Denver Christkindl Market
Denver Christkindl Market Entrance. GACC-CO photo
Colorado and Denver have a very long and rich German tradition beginning with the arrival of many folks of German descent during the 1859 gold rush. They were Denver’s largest ethnic group according to the 1900 census. Colorado’s constitution was originally published in German, English and Spanish, and during the Colorado constitutional convention of 1876, it was stipulated that all laws passed in Colorado would be published in all three languages until 1910.
Today, about 20% of Colorado residents trace their ancestry to Germany and an illegal immigrant from Barmen, Westfalia who arrived in Denver in 1872, Adolph Coors (FKA Adolph Kohrs), still plays a prominent role in Colorado through Coors Brewing and his descendants who are visible players in Colorado and its politics.
Despite so many German roots, Colorado did not enjoy a traditional German Christmas market until 1999 when three founding board members of the German American Chamber of Commerce - Colorado Chapter were able to actualize their idea, conceived a year earlier, to produce a Christkindl Market in Denver. The first Denver Christkindl Market, held at the Denver Pavilions for a weekend was a success; as a result the market was increased to 10 days in 2000. As the Christkindl Market grew to a month long event it was large enough to require the closure of Glenarm Street between the 16th Street Mall and 15th Street for the length of the market. In 2003 the market moved to the Cherry Creek Mall. In early 2008 the event was invited by the Downtown Denver Partnership to set up operations at Skyline Park at the 16th Street Mall across from the Daniels & Fisher Clocktower. There it enjoys the 16th Street Mall’s pedestrian traffic of some 35,000 people daily along the 16th Street Mall, the number one tourist attraction in downtown Denver, according to Downtown Denver Partnership reports.
Recently in 2010 the Downtown Denver Partnership and Southwest Airlines opened the Southwest Skating Rink (to the left) just across the 16th Street Mall from the Christmas market location. In its first season from Thanksgiving Day to the end of January close to 30,000 skaters used the rink. Our visitor sampling indicates that th 2011 Denver Christkindl market enjoyed about 85,000 visitors. In 2012 the skating rink will again drive more visitors to the Christmas market.
Inspired by the most well known Christmas market, the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany (on the right), the Denver Christkindl Market brings the festive atmosphere of the traditional holiday markets found throughout Germany with shopping opportunities for toys, crafts, food and other presents for children from one to 100 years old. The Denver Christkindl Market has become one of the most popular winter attractions in the heart of Denver.
