Volunteer at #CDM2018
Des Moines European Heritage Association (DMEHA) invites you to be a part of something great: Christkindlmarket Des Moines. Volunteers are integral to a successful community event. We need your help and we have several volunteer opportunities to choose from whether you’re looking for just yourself or a group. Be sure to include family members, friends and others who could join you to make it more fun!
After your shift, turn in your credential for: a ticket worth 5% off your purchase in “An der Weihnachtsecke”, a ticket for one free Usinger sausage or one free drink ticket. Christkindlmarket Des Moines Tear Down volunteers will receive a pizza supper while tearing down Sunday night. At the end of the weekend, all volunteers will be entered in a drawing. One lucky winner will get to choose either a piece of DMEHA merchandise or imported food.
NON-PROFITS: If your non-profit signs up and shows up to fill a shift (volunteers need not be directly associated with your non-profit) to serve Glühwein, beer or to serve Usinger sausages, you may put out your own “tip” box for donations for your organization during that shift. Please contact Suzanne at [email protected] if you’re interested. Must be able to show proof of non-profit status.
No-shows can cause great difficulties for the planning and production of Christkindlmarket Des Moines. We ask that you report on time and remain on task for the duration of your shift(s). All volunteers must be at least 16 years old when they report for their volunteer shift. Those dealing with alcohol must be at least 18 years old when they report for their volunteer shift.
Sign Up Here!
Christkindlmarket Des Moines Setup: Install Christmas trees, assemble signage, hang stringed lights, decorate wooden vendor stalls, etc. **Some lifting may be required**
Vendor Stall Setup: Construct pre-fabricated wooden vendor stalls. **Heavy lifting definitely required**
Waste Removal Elves: Empty the waste receptacles into a large roll-off bin.
Bratwurst Imbiss am Markt: Grill and serve Usinger brats.
DMEHA KinderKorner: Provide a European-centric activity for children. Supplies provided.
DMEHA Information Tent: Answer attendee’s questions, provide information on DMEHA, hand out site maps, entertainment schedules, etc.
Yuletide Hall Volunteer: Assist the Yuletide Hall site leaders to ensure that performers have arrived, are prepared to take the stage and have what they need to perform.
Beer Pourers: Work with the Iowa Beer Bus team to serve beer to attendees.
Glühwein & Kinderpunsch Sales: Serve warm, mulled wine and mulled cider from a tent on Walnut street or Yuletide Hall to eager attendees.
Christkindlmarket Des Moines Tear Down: Remove Christmas trees, disassemble signage, remove stringed lights, remove decorations from wooden vendor stalls. **Some lifting may be required**
Vendor Stall Tear Down: Tear down pre-fabricated wooden vendor stalls. **Heavy lifting definitely required**
Non-Profit Tree Tear Down: Remove ornaments and lights from non-profit trees and help silent auction winners transport these items and possibly the tree to their vehicles.
Sign Up Here!
#CDM2016 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner
In January, we held our volunteer appreciation dinner to thank those that helped produce the inaugural Christkindlmarket Des Moines. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Thank you to Barilla for supplying the pasta and sauce and to Graziano Bros. for supplying the sausage. And to Perry Wehrle for supplying the venue.
Are you interested in getting involved to help plan this year’s event? Complete our volunteer interest form indicating your committee interests.
Are you interested in volunteering at the event this December? Opt in to our e-newsletter to be notified when opportunities are available. The Glühwein serving shifts go fast!
Des Moines European Heritage Association connects Iowans with European traditions, language education and cultural experiences; and it provides resources and tools to other cultural heritage organizations.
Volunteer at Christkindlmarket Des Moines
Des Moines European Heritage Association (DMEHA) invites you to be a part of something great: The inaugural Christkindlmarket Des Moines. Volunteers are integral to a successful community event. We need your help and we have several volunteer opportunities to choose from whether you’re looking for just yourself or a group. Be sure to include family members, friends and others who could join you to make it more fun!
No-shows can cause great difficulties for the planning and production of Christkindlmarket Des Moines. We ask that you report on time and remain on task for the duration of your shift(s). All volunteers must be at least 16 years old when they report for their volunteer shift. Those dealing with alcohol must be at least 21 years old when they report for their volunteer shift.
Volunteer shifts range of 2-3 hours and an estimated 400+ volunteers will be needed to make #CDM2016 possible.
Sign up now with VolunteerLocal!
Christkindlmarket Des Moines Setup
Install Christmas trees, assemble signage, hang stringed lights, decorate wooden vendor stalls, etc. **Some lifting may be required**
Vendor Stall Setup
Construct pre-fabricated wooden vendor stalls. **Heavy lifting definitely required**
Vendor Assistant
Help vendors unload their merchandise as well as with vendor set up and tear down.
Vendor Relations
Watch vendor’s booths should they need to take a break.
Waste Removal Elves
Empty the waste receptacles into a large roll-off bin as needed.
DMEHA KinderKorner Booth
Provide a European-centric activity for children. All supplies provided.
DMEHA Information Area
Answer attendee’s questions, provide information on DMEHA, hand out site maps, entertainment schedules, etc.
Programming Stage Volunteer
Assist the Programming site leaders to ensure that performers have arrived, are prepared to take the stage and have what they need to perform.
Arts Project Grant Survey Deployment
Circulate throughout the programming area during performances to deploy a survey to capture attendee demographic information.
ID Checkers
Check the IDs of attendees who would like to drink alcoholic beverages.
Beer Pourers
Work with the Iowa Beer Bus team to serve beer to attendees.
Glühwein Sales
Serve warm, mulled wine from a wooden vendor stall to eager attendees.
Non-Alcoholic Beverage Sales
Sell hot chocolate, hot cider, water, etc. to attendees.
Christkindlmarket Des Moines Tear Down
Remove Christmas trees, disassemble signage, remove stringed lights, remove decorations from wooden vendor stalls. **Some lifting may be required**
Vendor Stall Tear Down
Tear down pre-fabricated wooden vendor stalls. **Heavy lifting definitely required**
Volunteer Relations
Greet and check-in volunteers, direct volunteers to assigned areas, and keep Volunteer Headquarters organized.
Sign up now with VolunteerLocal!
Des Moines European Heritage Association connects Iowans with European traditions, language education and cultural experiences; and it provides resources and tools to other cultural heritage organizations.
DMEHA/CDM Lunch & Learns
Bring your lunch and we’ll meet in the DSM Central Library’s 2nd floor study rooms (1000 Grand Ave, Des Moines) to talk about Des Moines European Heritage Association, Christkindlmarket Des Moines and all the ways you can be involved.
These standing meetings are scheduled for the 3rd Tuesday of every month from noon – 1pm. We hope to see you there!
Des Moines European Heritage Association connects Iowans with European traditions, language education and cultural experiences; and it provides resources and tools to other cultural heritage organizations.
Get Involved with Christkindlmarket Des Moines | Plan
Continuing in our series on how to get involved with Christkindlmarket Des Moines, in addition to sponsoring and attending, you could also help plan this amazing event!
Vorosmarty Square, Budapest, Hungary
Christkindlmarket Des Moines is a German-inspired Christmas market whose goal is to educate and entertain the community by exposing them to European-style foods, products and activities. We plan on having regional vendors sell their hand-crafted wares and ethnic foods from traditional wooden stalls, an entertainment area where polka bands, choirs, and bell ringers can perform, a kid’s area where they can participate in various cultural activities and a beer tent offering European-style beverages.
The event planning committee is currently meeting on the second Wednesday of the month at the Des Moines Central Library from 6:45pm – 8pm. Our next meeting is Wednessday, December 9th. We anticipate the number of meetings increasing as we get closer to the event. Areas where we could use support include marketing, sponsorship, operations, vendor relations, volunteer coordination, program planning for the entertainment area, general programming for the event, the kid’s area and the beer tent.
If you’re interested in helping plan this event, please contact Suzanne Hull at [email protected]. She’ll answer any questions you might have and get you up to speed.
Get Involved with Christkindlmarket Des Moines | Attend
Christkindlmarket Des Moines will take place in Western Gateway Park (just west of the downtown Des Moines Library) December 2 – 4, 2016. There will be something for everyone, so please mark your calendars and invite your friends to Like the Facebook Fan Page.
Dec 2nd, 2016: 11am – 9pm
Dec 3rd, 2016: 11am – 9pm
Dec 4th, 2016: 11am – 5pm
Christmas Market in Jena, Germany
WHAT IS CHRISTKINDLMARKET DES MOINES?
- Mission: Educate, entertain and delight the Midwest by producing Iowa’s premiere German-inspired Christmas market
- 30 vendors (5 food and 15 non food), vending outdoors in stalls
- Kinder Korner: an indoor area where kids can be exposed to various European languages, sing songs, color pictures, hear traditional stories, etc.
- Entertainment: high school choirs, church choirs, carolers dressed in period costume, traditional brass bands, blacksmith demonstrations, bell choirs, etc.
- Google Images of Christmas Markets around the world – http://ow.ly/w2bJZ
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market
WHY PRODUCE THIS EVENT IN DES MOINES?
- A European-style Christmas Market in Des Moines will provide a warm, friendly gathering place for residents and tourists.
- This experience will provide the perfect field trip opportunity for teachers and professors of European languages and cultures.
- Children will be exposed to different cultures through crafts, songs and food, creating an awareness of other cultures.
- Charming Christmas markets are one answer to holiday commercialism. Instead of mass-produced gifts, these markets feature unique, hand-crafted items, purchased from vendors who have often crafted the items themselves.
- Regional businesses will have the opportunity to showcase their seasonal products.
Get Involved With Christkindlmarket Des Moines | Sponsor
We are currently pursuing sponsors (and writing grants!) so we can offer Christkidlmarket Des Moines free of charge to attendees. If you or your organization value the arts, culture and enriching the community in which you live, work and play, this is a great opportunity.
We have an amazing opportunity for you to see your sponsorship continue beyond next year’s event in the form of a vendor hut! We are working with Waukee High School Industrial Arts students to construct our vendor huts. A traditional Christmas market just isn’t the same without vendor huts! Funds provided by a vendor hut sponsorship will go towards the purchase of materials to produce one hut which will be used for many years to come.
General sponsorship levels start as low as $50 up to the Platinum level. Exclusive naming right opportunities are available for the Presenting Sponsor, Beer Tent, Kinder Korner, Programming Stage, Christmas Tree Sponsor and Glühwein Sponsor.
If this sounds like something you or your organization are interested in, please contact Suzanne Hull at [email protected] to discuss the possibilities!