Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Denver's Christkindl Market



Denver's authentic German-style Christkindl Market is a joyful place to see, shop, and dine.
(All photos in this post will enlarge if clicked on)


The market is free to attend and is located in Skyline Park in downtown Denver, right across the street from the Daniels and Fisher Clocktower on the 16 Street Mall that I showed in a previous post about the Christmas Illumination of the city of Denver. (click here to see that post).  

It is open Sunday through Thursday from 11am until 7pm and Friday and Saturdays from 11am until 9pm. This year it will remain open until December 22, an extra day due to the inclement weather earlier in the month.


It was lovely to stroll from booth to booth and see the merchandise that was for sale.


Last year I visited the famous Christkindl market in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (click here to read that post), and while Denver's market is not quite as large, it was still full of a wonderful assortment of vendors


At one point during the evening, a group of students from a local school sang Christmas carols, which added to the shopping experience.


I liked the large, illuminated paper stars...


...and the glassblowers' display of mouth-blown glass ornaments.


This booth was selling handmade Polish Pottery...


...while this booth had gorgeous handmade lace pieces for sale


This collage shows just some of the variety of unique items for sale.


There were also food vendors, such as this one selling German and European cookies, candies and other treats such as Christstollen, Lebkuchen, and strudel.


This booth had German and other European deli items for sale.


There was also authentic German cuisine for sale, such as Sauerbraten, Brats, Spazele, Goulash, Schnitzel, etc., that you could buy and then sit inside at long tables in a heated tent. Inside the tent, you could purchase authentic German beers on tap to go with your meal, or spiced warm wine called"Gluhwein," (click here for a recipe!) plus non-alcoholic drinks.


The tent was large and brightly lit, with plenty of seating.


The main stage in the tent had authentic German music and entertainment. Click here for the 2013 entertainment schedule.



This is what I purchased at the market this year. The German glass and wooden ornaments on the left were gifts, while the clear glass blown ornament and icicles I purchased for my Christmas tree.  Do you know the legend of the pickle ornament? It is supposed to be placed on the tree on Christmas Eve, and the child that finds it first on Christmas morning is supposed to get an extra little gift.  Doing some research I found that this really isn't an old German custom, but rather a new one invented recently, but even so I thought my grandsons would like to search their tree for the pickle.


My husband and I really enjoyed shopping at Denver's 13th annual Christkindl Market, and hope to make attending it a yearly tradition!



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27 comments:

Sweet Woodruff said...

I have never been to Denver. Got as close to Colorado Springs though. This looks like a neat thing to attend. I love German wooden ornaments.

Billy Blue Eyes said...

I visited one near me in Newbury over the weekend but it did not looks so good in daylight

Fun60 said...

It does seem that the German Christmas Market is now worldwide. Yours seems to have more of a community feel about it than the one I posted from London which is more touristy. Thanks for stopping by.

Lynn said...

Looks like such a great way to spend the day! Your ornaments are fun, love the icicles:@)

eileeninmd said...

Pat, the market looks like a fun place to walk around. So many wonderful ornaments, I like the one you have chosen. I am sure the food was yummy too. Thanks for sharing your visit. Have a happy day!

diane b said...

Thanks for the tour of the market. It looks like lots of things to see and buy. Bill would love the german stall.

Ola said...

It was nice to see Polish pottery on the market, it's from Boleslawiec - a small town in Poand
a very popular and famous pattern here

Creations by Marie Antoinette and Edie Marie said...

Hi Pat!

What a fun place to be! A great place for crafters to sell their wares. Great photos Pat!

Your nursing school pics are incredible. You're so beautiful then and now. Thank you for dedicating your life to helping others in the nursing profession. I always wanted to become a Candy Striper after reading Cherry Ames Books. She was a nurse also. But alas I lived too far from a hospital to make it work. God had other plans for me.

Just wanted to stop by and say hi and wish you & Vinny a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Hugs, Edie Marie & Chrissy

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I love this kind of event. Unique things to see, you can buy from the artists instead of Amazon or Best Buy etc.

It looks like a place I would like to visit.

podso said...

It looks like a wonderful outing!

From the Kitchen said...

It has been a while since we visited Chicago's Christmas market so your post provided a nice memory. I love the little creche that you purchased!

Best,
Bonnie

Sweet Woodruff said...

Thank you for visiting me and becoming a new follower. :) Nice to meet you.

Pamela Gordon said...

Oh, that just looks like so much fun, Pat. What a great place to see and shop for unique and beautiful gifts! Thanks for sharing it with us. I've heard of the pickle in the tree but don't think it's caught on much up here.

ellen b. said...

Going to a market like this at Christmastime is on my wish list. It really looks festive and fun!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Gorgeous, Pat… How festive---and I'm sure it will get one in the Christmas spirit… Looks so much nicer than mall-shopping where there is so much stress… I love the idea that there are so many cultures involved with the festival.

There are glass-blowers in Jamestown, VA --and we stop there every time we go to buy some of their vases (for our rose buds)… SO special.

Merry Christmas.
Hugs,
Betsy

Betty said...

Now that's a place I would thoroughly enjoy!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Oh, what fun! Loved seeing this, Pat. And you got a pickle! I learned about that years ago, but that one is so nice! Mine is looking worse for the wear.

xo

Sheila

Anonymous said...

If I didn't know better, I would think I was back in Germany at one of the Christkindl markets…it looks very authentic.

Judy said...

Such fun! It looks so much like the Christmas Market in Vancouver. And reminds me of Rothenburg, Germany...a medieval town that has a year-round Christmas village. Thanks for taking us along!

Vee said...

My daughter shared the pickle experience with us a few years ago and, you're right, boys do have a lot of fun with it. (By the time they were finished with my tree, I could have thrown a cat through it. LOL!)

That kind of an evening looks like a lot of fun. Did you partake of any of those German dishes? I have never had genuine German cuisine except for a Christmas cake that I baked one Christmas. It was delicious and labor intensive. I decided that I like my delicious to be a whole lot more easy.

Cindy said...

What a fun place to visit at Christmas time! I loved the pickle and the fun of searching for it sounds like a lot of fun for kids. Even if it's a new custom, who cares?
Have a wonderful week!

Jacqueline said...

What fabulous fun! If I were there I would be shopping all over the place. Hubby is originally from there so we really should go some time!

Ercotravels said...

Beautiful decorated market! such a sounds a nice one place for Christmas shopping..

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

What fun. I had no idea Denver had a German market at Christmas. My grandfather was first generation German American and we went to Germany one Christmas to celebrate his life. Some of his family in the old country used to send us Christmas ornaments and candy at Christmas when I was little. This brought back wonderful memories. Now I need a mug of hot Glugwein.
Sam

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

This looks like a wonderful market and so much fun to visit!

Miss Jean said...

I told my friends here about your post. They have lived here quite a while and have never heard of the market! I would love to go but, sadly, it would be far too much walking for the hubs.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Gathering Place said...

What an interesting Christmas/cultural experience. Looks like so much fun with the indoor heated dining tent and German entertainment. I'd make it a tradition, too!