The Kingdom’s Entrepreneurial Elves Gather at Raintree’s Christmas Market

Who doesn’t love a Christmas Market? We certainly do – and if last year’s is anything to go by, Raintree is about to offer up another cracker.

This year’s festivities include a Friday night cocktail evening, a full day of fun family activities, and two days of Christmas markets, featuring stalls from some of the best-loved artisans and boutique brands from Cambodia and beyond.

There’s also live music courtesy of DJ Optimus Funk, delicious food and drink from some of Phnom Penh’s favourite eateries and bars, and impressive light installations to create a sparkling (if not quite winter) wonderland!

What Kind of Stuff is For Sale?

Oh, you are in for a treat.

Looking for clothing? Check out the Cambodian textile-inspired Good Krama range of womenswear by Katia Chantal. Or pick up a men’s shirt from The Shirt Bar, where great design and clever technology combine in spill-resistant shirts that always look great.

For jewellery you’ll never want to lose, don’t miss the stall for Singaporean brand Envet – designer Anita’s unique pieces are inspired by her international travels. Frankitas has original accessories and homeware covered, while Atelier will sell their impeccably presented, speciality Kampot pepper and salt, and the team from local art studio N.o.w.h.e.r.e is on hand with workshops on creative techniques.

These are just a handful of highlights; the full list of vendors is here. Be warned: last year’s market was laden with beautiful, unusual, handcrafted pieces we intended to buy as gifts but kind of ended up keeping for ourselves.

What Else is On?

There’s an intriguing line-up of workshops throughout Saturday, with Christmas card and cupcake-making with Bloom Cakes on at 9am, Festive rubber stamping by n.o.w.h.e.r.e. at 11am, a free terrarium demo by the Gardenia at 12.30, Christmas ‘Calligraphy’ by Letter + Adore at 2pm, and “Rum rum rum” by Samai Distillery at 4pm. Costs vary and booking is essential – click here to register. There’s also plenty going on in the kids’ corner, from balloon making to face-painting to Cambodian-made toys.

Alternatively, you can kick back and chill with a craft beer, Christmas coffee or speciality gin & tonic while munching on crispy duck rolls, prawn wontons, tacos and homemade chocolates. Sounds like a perfect weekend to us!

What Is Raintree?

Located in the heart of the business district, Raintree is a hub for creatives, entrepreneurs, technologists, young people and professionals. Opened in 2016 by co-founders Zoë Ng and Cambodian architect Hok Kang, the space is Cambodia’s first creative office development and even won a major design award last year.

As well as inspiring new ideas, the loft and rooftop terrace are awesome event spaces for connecting creatives and hosting exciting collaborations in Cambodia and beyond. In fact, this year’s pop-up market is co-organised by the Singaporean events agency Invade, which has helped to bring in artists and artisans from across Singapore and Malaysia, alongside home-grown talent.

So… What’s Happening When?

The Christmas Cocktail evening takes place on Friday evening, while those with kids can pop into Family Frenzy Day all day on Saturday. The market will run on both days at the same times, so there’s plenty of time to get into the Christmas spirit (and, indeed, spirits, if you drop by the gin stall hosted by new distillery Seekers 😉)

Whenever you decide to drop in, you’ll be able to eat, drink and be merry!

Raintree Christmas Market runs from 6-9pm on Friday 7^th December and 9am-6pm, Saturday 8^th December at Raintree, #299 St 110 (Preah Ang Duong)