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BySuzanne Hull

CycleBar Private Charity Ride

Grab a friend and join us for a Private Charity Ride at CycleBar Jordan Creek (160 Jordan Creek Parkway, Suite 130, West Des Moines) in support of Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2019.

Visit https://members.cyclebar.com/buy/cyclebar-jordan-creek?schedule_entry_id=piq_896327 to create your account and buy your ticket.

Your $35 ticket (you may choose to give more) includes a Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2019 commemorative Glühwein mug that can be picked up at the festival in December.

CycleBar will provide a CycleStar Instructor and staff to facilitate the 45 minute charity ride. As always, CycleBar will provide all riders with the royal CycleBar treatment, including their amenities (complimentary cycling shoes, towels, water, fresh fruit, etc.).

Please arrive 10-15 minutes early. CycleBar is located just west of the mall on Jordan Creek Pkwy. Many apps will send you to the mall parking lot. CycleBar is behind the new Giordano’s at the corner of Jordan Creek Pkway and Bridgewood Blvd.

BySuzanne Hull

The Jim Kucera Band | #CDM2019 Performer

Tell us about your group and what to expect from your performance

The Jim Kucera Band started in 1984.  Our first performance was at the Wilber Czech Festival that year.  This is our 35th year!! 

Our most unique performance:  We were asked by the University of Nebraska to play for a Husker Men’s Basketball game in 1987. The Husker team was playing an exhibition against the team from what was Czechoslovakia at the time. They wanted polka music! We alternated our brand of exciting polka music with the Husker pep band. It was great! A pep band gig!

What are you most looking forward to at the 2019 Christkindlmarket Des Moines?

We have played at Des Moines a lot the past several years. We have always been treated great by the people of Des Moines! Performing at Christkindlmarket Des Moines not only gets us to Des Moines again, but to play something different! Playing new venues and events, that’s always exciting as a performer!

What do you enjoy most about this type of venue or crowd? 

Playing events like this, we get to see old friends and have the opportunity to develop new friendships as well! We approach each gig with the mindset that it’s not just about the music, but it’s about family in the band, and it’s about the people we perform for as well. It’s about relationships with people. I guess that’s the teacher in me speaking. 

BySuzanne Hull

Ruhland Strudel Haus | #CDM2019 Vendor

Tell us about your business

Ruhland’s Strudel Haus has been in business since 2002. What began in a concession trailer has evolved into a frozen, take-and-bake business that serves the Twin City market through farmer’s markets, fundraisers and a variety of community events. We make over 47 varieties of strudel, both sweet and savory.

Founded in 2002, Ruhland’s Strudel Haus is a maker of fabulous sweet and savory strudel. We are inspired by the belief that food is one of life’s celebrations and is integrated in our relationship with the Earth and one another. Our mission is to provide a unique experience of common union. Our hope is that what we make will gather people around the table to celebrate the love and community found in family and friends. Our goal is to create food that brings joy and delight.

What inspired you to get involved as a vendor at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2019?

We have participated the Christkindlsmarket in Excelsior, MN for the last 15 years. When we discovered Christkindlmarket Des Moines, we thought we’d be a good fit. We loved being there in 2018 and look forward to 2019.

What products will you be selling at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2019 and why did you choose them?

We will be offering the same menu as last year. Reuben Strudel, Spinach, Feta and Artichoke Heart Strudel, Apple Strudel, Strawberry Rhubarb Strudel and handmade pretzels with beer cheese sauce. Additionally, we will be offering a new product as well, Rindergulash on a Hoagie roll with sour cream and spicy sweet pickles.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Love your event!

BySuzanne Hull

Heartland Youth Choir | #CDM2019 Performer

Tell us about your group.

This is Cantilena Choir, one of six ensembles that make up the Heartland Youth Choir. Cantilena Choir features singers in grades 3 – 5 from throughout Central Iowa. In addition to local performances throughout the year, Cantilena Choir also tours regionally each year. Last summer, we participated in the KidZing Choral Festival in Sioux City.

Heartland Youth Choir is celebrating its 17th year of providing top-quality music education to Iowa children, ages 4 to 18. Learn more at our website: www.joinhyc.org

What are you most looking forward to at Christkindmarket Des Moines?

Our singers enjoy the excitement of the large audience, the wonderful tented stage, and the street market atmosphere. We’re looking forward to exploring the new event location at Principal Park. Our singers are eager to share traditional holiday favorites as well as choral music they have prepared for our WinterSongs holiday concert.

What’s your favorite thing about performing at events like this?

Heartland Youth Choir strives to offer young singers unique performance opportunities just like Christkindlmarket Des Moines. It’s a chance for these young people to engage with the larger community through music and to make memories along the way. Our singers and their families love to stick around after performing to enjoy the rest of the festival.

BySuzanne Hull

Central Iowa Wind Ensemble | #CDM2019 Performer

Tell us about your group

The Central Iowa Wind Ensemble was started in 2002 by a group of local music educators. Over the years our group has grown to 50 members and includes musicians from a wide variety of musical backgrounds and occupations. We play 3-4 concerts a year in the Des Moines area.

What are you most looking forward to at Christkindlmarket Des Moines?

Christkindlmarket Des Moines is unique for us because it does not feature our full 50 member ensemble. It’s an opportunity to spotlight our brass section players and gives listeners who maybe haven’t heard us before a chance to find out about us.

What’s your favorite thing about performing at events like this?

Our brass section plays a variety of chamber music and holiday favorites. It’s a great way to spread holiday cheer and a love for classical/traditional music with the Des Moines area.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Check us out on Twitter, Facebook and our website www.ciwe.org. This year we have some exciting changes coming to our organization so stay tuned for behind the scenes looks, concert information and the latest news.

BySuzanne Hull

Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen | #CDM2019 Performer

Tell us about your group

Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen perform as a 2 to 5 person group. For Christkindlmarket Des Moines, we will be performing with our 3-piece group which consists of accordion, guitar/banjo and drums. The band has been playing for over 30 years. One of our highlights was performing on the National Mall in Washington, DC for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1996.

What are you most looking forward to at Christkindlmarket Des Moines?

We like the idea of celebrating our German Heritage and creating the European style Christmas market with the food and music. It’s a chance to expose our band to people that may not know we exist and share our music with them! Hopefully our music makes it the icing on the cake that makes an already fun event even better. 

BySuzanne Hull

Farmboy | Platinum Sponsor

We’re pleased to be working with Farmboy on event branding, educational awareness, and environmental design for Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2019.

Farmboy is a Marketing and Web Development Agency based in Des Moines, Iowa, serving clients in the Midwest and throughout the United States. Since 1998, the agency has worked with entrepreneurial and forward-thinking businesses to find their right audience and scale their business with good strategy.

FARMBOY: Real. Good. Work.

BySuzanne Hull

SG Edelweiß-St. Paul | #CDM2019 Performer

Tell us about your group and what to expect from your performance

Founded in 1961, SG Edelweiß-St. Paul is a Bavarian Dance group, comprised of many multi-generational families. Dressed in traditional Bavarian outfits, this award winning group will perform dances from throughout Germany and Austria. Their repertoire consists of the Schuhplattler, Figurentanz and Laendler, typical dances seen throughout Southern Germany and Austria.

What are you most looking forward to at the 2019 Christkindlmarket Des Moines?

Showing and explaining to the people of Des Moines and the surrounding areas that come to Christkinkdlmarket Des Moines what this type of traditional dance looks like. Visiting with everyone we met last year!

What do you enjoy most about this type of venue or crowd? 

The appreciation of the crowd in learning about us and watching us perform. Shopping at the other vendors booths that are participating.  

Anything else you’d like to share?

We look forward to the new venue and sharing our German heritage with everyone.

BySuzanne Hull

DMEHA at Des Moines Arts Festival

Join DMEHA at the Des Moines Arts Festival June 28 – 30. This award winning festival is a great way to get out and see the city. Located in Western Gateway Park, around the John and Mary Papajohn Sculpture Park, it includes artist demonstrations, live music and art available for purchase. The hundreds of artists featured were each selected by a committee to present their work at the festival.

Even better, there is a community outreach program where local non-profit organizations can connect with the public. DMEHA will be located there, near the Community Choice Credit Union Performing Stage. Look for us on Grand Avenue off of 15th Street.

We’ll be sharing our own art project with visitors while we’re there. Come by our tent to make a craft to take home.

We can’t wait to see everyone there! Get your friends together to learn more about DMEHA and Christkindlmarket Des Moines while appreciating another great event Des Moines has to offer.


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.

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BySuzanne Hull

Metro Brass Quintet | #CDM2019 Performer

Tell us about your group

The Metro Brass Quintet has five members – two trumpets, a French horn, trombone, and bass trombone. The group has been together since 2014 and still has 4/5 original members! We are comprised of music teachers and working professionals that all have degrees in music and play in a variety of groups in the Des Moines area.

What are you most looking forward to at Christkindlmarket Des Moines?

We look forward to playing at Christkindlmarket Des Moines every year because of the Gemütlichkeit. It’s a fun crowd and a really nice way to spend a December afternoon.

What’s your favorite thing about performing at events like this?

Our favorite thing about playing for events is being able to share a variety of music with the audience and connect with them to make the event special and memorable.

Anything else you’d like to share?

We’ve been performing each year of Christkindlmarket Des Moines and we are happy to be a part of the tradition!