While everyone else is preparing their costumes for Halloween, our thoughts are fleetingly touching upon Christmas, too. Especially the highlight of every Christmas in Beijing, the German Charity Christmas Bazaar held at the German Embassy. Due to popular demand, and to avoid the hours of queueing like last year, this year they have changed the ticketing policy: you’ll now have to pay to get in. The mulled wine and snacks will be worth it though, we’re sure.

There will be two kinds of tickets: red tickets, which are valid from 11am, and blue tickets, which are valid from 2pm. Tickets are RMB 100 a piece, or RMB 25 for children, and will include vouchers for beverages and food sold at the bazaar, which will run from 11am-6pm on Saturday, November 28.

As is the case every year, all proceeds go to carefully-selected charity projects. To buy tickets, go to the German Embassy School Shop (49A Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District) between Monday-Friday 9.15am-1pm, or the Beijing Riviera Clubhouse in Shunyi (1 Jiangxiang Beilu, Chaoyang District) every day 9am-7pm starting on November 2. Tickets will be available on the day too, while stocks last, but pre-sale tickets will have preferential access.

Don’t forget to bring your ticket and valid passport or ID card to get into the bazaar on the day. All nationalities are welcome.

This post first appeared on thebeijnger.com on October 30, 2015.

Photos: Courtesy of German Charity Bazaar