Today’s the day.

The Marina Christmas Market opens this morning at 10am, with over 30 stalls ready to serve up a range of food, crafts and gifts to visitors seven days a week between now and Christmas Eve.

Last night the Market, on Cork’s Centre Park Road, welcomed two very special residents; Rudolph’s wife and daughter are visiting from the North Pole.

Meanwhile, Guji has set up a new counter to handle the steady stream of customers dropping by for coffees, while Fire and Feast, an ethical street food stall run by brother and sister team Richard and Vanessa will be serving up South African dishes slathered in homemade Sticky Feast sauce as well as their award-winning organic venison burger from Ballinwillin House & Farm.

Vegans can sample the homemade Umami Vegan burger, made using Ballyhoura Mountain Wild Mushrooms, with a Christmassy Warm Mulled Apple Juice from Cahir Apple Farm available too.

You can work off all the excess calories (or pre-empt them) with some socially distanced morning workouts led by Lean With Lesley (book your slot on LeanWithLesley.com).

There’ll be gift stalls aplenty too; Cork illustrator Lucia Moreno Montero will be selling her gorgeous prints from a custom stall at the market, with jewellery from Ivy’s Attic, art from Mother of Unseen and natural skincare from Aroma Bliss to fill your stockings this Christmas.

 

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“We have been working very hard behind the scenes over the past weeks to ensure that ‘Christmas at the Marina Market’ can be run safely,” the organisers posted on social media.

“Our huge indoor space of 82,000sq.ft. will allow for correct Covid social distancing measures to be in place for both traders and the public in line with Government and HSE guidelines.”