Shopkeepers prepared for the arrival of the Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District this week, anticipating a crush of visitors.

This year’s event will be a first for the owners of Spirit of York Distillery Company, a new shop that opened in May.

“It’s a nervous-excitement,” said co-owner Simon Ho. “I think we’re anxious for it to start. It’s a lot of people, and being so new it’s exciting to get to expose people to what we’re doing.

“It’s mostly a celebratory time, so I think people are generally in good spirits,” he added.

Some business owners say the popular event is a boon for business, but hard to manage, at times.

Michelle Muscat, CEO and co-owner of Wildly Delicious, which sells gourmet cheeses and spreads, said the market is just as hectic despite the introduction of tickets.

“I actually think it’s getting busier and busier down here,” she said. “There are times when it can be too much. There’s pushback at the door. There’s literally an avalanche of people.”

She said that she’s hired full-time security and tripled her staff in prior years.

Two years ago, the market started selling tickets for the weekends — the busiest time of the week. This year they will cost $6, including tax, same as last season. The solution is a matter of balancing a welcoming attitude and tempering swelling crowds to preserve the market’s ambience.

“Three years ago the Christmas Market became so popular,” said Mathew Rosenblatt, creator of the Toronto Christmas Market. “There were times when it was too busy, and you don’t want to be a in a human traffic jam.

“By charging on the weekends and not charging during the week, we created an economic incentive to come during the week,” he said. “Without ticketing, we think the market would be overrun and what makes it magical today would disappear.”

There’s been a sharp increase of visitors to the market every year, he said. This season, he’s projecting there to be over 600,000 people, more than the last, he said.

A smattering of people milled around the district on Tuesday afternoon as vendors laid out their displays in small huts and entertainers practiced carols, not yet donning their costumes.

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Rosenblatt said the strategy of charging a fee for access is working, adding that the cost will remain low in order to make the event accessible for everyone.

The market is non-profit and works with sponsors to make it happen. Most of the profits are provided to charities like the Daily Bread Food Bank, the Star’s Santa Claus Fund and Plan International Canada. The rest are used for upkeep purposes, said Rosenblatt.

“We want to keep making this market better, so we’ll keep creating a bigger problem for ourselves and then we’ll find ways of managing it.

“I try to pretend I’m five years old and what I want,” he continued. “Coming down to the Christmas Market, in a macro sense, it feels like you’re in a sort of Dickensian, childhood fairy tale, which is how we envision it to be.”

The annual, European-inspired market begins on Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. and ends on Dec. 23 — two extra days this year — and offers a smorgasbord of food, drink and cheery installations. The market is closed Mondays. It runs from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.