Enjoy a little bit of German Christmas Spirit in Denver!

Relive a centuries old German tradition when the 10th annual Denver Christkindl Market kicks off on Friday, November 27, 2009, in connection with Downtown Denver’s Grand Illumination and the Parade of Lights and features the Alphornbläser Oy group from the Allgäu region of Germany with their long alphorns at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. The typical German Christmas market at Skyline Park along the 16th Street Mall will continue through Christmas Eve, December 24.  This year again brings the sites, sounds and flavors of the season with a German flair to the 16th Street Mall. Music, holiday lights and typical vendor cabins will dot Skyline Park area across from the Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower. 

Be sure to see the Christkindl during the official opening ceremony on Saturday, November 28, 2009, beginning at 5:00 p.m. The opening ceremony includes: 

-   Trumpet Fanfare 
-   Opening Remarks by local representatives 
-   Musical performances by local groups 
-   TEV Edelweiss’ award winning Schuhplatters 
-   The Christkind arrival 

The Christkind (Christ Child which is pronounced /krist-kint/)is the traditional bringer of gifts on Christmas Eve in German speaking areas of Europe and in appearance takes the form of  an angel or sprite-like being usually depicted with blond hair and angelic wings. 

On Sunday, November 29, the Alphornbläser Oy group again performs at 1:00 p.m. followed by the music of Brenna Pritchard. 

Dozens of community and high school groups will perform or sing throughout the festival. 

The market includes vendors, from Germany and other European countries, as well as local artisans, offering offer quality, handcrafted gift items including such as traditional hand-carved wooden figurines, handmade candles, and ornaments. Traditional German food, bratwurst, potato pancakes, goulash and apple strudel will tempt your taste buds. Sip on warm Glühwein (spiced mulled wine) as you listen to traditional Christmas carols or you can toast your friends with an authentic German Bier! 

This year’s market is larger and better with 25 percent more vendors than last year offering their wares. The market’s normal hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, with extended hours for the Parade of Lights on December 4 and 5. 

“The Denver Christkindl Market is a great event for kids of all ages from toddlers to 100 years old. The German American Chamber of Commerce – Colorado Chapter is 
proud to again host this event and to help keep the rich German traditions alive in Denver,” according to Al Salzmann, president of the German American COC. 

As early as the Middle Ages, German towns have held Christkindl markets, or Christ-child markets, in their town squares. The tradition of the Christkindl is widely observed throughout German-speaking countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and also parts of the Czech Republic, Italy, Liechtenstein. Depending on region and family tradition, either the Christkind or “Der Weihnachtsmann” (Father Christmas or Santa Claus) is the bearer of gifts for children on Christmas Eve. 

During Advent, which runs approximately from our Thanksgiving holiday through Christmas Eve, rustic timber booths draped with fragrant evergreen boughs, line the town squares in Germany. The best known Christkindl Market is in Nürnberg, Germany. Here vendors and artists sell items such as toys, blown-glass ornaments, cones of warm sugared almonds and steaming mugs of Glühwein to holiday shoppers. It’s a charming tradition, that is difficult to recreate in the United States. While we have the convenience of Malls, not market squares, that has not stopped the German American Chamber of Commerce and the Denver Downtown Partnership from continuing a longstanding tradition, complete with St. Nickolas and Christkindl, the market’s namesake.