New Tradition, Old World Charm: Celebrating Christmas in Germany at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt

Christmas will be here before we know it!  Now is the perfect time to check out one of the newest and best Christmas events in the Indianapolis area, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, celebrating its second year. The outdoor German Christmas market is open Wednesdays through Sundays through Christmas Eve, with no admission charge and free parking available right next to the market in the Palladium Center for the Performing Arts’ parking garage.  Check out my post from last year to learn more about the heritage of German Christmas Markets and read about my visit to the inaugural Carmel Christkindlmarkt.   

Last year we experienced the market late on a Saturday night when the lines for the food vendors were long and some of what we wanted to try was sold out, so this year we went on a Wednesday at 4:00 so we could eat first, see the market during daylight and enjoy it without the crowds.  When we left around 6:00, it was starting to pick up but it was still nothing compared to the weekends.  I do recommend going on the weekend though if you want to people-watch the skaters on a packed ice rink!  It’s fun to experience the market at different times of the day and on different days of the week.

There are several new attractions at this year’s Christkindlmarkt, the most noticeable being the Steinbach Glühwein pyramid! At 33 feet tall and decorated in 3000 lights, you can’t miss it! The pyramid slowly turns, revealing a nativity scene at the top.  At the base of the pyramid you can buy several flavors of Glühwein (hot sweet mulled wine), beer, and other drinks.  It was built in partnership with Steinbach, the German company famous for their nutcrackers and other handcrafted wood Christmas collectibles, which are also sold at the market.  I thought it was absolutely lovely!  It’s located near the stage, so the musicians’ tunes seem to be originating from this giant Christmas spinner if you stare at it long enough!  The design was inspired by the Weihnachtspyramide (Christmas pyramid), a traditional German Christmas decoration.

Last year, the collectible red boot mugs for the Glühwein sold out in just nine days (the same day I went!), so this year I made sure to go early enough to buy the 2018 green mug.  2017 attendance exceeded expectations, and demand exceeded supply of the 10,000 commemorative mugs made in Germany. This year organizers ordered 30,000 boot mugs plus 30,000 train-shaped mugs, and increased the price from $5 to $10, so there are plenty to be had if you must have one like me!  In addition to the boot mug souvenir, I took home a delicate lace owl ornament made by Vogel German lace.

The layout of the market was changed up for its second year, with the number of wood huts increasing from 40 to 47 and spaced further apart to allow more room to shop and move between them. New food and gift vendors, angel wing photo spots, gift wrapping services, and a traditional German schwenkgrill for cooking wurst were added, plus more fires, warming stations and heaters.  New fire boxes with ledges let you stand and eat while keeping warm.  They were really popular on the cold night we went. 

Also new this year is the Kinderecke (kids corner) where children can make crafts to take home, meet characters, and play.  Kinder Club passports are also available for kids to collect stamps from market huts in order to earn a prize.

An advent calendar in the windows of the building next to the market is a fun feature this year.  Each day a spotlight lights up the current day in the countdown to Christmas and a different market feature is “revealed” on social media with a corresponding photo.

The Christkindlmarkt Express train display made by Mr. Muffin’s Trains (whose shop and incredible train display I just visited in Atlanta, Indiana this September during the New Earth Festival) is really cute with its European village theme.  Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen was my favorite part of the display.

Now let’s talk about the food!  Last year I didn’t try any so this year it was all about the food! Many of the food vendors were offering samples too so we got to taste our way through the market. We bought a pretzel, bratwurst and raclette to share.  I was most excited about the raclette (an old Swiss-German dish where a large wheel of cheese is melted and scraped onto bread and charcuterie) because it sounded delicious and I’d heard it was a market favorite.  But I wasn’t a huge fan of the hard bread, and the cheese cooled quickly in the cold air.  Also the cheese smelled a little odd.  My favorite was the grilled bratwurst, served on a bun of delicious homemade bread.  We also took home delicious Kolaczki and dark chocolate covered gingerbread cookies.  I’d definitely buy those again.

This year we also got to see the Christkind for the first time!  The Christkind (Christ child) is the traditional Christmas gift bringer instead of Santa in Germany and Europe.  She is a sprite like angel with blond hair and wings.  You can read more about the tradition and origin of the Christkind at this blog.  I was excited to get a photo of her this year.  (We also saw her later on at the market and realized that at night, her dress lights up.)

Check out the Carmel Christkindlmarkt website and Facebook page to plan your visit if you live in or are traveling to central Indiana. I wish December wasn’t such a busy time or I’d go back at least one more time this year.  I can’t wait to return next year!