GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The trees have shed their leaves. The air turns more frigid by the day. Grass is coated in frozen bits of white each morning. Every Michigander knows what that means.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
This time around, though, West Michigan looks even more like a Hallmark movie, as the Downtown Market opens the city's first-ever Christkindl Markt.
When to go
The Markt, located at 435 Ionia Avenue SW, is free to visit and open Nov. 17 through Dec. 23. They're closed only on Mondays and Tuesdays, and for Thanksgiving Day.
Here's the rest of their schedule:
- Wednesdays and Thursdays
- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Fridays
- 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturdays
- 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Sundays
- 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What to expect
The Markt has over 35 vendors offering food, drinks and shopping. All vendors are outside the Downtown Market in the parking lot just north of the building.
All the vendors, which feature a variety of locally-made products, are inside their own custom booths that look like traditional German market huts.
Those huts could be the perfect spot to get your holiday shopping done.
Vendors will offer items like unique Christmas ornaments, handmade pottery, advent calendars, jewelry, clothes, textiles, candles, pet accessories, spices and artisan pastas, leather goods, skincare and much more.
See a full list of vendors here.
Entertainment
Each day the Christkindl Markt is open is jam-packed with events.
These include visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, crafting events for kids, caroling, storytimes, writing letters to Santa, nutcracker character meet-and-greets, cookie decorating and many, many performances by local bands, soloists, ensembles and more.
A fixture of the Markt is their curling board. A group up to eight people can rent one of their outdoor curling sheets and compete with friends. A one-hour reservation is $100. You can book it on their website here.
You can also book a chalet for you and your loved ones. Experience the Markt from a private, cozy, heated tent for $200 for two hours. Book it here.
There will also be s'more fire pits open for roasting treats — or just keeping warm as the weather gets colder.
You can see a full, daily list of events here.
What to eat and drink
Not only does the Markt look like its traditional European namesake, it tastes like one, too.
The Downtown Market is selling mugfuls of glühwein, a warm, spiced wine with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and orange zest in a commemorative ceramic mug.
They'll have draft beers, hot chocolate and hot cider. Organizers say you can add "some cheer" (cinnamon Schnapps, spiced rum, Amaretto or Lillet) to any drink for an additional $2.
Their drink selections are paired with sausages and potato pancakes. Vendors also have crepes, waffles, spiced gingerbread, macarons, mini donuts, decadent chocolates, caramel apples, caramelized nuts, old-fashioned candies, hot soups and chili and raclette, or Alpine-style melted cheese over charcuterie and paired with hot apple cider.
For the kiddos, the Markt has Kinderpunsch, a non-alcoholic warm holiday punch served in a commemorative mug.
For a full list of vendors, click here.
Where to park
There is onsite parking just behind the market, between Ionia Avenue SW and US-131. If that lot is full, there's additional parking on Logan Street, on the other side of the Downtown Market building.
While attendance is free, you may have to pay for a spot to park.
For more information on the Christkindl Markt, click here.
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