year. There are also food trucks and live entertainment scheduled for both days. Free crafts and other activities are available for children as well.

Admission to the annual event is by donation, with a suggested $5 minimum. Proceeds from the market in 2023 are split with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. It’s a great cause!

New West Market Vendor Stalls

New West Holiday Market Location

The special holiday edition of the market takes place in the parking lot outside New Westminster City Hall which is located at 511 Royal Avenue between 4th Street and 6th Street.

The market is about half a kilometre or an eight-minute walk up the hill from the Columbia SkyTrain Station. Shoppers can park along both Royal Avenue and Queens Avenue, or in the parking lot at Tipperary Park which is next door to the City Hall property (and where the weekly New West Farmers Market normally takes place from March until November).

While in New Westminster, there are a few attractions nearby that are worth going to see. City Hall is less than a five-minute drive from Westminster Quay which features a walk along the Fraser River. If you’d like to sail on the river itself, then check out Paddlewheeler Riverboat Tours. For folks wanting to learn more about the body of water and its surrounding environments, the Fraser River Discovery Centre is nearby and a great place for families. The Massey Theatre is also less than two kilometres from City Hall.

For the event’s official website visit newwestfarmers.ca.

Honey Vendor at New West Market

Market Vendors

There is a large variety of vendors at the New West Holiday Market. Many different cultures are represented and products aren’t limited to just food.

Vendors are typically organized into different categories, such as alcohol, candles, confections, farm produce, plant-based products, textiles and more. Categories with the most vendors in past years were baked goods and entrees.

Bakeries on-site a couple of years ago included BAK’D Cookies, Bannock Queen, Phantastic Foods, Trove Desserts, and about four others. Vendors selling entrees included A Very Good Pasta Sauce, House of Yee, Koji Fine Foods, Morgan’s Harbour, Whatsoup, and more. 2023 participants will likely be comparable. Exact details, however, are to be confirmed.

Dogs at New West Holiday Market

New West Holiday Market Video

We visited the New West Holiday Market a couple of years ago and it was great! To give you an idea of what to expect this year, check out the video below. As you’ll see, City Hall is in the background and numerous vendors are set up in front of the building and down the block. Tents and tables lined both sides of the parking lot.

Products available range from fresh vegetables to honey and jerky, among other tasty foods and even wine. The isolated green tent in the middle of the video was for musicians who provided live entertainment. There were six different musicians in 2021, each of whom performed at different times.

Also, as you can see in the video, furry friends are welcome at the market! All dogs have to be leashed and well-trained so they don’t cause any disturbances.