People wait in line to purchase drinks at the Glühwein Pyramid at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt on its opening day on Nov. 22. The Christkindlmarkt, which captures the atmosphere of a traditional German Christmas market, is ongoing through Dec. 24.
RYAN TRARES | DAILY JOURNAL
By Ryan Trares | Daily Journal
rtrares@dailyjournal.net
For The Republic
CARMEL — The smells of the holiday season hit first.
Before even stepping foot in the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, the smell of cinnamon and vanilla wafts through the air from stands roasting nuts. Wood smoke hangs in clouds from vendors roasting a variety of German sausages and meats. The pungent tang of melted cheese reveals the raclette chalet — one of the most popular foods in the entire event.
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt has once again brought the seasonal tastes, sounds and sights of Germany to central Indiana. Styled after traditional holiday marketplaces found in the European countryside, visitors can find authentic goods, German food and drink, live entertainment, children’s activities and special events.
Quaint booths, decked in evergreen boughs and lights, offer hand-blown glass ornaments, cuckoo clocks, wooden toys and more sent straight from Germany. Vendors sell pastries, pretzels and sausages to bundled up visitors sipping mugs of glühwein or cans of beer. People twirl on the ice rink while choirs sing Christmas carols in the background.
At the heart of it all, the towering Glühwein Pyramid glows with warm lights.
“The holidays are about making memories together, and we are so proud to continue to provide a special place for people to do just that,” said Julia Davis, acting CEO of Carmel Christkindlmarkt.
In German culture, the annual Christkindlmarkt is a focal point of joy, celebration and everything that makes a local community special. Towns and cities come together for music, food and revelry, supporting their neighbors and the local business community.
Organizers in Carmel wanted to bring that feeling to central Indiana when it opened its Christkindlmarkt in 2017.
Since that time, the event has attracted more than 1 million people to the Hamilton County city. Since 2019, the Christkindlmarkt has been named best holiday market in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest each year.
To make the Christkindlmarkt as authentic as possible, food, drink and handmade gifts sourced from Germany and German-speaking countries, exclusively available at the event. Fifty vendors will be set up throughout the market, with each vendor booth offers something different, with German gifts and products that would be hard to find anywhere but in Germany.
Schwibbogen sells elegant German candle arches, while Frankenmuth Clock Company offers legendary Black Forest cuckoo clocks from Hönes, Trenkle, and Schneider. Klassische Holzkunst features German nutcrackers, and traditional folk art from Seiffen and the Black Forest.
Baumschmuck aus Lauscha specializes in hand-made glass ornaments. Lichtermeer offers a stunning selection of colorful paper star lanterns with intricate tissue paper cutouts, charming paper honeycomb ornaments and 100% German beeswax candles
“We take immense pride in our vendor selection. Each year we try to blend ‘new’ concepts with familiar favorites, all with the goal of creating an authentic experience that you won’t find anywhere else in America,” said Michael Nahmias, Carmel Christkindlmarkt’s vice president of operations. “Most of our visitors will never have the opportunity to visit Germany, so we aim to enrich lives by bringing a ‘real German market’ to them as best as we can.”
The vendors are a powerhouse draw of Christkindlmarkt, but the German food, beer, wine and hot cocoa is equally enticing.
At Räucherschinken Haus, people can dine on “Prague ham” — pit smoked ham cooked over an open wood fire. Baumstriezel serves up chimney cakes, or cylindrical baked treats covered with various sweet or savory toppings.
At Kartoffelpuffer Küche, people can find German potato pancakes, pan-fried until golden and crispy.
Glühwein — a warm mulled wine served in the Christkindlmarkt’s signature boot mugs — is a favorite for the 21-and-over crowd. But last year organizers added a new offering remains incredibly popular. Feuerzangenbowle is a flaming, rum-spiked glühwein. It is believed to be the first time the beverage will be offered at a Christkindlmarkt in the United States.
The food and drink is enough to keep visitors to the Christkindlmarkt busy for hours. But the festival also includes a variety of activities and entertainment for people of all ages.
Ice skating is offered at the heart of Carmel’s Carter Green. Kids can find free crafts to keep them busy at the Kinderecke, or “Kids Corner,” while seeing artistry at work at the Werkstatt.
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is open Wednesdays through Sundays now until Dec. 24. New this year is a free shuttle service aiming to alleviate parking challenges for the over 250,000 visitors expected to visit the Carmel Christkindlmarkt this year. The ADA-accessible service will be available to all patrons on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the market season, utilizing two buses with a combined capacity of 69 people.
Every 15 minutes, shuttles will pick up visitors at a parking lot on CNO Financial Group’s former campus, 550 College Drive, Carmel, and drop them off at the market’s entrance on Third Avenue, significantly decreasing the amount of time it takes for patrons to get to the market.
“Our free shuttle service will make it even easier for our visitors to gather, whether it be to experience the Market for the first time, or to enjoy their traditional annual visit,” Davis said.
If you go
Carmel Christkindlmarkt
What: A traditional German holiday marketplace featuring German food and beverage offerings, unique gifts from authentic European vendors, and performing arts by artists from around the world.
Where: 10 Carter Green, Carmel
When: Wednesdays through Sundays through Dec. 24. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and noon-8 p.m. Sundays. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Special hours 4-9 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17, noon-9 p.m. Dec. 23, noon-4 p.m. Dec. 24.
Special events: Unique performances and special activities are featured throughout the run of the Christkindlmarkt. Check the website for full details.
Admission: Free
Information: carmelchristkindlmarkt.com
