The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest first held Chicago’s Christkindlmarket on Pioneer Court in 1996. Christkindlmarket was inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany. In 1997, Mayor Daley requested that the festival be moved to Daley Plaza. That year the market attracted more than 750,000 visitors. By 1999, the Christkindlmarket had become part of the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. In recent years, Chicago’s Christkindlmarket has become the largest Christmas market in the United States, hosting well over 1 million visitors annually.
Inspired by the 16th-century Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, Christkindlmarket is Chicago’s largest open-air market. This colorful outdoor market features European arts and crafts, homemade gifts, choirs, carolers and German food and beer.
The market is situated by a large Christmas tree at Daley Plaza and also houses a small nativity scene. The site features entertainment from Christmas choirs, dance groups, and brass bands. It also houses a Santa house. At the site beer, wine, baked goods, meats, toys, holiday ornaments, and other Christmas decorations are sold by vendors from Germany, Ukraine, Austria, and the Chicago metropolitan area.
Even if you’re not a shopper, Christkindlmarket is a great place to sample German sausages with sauerkraut, warm pretzels, Stollen, the traditional fruit-filled, Christmas bread and lots of beer.
There are two locations for the market, the expansive Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza, open Sunday-Thursday 11 am- 8 pm and Friday and Saturday 11 am -9 pm, through December 24, 2022. The smaller Christkindlmarket at Gallagher Way is open Monday through Thursday 3-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 11 am- 10 pm and Sunday 11 am -7 pm, through December 31, 2022.
According to en.wikipedia.org; chicagoonthecheap.com. Source of photos: internet
