Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is planning new attractions and food offerings when it returns next month for its sixth season on the Carter Green in the city’s Arts & Design District.
Opening day for the German-themed Christmas festival and the adjoining public skating at the Ice at Carter Green is set for Nov. 18.
Carmel Christkindlmarkt began in 2017 and has become a yearly tradition, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Carmel, including more than 400,000 in 2021. The event was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
This year, families will have a new area on the east patio of the Palladium where there will be a new hut called the Spielhaus (Playhouse), which will serve as a dedicated space for meet-and-greets, visits with Santa Claus and other activities.
The Kinderecke (Kids’ Corner) will provide free arts and crafts for visitors, while the Werkstatt (Workshop) will host German artisans who will demonstrate their crafts, such as woodworking and glassblowing. Two glassblowers from the glassblowing community of Lauscha will show off their skills for visitors.
“We are so excited to have new entertainment options for families this year, and to bring in glassblowers from Lauscha for our guests to watch at work,” Carmel Christkindlmarkt CEO Maria Murphy said in written remarks. “We are always looking for ways to enhance the experience of our visitors while maintaining a dedication to authenticity, and we know these new offerings will do just that.”
New food, drink and gift options will be at Carmel Christkindmarkt this year.
New huts will include:
- Speisekammer: offering a variety of specialty oils, vinegars and loose-leaf teas.
- Holzbildhauer: Werkstatt artist and wood carver Joachim Seitfudem will operate this hut, selling nativities, small figurines and other art from the Oberammergau.
- Perlkönig: offering jewelry from German designer Perlkönig.
- Räucherschinken Haus: the spot for “Prague Ham,” which is pit smoked ham cooked over an open wood fire.
- Trüffel & Mehr: offering specialty chocolate truffles, as well as chocolate shaped like tools, cars, cameras and more.
There will be several new food options this year at Carmel Christkindmarkt that include:
- Döner Kebab: German-style Döner Kebab; rotisserie-style meat shaved onto bread and served with toppings.
- Herzhafte Suppen: new soups.
- Stroopwafels: Das Schokoladenhaus will offer stroopwafels (a thin, round waffle cookie) this year with a caramel filling.
Visitors will also find new barrel dining rooms that will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The spaces will each feature a faux fireplace and a place to warm up.
The holiday market is scheduled to be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from noon to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays through Christmas Eve. It will be closed on Thanksgiving.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
If you haven’t been since its initial launch, the event is much better now than when it first launched. More food options, lines handled pretty well. I do wish it would run a bit later, but I understand this is basically a daily event and it may be hard to staff something until 11 or midnight.
Best Christmas market I’ve been to. There’s a reason it wins national awards.