What to Buy for a Christmas Market at the Haven

A Christmas market needs more than decorations and festive food. You need enough reusable tableware, serving equipment, lighting, storage and signage for every stall, plus supplies that can be bought early and chilled goods that must wait. This shopping list helps you separate shelf-stable stock from last-minute groceries and prepare for an outdoor setup. Use the final participant list to check quantities before buying.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Party tentsqty 4
Market stallsqty 12
Foldable tablesqty 14
Folding chairsqty 40
Bar stoolsqty 8
Booth coversqty 12
Christmas tree standsqty 4
Crowd control barriersqty 10

Tableware

Reusable mugsqty 180
Reusable glassesqty 180
Reusable platesqty 180
Reusable cutleryqty 180
Storage crates for tablewareqty 8

Decorations

Christmas treesqty 4
Christmas baublesqty 120
Christmas garlandsqty 16
Christmas wreathsqty 6
Christmas figuresqty 10
Table runnersqty 14
Diaper clothsqty 12
Chalkboardsqty 14
Booth number signsqty 12

Lighting

String lightsqty 16
LED lanternsqty 20
LED candlesqty 40
Outdoor extension cablesqty 12
Power stripsqty 10
Cable matsqty 12

Equipment

Mulled wine warmersqty 3
Coffee machinesqty 2
Kettlesqty 2
Food warmersqty 3
Coolersqty 4
Cash boxesqty 3
Card machinesqty 3
Thermos flasksqty 6
Flashlightsqty 6

Kitchen

Cutting boardsqty 6
Chef’s knives and bread knivesqty 6
Serving tongsqty 8
Serving spoonsqty 6
Measuring cupsqty 4
Mixing bowlsqty 6
Storage binsqty 12
Aluminum baking traysqty 8
Oven mittsqty 6
Kitchen towelsqty 12

Cleaning

Cleaning bucketsqty 6
Mopsqty 6
Broom setsqty 4
Dustpan and brushqty 4
Work glovesqty 12
Waste binsqty 12
Trash bag holdersqty 12
Hand sanitizer pumpsqty 8
Toilet brushesqty 4

Catering

Groceries
- Mulled wine red - 30 liters
- Non-alcoholic mulled wine - 10 liters
- Red wine - 24 bottles
- Orange juice - 12 liters
- Apple juice - 8 liters
- Cola - 12 bottles
- Cola Zero - 12 bottles
- Orange soda - 8 bottles
- Bitter lemon - 6 bottles
- Spa Blauw - 12 bottles
- Spa Rood - 8 bottles
- Beer - 6 crates
- Alcohol-free beer - 2 crates
- Coffee beans - 4 kilos
- Tea bags - 200 pieces
- Hot chocolate - 12 liters
- Cocoa powder - 2 kilos
- Milk - 18 liters
- Oat milk - 6 liters
- Sugar - 3 kilos
- Sweetener - 300 pieces
- Whipped cream - 12 aerosol cans
- Mini marshmallows - 2 kilos
- Cinnamon sticks - 200 grams
- Star anise - 100 gram
- Cloves - 100 grams
- Oranges - 5 kilos
- Lemons - 3 kilos
- Apples - 8 kilos
- Raisins - 2 kilos
- Sliced almonds - 1 kilo
- Mixed nuts - 3 kilo
- Peanuts - 2 kilo
- Paprika chips - 12 bags
- Plain chips - 12 bags
- Pretzels - 8 bags
- Christmas cookies - 8 kilos
- Spiced speculaas - 5 kilo
- Brownies - 6 kilos
- Apple pie - 8 pieces
- Cream puffs - 6 boxes
- Baguettes - 20 pieces
- Mini rolls - 200 pieces
- Unsalted butter - 2 kilos
- Herb butter - 2 kilo
- Sliced cheese - 4 kilos
- Brie - 2 kilos
- Cream cheese - 2 kilo
- Ham - 3 kilos
- Salami - 3 kilo
- Smoked chicken - 2 kilo
- Hummus - 3 kilos
- Egg - 60 pieces
- Cucumber - 4 kilos
- Tomatoes - 5 kilos
- Arugula - 1 kilo
- Red onion - 2 kilos
- Pickles - 3 jars
- Mayonnaise - 3 liters
- Ketchup - 3 liters
- Mustard - 2 liters
- Pesto - 1 kilo
- Salt - 1 kilo
- Pepper - 500 grams
- Paprika powder - 250 gram
- Garlic powder - 250 grams
- Olive oil - 2 liters
- Baking spray - 4 cans
- Napkins - 1500 pieces
- Paper towels - 12 rolls
- Aluminum foil - 6 rolls
- Cling film - 6 rolls
- Baking paper - 6 rolls
- Cardboard snack trays - 500 pieces
- Wooden skewers - 500 pieces
- Coffee filters - 300 pieces
- Stirrers - 500 pieces
- Sugar sachets - 500 pieces
- Trash bags - 100 pieces
- Cleaning product - 6 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 6 bottles
- Dish soap - 4 bottles
- Hand soap - 8 bottles
- Disinfectant wipes - 12 packs
- Toilet paper - 48 rolls
- Paper towels - 12 packs

Tips

Buy shelf-stable products as soon as the stallholders confirm what they are selling. Keep a small reserve for popular items, but do not buy fresh or chilled food until registrations and dietary requirements are finalized.
Plan at least one reusable mug, glass, plate and set of cutlery per expected visitor at the busiest serving period, then add 10% extra for replacements and items waiting to be washed.
Test every string light, lantern, LED candle, extension cable and power strip before setup day. Bring enough cable mats to cover every cable crossing used by visitors and stallholders.
Prepare one clearly labelled storage crate for clean tableware and another for used items at each busy food or drink area. This prevents clean mugs and glasses from being mixed with returns.
Set aside change, chalkboards, price tags, stall number signs and booth covers before the market opens. These small items are often left until the last hour, when stalls and lighting are already being installed.

Frequently asked questions

What food should I buy for a Christmas market?: Buy shelf-stable products first, once the participant list is confirmed. Fresh groceries and chilled products should usually be bought and stored 1 day before the market, based on the quantities each stallholder has provided.
How many reusable cups and plates do I need for a Christmas market?: Plan at least 1 mug, glass, plate and cutlery set per expected visitor during the busiest serving period, plus 10% extra. For 100 visitors, that means at least 110 of each frequently used item.
How many Christmas market lights and extension cables are needed?: Measure each stall and the walking routes before buying or collecting lighting. Allow 1 separate lighting connection per stall where possible, and use cable mats at every place a cable crosses a visitor route.
What do people usually forget to bring to a Christmas market?: The commonly missed items are cash change, cable mats, power strips, stall number signs, price tags and storage crates for tableware. Put these in a marked setup box at least 1 day before the market.

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