Christkindlmarket is a German tradition that has made its way to Chicago. This Christmas holiday market takes place in Daley Plaza from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and offers unique crafts and gifts for sale, a variety of entertainment, as well as German food and drinks.
I love this festival. First of all, it gets you outside in the winter, and if it’s snowing, it feels a bit like being dropped off in an Alpine village. But, then there’s the Picasso sculpture, the city’s Christmas tree, Santa’s House, the city’s Menorah, and the Eternal Flame to remind you otherwise.
Also, the merchants provide a wide range of hand-made goods that you don’t often see elsewhere. My family bought one of those candles that turns a decorative wheel as the heat from the flames rise. It’s now a featured item on our holiday table. The sausage and strudel food options plus the candied nuts, sweets, and potato pancakes help finish out the inviting scene.
The market is open during the day, but try to get an evening visit in, too. It’s especially lively and good fun.
When
November 27, 2008 through December 24, 2008
- November 27 “Sneak Peak”: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- November 28 “Grand Opening”: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- December 24 (Christmas Eve) “Last Day”: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- All other days:Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Admission: Free!
All About the Festival
Christkindlmarket Chicago started in 1996, and has grown tremendously in popularity with over half a million people attending every year. It’s the largest German market of its kind in the country, and it tries to stay true to its German roots — over 70% of the market’s vendors speak German as well as English.
Christkindlmarket offers a unique shopping experience unlike the department stores in the area, as many of the items are handcrafted and incredibly unique. Wares range from hand-blown glass ornaments, nutcrackers, cuckoo clocks, jewelry, toys, clothing, and more. Many of the vendors also offer demonstrations of the making of their items.
As it’s important to keep a full belly to stay warm in Chicago’s winter chill, Christkindlmarket has a number of food and drink vendors on site as well — these are especially popular with the office dwellers surrounding Daley Plaza as a nice break from the usual lunch fare. German sausages, sauerkraut, and potato pancakes are all on tap. Sweets, pastries and candies help provide a nice finish to your meal. To drink, there are German beers on hand as well as the traditional “Glühwein”, a hot spiced wine that is served around the holidays.
So if you happen to be traveling downtown this Christmas season, you owe it to yourself to swing by Christkindlmarket Chicago for a one of a kind holiday experience — outside of Germany, that is.
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