This week has been quite unforgiving. With Liv off school for two days whilst we waited on a PCR test result, I haven’t been as productive as I had hoped. However, we made up for that this weekend as we hit the Manchester Christmas Markets 2021 with Karen and her family.
2021 saw the return of the highly popular Christmas markets in Manchester after taking 2020 off due to the pandemic. Spread over a larger area, we all certainly put the steps in on Saturday, with my tracker recording over 20,000 steps! Well, we had to work off the amazing food we ate, including these fabulous cupcakes from the Zara’s Cakes stand!
Food Glorious Food
The Manchester Christmas Markets are a foodies dream, with stalls serving culinary delights from around the world. Everything smelled amazing, though it was always going to be the cakes that caught our attention! Sustenance to keep us fuelled for more sight seeing around the city centre.
Lunch was very relaxing and offered the break away that we all needed. A full on carb fest at one of my favourite city centre restaurants, Vapiano. My favourite Cognac pasta dish never fails to disappoint, which is good as Karen chose the same dish too!
What is the best time to visit the Manchester Christmas Markets?
In the morning! We managed to reach the markets at around 11am and headed straight to the drinks section in Piccadilly Gardens. At this time it was easy to source seating for us all and quick to order drinks.
It would have been rude not to indulge in a hot chocolate in this year’s annual Christmas markets mug!
Always a lovely keepsake from your trip to the markets! We have quite a stock now but this year’s mug is my favourite so far!
As we walked by the same spot at around 3pm, it was HEAVING! With no chance of finding a seat and probably a good 30 minute queue for a drink, we carried on walking by!
The markets are well spread out this year with something for everyone. There are quite a few beverage stalls where you can sample their delights… I can highly recommend the Moonshine stand located on Market Street!
Getting into the Christmas Spirit
The weekend was topped off by a flurry of snow on Sunday, which I am sure most places in the UK have experienced over the weekend. We were lucky with the weather for our city centre adventure on Saturday, but the snow really made the weekend even more Christmassy. The perfect way to get us into the festive spirit!
Though a Christmas foodie weekend wouldn’t be complete without a box of Christmas donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts! A little treat for us all to enjoy before everyone headed off home.
Such a fabulous weekend to round off the week and I am gutted it’s over! It’s always lovely to spend time with Karen and her family. I’m expecting next week to be a little quieter and possibly a little less carb loaded!
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The Christmas market looks fab. We went to one in Winchester two years ago and it really gets you feeling festive #project365
Are local Christmas market is a bit rubbish, but we are hoping to get to one next weekend. The food looks amazing
Had the best time with you lovely! Such fab memories and can’t wait to do it again next year, with bigger bags and an even bigger appetite to eat everything! I am so buying pies to go home next time, even if I am feeling full. Thank you for spoiling us including those amazing Christmas donuts you surprised us with.
The Christmas market and Lightopia look great! Those doughnuts look delicious!
Manchester Christmas Markets sound amazing and glad you and Karen had a lovely day out. Lightopia looks fantastic too. Love that display. #project365
I do like a good Christmas market and those cupcakes look amazing, as do the doughnuts. I quite fancy trying Lightopia it looks completely different to any of the light trails we have done.
We visited Lightopia last year and we all loved it. It was so much fun. We’ve not made it to the Christmas markets yet but we’re hoping to.
I love that Christmas markets are making a come back this year, I have to admit I don’t quite feel ready to go myself yet – but I can’t wait to visit them again!
We ended up at the Manchester Xmas market last week and it was so festive and really lifted our spirits 🙂
That sounds like a fun weekend. We visited the Lap of Lights at Silverstone which were amazing.
Aw it looks like you had a lovely time on the Christmas markets. the food and drinks this year have been really good, but yes you are right it was very busy for sure x
The food at Christmas markets is always the best, although I’ve not been to one yet this year, hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze one in x
I really love Christmas markets, they are so much fun. It’s great that they are doing them at the moment as many are buying gifts early especially this year. Those donuts look amazing!!!!
What a fabulous and festive week you have had! I popped by the Christmas markets last week and totally loved it as well, the black mugs are my favourite as well. Lightopia looks amazing too
Sounds an amazing weekend and great to meet up with Karen. Nice to see you back here also.
How wonderful that you were able to meet up with Karen and sample all those delicious treats. The donuts look amazing. I love Christmas markets, though haven’t been to a big one in a while. I have never tried a cognac pasta, will have to google for a recipe and see what the ingredients are apart from pasta and cognac. 🙂
It looks like you had a great time at the Christmas markets. Those cupcakes really do look amazing and it sounds like a fab day. x