Christkindlmarket, Chicago

Christkindlmarket, Chicago
Date(s) Varies
Begins Friday before Thanksgiving Day
Ends Christmas Eve
Location(s) Chicago, United States
Inaugurated 1996
Most recent 2015

Christkindlmarket is a Christmas market held annually at Daley Plaza in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The festival attracts more than 1 million visitors each year.

History

The market in 2015.

The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest first held Chicago's Christkindlmarket on Pioneer Court in 1996.[1][2] Christkindlmarket was inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany. In 1997, Mayor Daley requested that the festival be moved to Daley Plaza.[2] That year the market attracted more than 750,000 visitors.[2] By 1999, the Christkindlmarket had become part of the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.[2] In recent years, Chicago's Christkindlmarket has become the largest Christmas market in the United States, hosting well over 1 million visitors annually.[2]

Vendors and attractions

Christkindlmarket, Chicago 2014

The market is situated by a large Christmas tree at Daley Plaza and also houses a small nativity scene.[3] The site features entertainment from Christmas choirs, dance groups, and brass bands.[2] It also houses a Santa house.[2] At the site beer, wine, baked goods, meats, toys, holiday ornaments, and other Christmas decorations are sold by vendors from Germany, Ukraine, Austria, and the Chicago metropolitan area.[2]

Menorah at the 2001 market

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christkindlmarket, Chicago.

Further reading

Notes

  1. German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest. (2006, November 17). Christkindlmarket Chicago - Contact. Retrieved July 08, 2007, from http://www.christkindlmarket.com/contact.htm
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest. (2006, November 17). Christkindlmarket Chicago - Facts. Retrieved July 08, 2007, from http://www.christkindlmarket.com/facts.htm
  3. German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest. (2007, July 13). Fireworks. Retrieved August 26, 2007, from http://www.christkindlmarket.com/images/gallery/2004opening.jpg

External links

Coordinates: 41°53′02″N 87°37′49″W / 41.88393°N 87.63020°W / 41.88393; -87.63020


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, November 28, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.