HUB FOR THE HOLIDAYS This year’s Hub for the Holidays is back and in-person! Get your holiday shopping done at the European Christmas Market, ride along on the North Pole Express to Santa’s village, kick-off your season with the Holiday Tree Lighting and Movie Night featuring Elf, grab delicious treats at the Holiday Bake Sale and enjoy a winter movie night featuring Frozen II. European Christmas Market The European Christmas Market is setting up their magical Christmas Village at Union Depot for four Holiday weekends. New this year is the expansion of the market with more room between booths and for gathering. Visit the only authentic outdoor Christmas Market in Minnesota running through the advent season. The market opens on Friday, November 26 and runs through Sunday, December 19. Visit stpaulchristmasmarket.org for all event details. Holiday Tree Lighting The crowd favorite event is back and bigger than ever. Tree Lighting and Movie Night will take place on Saturday, December 4. Festivities kick-off at 4:30 PM with the unveiling of the St. Paul Winter Carnival 2022 button. Watch live entertainment from 5-6 PM then make your way to the North Plaza for the Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6:30 PM. Finish the evening with the showing of the classic holiday movie, Elf. The tree will be lit through the remainder of December on the North Plaza, the perfect back drop for family holiday photos! Follow along with the Facebook Event page for event details and updates! Watch the 2020 Virtual Tree Lighting Ceremony Holiday Bake Sale The festivities continue with the top bakeries in the Twin Cities at the annual Holiday Bake Sale on Saturday, December 11 from 10 AM – 5 PM. Shop 30+ local bakeries and food vendors in a day filled with cookies, candy and fun! Enjoy live entertainment, meet local baking influencers and be the first 300 in line for a free gift bag! Follow along with the Facebook Event page for event details and updates! Book Signing Event with Sarah Kieffer, The Vanilla Bean Blog The baking season is upon us! Meet author and baking expert, Sarah Kieffer in a limited one-day event at Union Depot. Arrive to a complimentary mimosa and brunch bites before Sarah takes you through baking tips and recipes for this holiday season. Included in your ticket price is a copy of her “Baking for the Holidays” cookbook (a $25 value!) and the opportunity for her to sign it during the event. This stunning book looks just as good as the recipes inside. Sarah Kieffer, author of 100 Cookies, beloved baker behind The Vanilla Bean Blog, and creator of the “bang-the-pan” method offers more than 50 delicious recipes for seasonal brunches, cookie swaps, and all those Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year’s Eve parties. Learn more about Sarah’s cookbook here! North Pole Express All aboard! The North Pole Express is chugging into Union Depot the first two weekends of December. Take a short train ride to the North Pole, meet Santa and his elves and enjoy meeting some entertaining characters along the way! Tickets can be purchased at North Pole Express | Friends of the 261 Frozen II Movie Night Union Depot will transform into Arendelle on Saturday, December 18 for a night full of adventure! Activities start at 3 PM with the movie starting at 5 PM. Meet Anna and Elsa, Ms. Minnesota, create crafts, snap your photo at a photo op, dance to Disney jams, participate in Disney themed games and watch the icy favorite, Frozen II. Follow along on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more holiday fun.
