Christmas Spectacular

Christmas Spectacular is a seasonal market located in Smithfield Square, Dublin, just 10 minutes (walking) from our ISI MHL campus (alternatively, you can take the LUAS at Jervis street, in which case it is just two stops heading South towards Tallaght). Organised by Dublin city Council, it runs from November 25-January 02.

Set in the heart of Dublin city, Christmas Spectacular includes attractions such as an Ice Rink, an Ice Museum, a Ferris Wheel, a Nutcracker Snug — serving up seasonal delights like Mulled Wine, and, of course, a Christmas Market itself. At the Christmas Market, which is free for all to attend, you will encounter various vendors selling home-crafted bric-a-brac, as well as food stalls offering everything from Greek Gyros and Seasonal Crepes to Hot Chocolate. To enjoy ice-skating, which the organisers admit is “an inherently risky and physically demanding exercise,” it costs 18e plus for adults and 13e plus for children at peak times (according to bookings.scopetickets.com). You can also avail of a family ticket (2 x adults + 2 x children) for 57e plus booking fee. In any case, your time on the ice is limited to 45 minutes. Should you wish to take a ride on the Ferris (or “Big”) Wheel, it is not clear from the website how much it would cost you, but you could certainly rise above the crowds, as the organisers promise, and take in the “lovely views of Dublin” and the beautiful city-wide lights associated with the Christmas holiday. The Ice Museum — replete with seasonal ice-sculptures by local and foreign artists — is located at the South-western end of the market and costs 10e plus for adults and 7e plus for children. This price allows you 20 minutes inside the museum itself. All of the above attractions are available from approximately 11am-9pm daily between now and the 2nd of January; the last time-slot for the ice-rink being 8-8.45pm.

As a teacher here at ISI Dublin, I took a group of Swiss students to Christmas Spectacular earlier this week. The groups’ consensus was that this Christmas market is very expensive — even by Swiss standards! A seasonal cup of Hot Chocolate alone will set you back roughly 10e, as does every festive foodie’s favourite beverage: Mulled Wine. For those seeking out some savoury gourmet options, it doesn’t get much cheaper, relatively speaking. A small, unimpressive bowl of chicken and chips costs about 16e, and crepes — again nothing special to look at — are in and about the same price range. However, we did find a stand offering traditional Greek Gyros, which were exceptionally good — as myself and one of my Serbian-Swiss students, Sandra, can attest to. The Chicken Gyros, which I believe was the cheapest (and better than I’ve ever had in Greece itself), will set you back 11e, but is definitely worth it! This Gyros stand is located on the right hand-side of Smithfield Square and is one of the first stands you encounter upon entering Christmas Spectacular if making the journey from ISI. Other than that, there’s lots of handcrafted seasonal bric-a-brac, what appear to be Tibetan singing bowls (no idea why?), and the chance to win prizes — like stuffed toys — through physical challenges, such as throwing soft balls at stacked cans, but again, not only are the odds stacked against you, this is a very expensive challenge (9e for 3 attempts)!

All in all, while it was interesting to visit, neither myself nor my students would recommend Christmas Spectacular. Though free to enjoy walking around the market itself, outside of the aforementioned attractions on offer ( Ice Rink, Ice Museum, and Ferris Wheel), the prices being charged for bric-a-brac, food, and drink are quite exorbitant — even if the Greek Gyros did seem worth it!