Feeling in need of some holiday spirit? The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is a great way to cultivate holiday cheer while also supporting culture and community.
The Christkindlmarket, which literally means Christ Child Market in Deutch, was inspired by the 16th-century Christkindelmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany. The event served as a pre-Christmas celebration to usher in Advent and has expanded its presence since. Carrying on tradition, Christkindlmarket’s are conventionally found in a town square and surrounded by open-air stalls.
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt offers a vast array of authentic German food, drink and gifts, all sourced from Germany and German-speaking countries. Jackie Killian ‘26 described her time at the market as “A perfect way to spend time with family and friends”.
Entrance is open to the public, with all activities and entertainment are free of charge, but food and drinks do require purchase. This year, the Christkindlmarkt was bought by a private company. Mr. Tague explained that by taking a public good and making it private, the ability for people to walk around without paying a fee could change.
Some specific events to participate in include: ice skating, Kulturecke (Indiana’s rich German-American history), Werkstatt (watch German artisans at work), and live performances at the Winter Pavilion. They also offer a Kinderecke, “Kids Corner”, along with a Spielhaus, “Play House”, that offers kid-friendly entertainment and meet-and-greets. For those wishing to ice skate, there is a fee for skating and rentals. Tickets can be bought ahead of time and are viable for 90 minutes of fun!
To make things better, Carmel Christkindlmarkt was voted the Best Holiday Market in the USA Today’s 10Best competition for the fourth time in 2023. This competition selects candidates from across the U.S. that are voted on by a panel of experts, as well as 10Best editors.
Having won in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt does not tend to disappoint. Anna Averitt ‘25 describes her time at the market as a “10/10” experience and encourages those who have not gone to check it out.
With the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas day, the market is open from November 23 until December 24. They are closed Monday and Tuesday but open from 4 – 9 PM Wednesday and Thursday, 12 – 9 PM Friday and Saturday, and from 12 – 8 PM on Sunday. Special hours are as follows: Nov 27 (noon – 9 pm), Dec 16 & 17 (4 – 9 pm), Dec 23 (12 – 9 pm), and Dec 24 (Noon – 4 pm).
The market is located at 10 Carter Green, Carmel, IN 46032. Best wishes to those wishing to check out the 2024 Christkindlmarkt- it will not let you down!
