Separating itself from the retail world that adorns the Magnificent Mile and State Street in the city, the Christkindlmarket Chicago offers visitors a unique holiday shopping experience. The wide range of articles include eclectic ornaments that are hand-blown and painted, and cannot be found anywhere else besides the market. Classic German products like nutcrackers, cuckoo clocks, and beer steins are always popular items with visitors, too. In addition, the vendors offer toys for all ages, jewelry, clothes, home décor, and wooden handicrafts. Some vendors even demonstrate how their handicrafts are made at the market, for example, a wood carver demonstrates his unique carving technique and visitors can purchase his creations directly from the workbench.
However, the most popular bits and pieces offered by the vendors are the large assortment of savory and sweet foods, drinks and candied treats. Visitors can smell the tempting aromas from the sausages, sauerkraut, potato pancakes, waffles, and many other delicacies throughout the market. The Gluehwein, a traditional German holiday market hot spiced wine, has been perfected to please the palate and warm the heart. This beverage is so special that it comes in a souvenir cup shaped like a boot, decorated with the market's signature logo and year. German beer that will quench any thirst also flows from the vendors’ tap. The assortment of roasted nuts, sweet cakes and pastries, or German chocolates and candied goodies are sure to leave all sweet-toothed visitors satisfied. For a list of our non-food vendors click here, for a list of our food vendors click here.