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Betterment Grant will help fund Christkindlmarket Des Moines – an annual holiday tradition

Prairie Meadows recently awarded the Iowa European Cultural Connection (IECC) a Betterment Grant totaling $20,000. The grant will help fund Christkindlmarket Des Moines (CDM). Prairie Meadows is a nonprofit organization dedicated to lessening the burden of government by promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa.

“We’re pleased to welcome Prairie Meadows as our Presenting Sponsor and hope to continue this community partnership for many years to come”, Suzanne Hull, the Director of Christkindlmarket Des Moines, explains. “For the last seven years, CDM has brought so much joy to the attendees, the surrounding communities and volunteers and we’re pleased to have become an annual family tradition”.

The Betterment Grant will improve the lives of people in central Iowa by enabling the Iowa European Cultural Connection to produce Christkindlmarket Des Moines again this year. The $20,000 grant will allow IECC to offset the costs of electrical distribution and electrical equipment rental to illuminate Principal Park during the festival on November 30 – December 3.

“As a nonprofit organization, Prairie Meadows fulfills its purpose by giving back to organizations that support arts and culture, education, economic development, and human services. We are excited to see the impact [insert name of project] will have on our central Iowa community,” said Julie Stewart, Prairie Meadows Vice President of Community Relations.

Visit prairiemeadows.com/community and christkindlmarketdsm.com to learn more about these organizations and the causes they support.

About Prairie Meadows

Prairie Meadows began operations as a nonprofit organization in 1989, with the goal of promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa. Through taxes, grants, and charitable donations, Prairie Meadows has given $2.1 billion to the state of Iowa. Prairie Meadows offers slot machines, table games, live and simulcast racing, sports wagering, hotel accommodations, entertainment, and more.

About the Iowa European Cultural Connection (IECC)
IECC’s mission is to connect Iowans with European traditions, language learning and cultural experiences. IECC’s signature event is Christkindlmarket Des Moines taking place November 30 – December 3, 2023 at Principal Park. Over the past six years, this unique cultural experience has grown to become the second largest festival of its kind in the U.S. based on average daily attendance.

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We’re pleased to have Chicago Teahouse as an Annual Hut Sponsor.

From our location in the heart of the Historic Gold Coast of Chicago we have been able to share our passion with even more people. Our Chicago location has continued to impress for the past fifteen years. Our woman-owned local business was named The Best Tea Shop in Chicago by Chicago Magazine. Customers can trust they are getting the best service from an incredibly knowledgeable staff as our store is managed by a Certified Tea Sommelier, Agnieszka Rapacz. We have been trusted by Top Chefs, Local Country Clubs, Navy Pier, Art Institute of Chicago, Drake Hotel, and the Chicago/Milwaukee/Carmel Christkindlmarkets to provide the perfect tea for any occasion.

Chicago Teahouse is an advocate to promote organic and fair trade tea production. Our tea producers actively encourage development of a caring and sustainable industry that generates income and improves the lives of millions of people. Our producers maintain the highest ethical standards with regard to health, education, nutrition and environmental sustainability with Fair Trade certifications. We cultivate personal relationships with our tea growers and share their commitment to improving the lives of the people who produce our tea products. Our commitment to providing you with exceptional tea is matched by our commitment to the planet and the people who grow our tea.

We are an organization with superior knowledge of, and experience in, the tea market, with a mission to bring truly superlative teas to a growing community of tea lovers around the world and in our own neighborhood. While our company continues to grow, some things do not change. At Chicago Teahouse, our Passion for Tea is at the core of everything we do.

We carry over 200 products including black, green, oolong, white, rooibush, herbal and fruit, and ranging in price from just a few cents per cup all the way up the rarest teas grown exclusively for us by some of the world’s finest estates.

We’re pleased to announce Siegwerk USA as the Weihnachtswald Sponsor of Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023.

Siegwerk was founded in Siegburg, Germany in 1830 as a retailer of manufactured goods. The company capitalized on its expertise in printing obtained from the “Kattunfabrik”, a fabric print shop, and progressed to become one of the top international manufacturers of printing inks and coatings. Globally, Siegwerk employs over 5,000 people in 30 countries.

Siegwerk plays an important role in packaging, as we use color to bring products to life for our customers. Every day people come across Siegwerk inks no matter where they are, including walking down the grocery aisle where there are many offerings of examples including confectionery packaging, beverage bottles or food pouches.

Des Moines is the home of Siegwerk’s U.S. headquarters and is proud to sponsor this event, as having strong roots from Germany. We love seeing the European culture come to life in our city.

Many thanks to Daughters of Norway’s Eva Nansen Lodge 46 for their support of Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023. 

Scandinavians began immigrating to Iowa as early as the 1830s and 1840s where they settled mostly in central and northern Iowa. Eva Nansen Lodge 46 became the first Iowa lodge to bear the name Daughters of Norway on November 5, 2006 with forty-six charter members representing Norway, Denmark, and Sweden ancestries. Membership is available not only to Norwegians, but women with Danish, Swedish, Finnish, and Icelandic connections.

“Daughters of Norway’s Eva Nansen Lodge 46 is proud to continue the legacy of Nordic heritage throughout Iowa with cultural arts, history, and traditions that our ancestors brought to America to share among today’s children and women of all ages,” explained representative, Sandy Hansen. “The Lodge Sisters pride themselves in offering educational and festive events, cultural programs and activities, and social gatherings. Lifelong Nordic friendships have developed while sharing common interests.”

We’re pleased to have Choice Creative Solutions as a member of our team as a Platinum Sponsor.

Choice Creative Solutions is the brainchild of the group behind the marketing wheel at Community Choice Credit Union (CCCU) in Des Moines, IA. After over a decade of proven success and awards of recognition for raising the awareness/success level for CCCU and pushing the marketing boundaries for a financial institution, it seemed logical to work with other businesses to help them achieve success.