Across from a train station, there is a little park hugging the river. Every December, that little park turns into a Christmas wonderland, with booths from all over the world selling everything from empanadas to ornaments. Children come in and stuff their mouths full of sugar and sweets while the adults smile lovingly behind their mugs of hot chocolate, lingering to take in the bright lights and the smells of crepes and sausages and pretzels filling the air. Think this sounds like a fantasy, or at the very least, a setting for a novel? Think again. This tiny little Christmas village is very real. In fact, it has multiple locations in Chicago, the area surrounding Wrigley Field and Aurora. Visiting the Aurora location over break, I found tons of holiday cheer and a certain sense of magic in the air.
Started in 1996, the Christkindlmarket, modeled after the 16th-century Christkindlesmarkt in Germany, was created to promote trade between Germany and the US. That cultural exchange still continues today, through a unique shopping experience featuring gifts from all over united in one space and place.
When I first headed to Christkindlmarket, I did not expect to stay until it closed. I thought that eventually I would get bored and leave, but instead found myself occupied for hours, taking in the sights and smells.
The main reason I stayed so long was the food, or rather, the variety of foods. This is not just European fare. Food from all corners of the world was nestled in this market, with flavors you cannot get anywhere nearby. There were stroopwaffles from the Netherlands, traditional Austrian street food, fries from Belgium and more. Going to this market meant getting the rare opportunity to try a variety of really good foods from all over.
Not to mention, goods were available hailing from the Himalayas, Poland, Ecuador and more, ranging from good-luck charms to cashmere sweaters. I loved to bounce from stall to stall and see what cool goods people were selling, ‘ooh’-ing and ‘aw’-ing over the very unique goods, some from places as close as Chicago or as far as Peru. This variety made the Christkindlmarket feel like the Christmas version of a global convention or fair, all of these interesting vendors from the globe gathered together in one specific place.
The atmosphere was excellent, as well, contributing to the magic of the Christkindlmarket. With bright lights and little wooden booths bearing all sorts of goods while Christmas songs played through the speakers, it truly felt magical, a Christmas village. Even though it was cloudy when I arrived, it still did not dim the Christmas magic of the market. The market felt very spacious, too, and because I came on the final day there were few people and thus short lines for most of the booths. The Christkindlmarket is very popular, so I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowds and the uncanny speed of the vendors.
To me, the Christkindlmarket felt like what the Christmas season is supposed to be, in all its fun, awe-inspiring magic: food, family and fun being the main priorities. It felt like everywhere we turned, we found something new, whether it was a ham and cheese crepe or a Dutch stroopwaffle. If you have time to spare next year, I highly recommend checking it out.
