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Christmas markets are more than just seasonal events. They are cultural experiences. If you don’t believe it, read the post written by our newly added Board Director, Doug Whittle. It paints a vivid picture of what makes Christmas markets so popular around the world.

Des Moines European Heritage Association is excited to bring that experience to Des Moines, but we can’t do it alone. We need vendors and performers to help us create the entertaining and educational experience of Christkindlmarket Des Moines. Applications for vendor stalls and performers (both general and stage) are now available and must be completed by June 15, 2016.

Why is finding vendors so important to us? They are an essential part of any Christmas market. After all, there would be no market without them. Vendor offerings of handmade gifts and specialty items create a shopping experience for visitors unlike any other during the holiday season. Shoppers can find nutcrackers, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, clothes and toys for children of all ages all in one place.

However, don’t think vendors are limited to just gifts! Traditional food and drinks are some of the most popular offerings at Christmas markets around the world. Is there anything better than hot spiced wine (Glühwein) or roasted nuts on a cold December day?

Performers at Christkindlmarket Des Moines are just as important for creating an immersive atmosphere for visitors. Whether it’s traditional folk music, clogging, yodeling or choirs, each act adds to the experience. Each one is an opportunity to share heritage and tradition with attendees.

If you or your business is interested in participating in Christkindlmarket Des Moines in either of these capacities, please read more on the process on either of the applications.

As a grassroots non-profit, Des Moines European Heritage Association serves as a platform to carry on European traditions, support language education and to create cultural awareness. We are a resource for Iowans, immigrants, travel enthusiasts and international business professionals to connect with European cultural heritage and for cultural organizations who want to engage with their members in a cohesive and centralized manner.

Anna VanWaardhuizen is an Illinois native living in Des Moines while attending Drake University. She is a junior studying public relations and leadership. In addition to working as an intern with the Des Moines European Heritage Association, she works on campus and serves as president of Drake’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. 

Happy hour might seem like an opportunity for getting a great deal, but they can be much more than that. For instance, our first fundraising event for Christkindlmarket Des Moines will be a happy hour event at Royal Mile in Downtown Des Moines. On February 25, we will meet from 4 to 7 p.m. to talk about our mission as Des Moines European Heritage Association, share our travel experiences and have an chance to grab a drink. Ten percent of sales during that time will go to DMEHA to help produce Christkindlmarket Des Moines in December.

Our group will meet in The Red Monk, located on the second floor of The Royal Mile. As the area’s only Belgian bar, it’s the perfect setting for our event. The decor is beautiful and the selection of beers is unmatched in the area. Not only do they serve Belgian style beers and imports, they have 90 different varieties. Second, there will be great deals for our attendees. Happy hour specials are available until 6 p.m. and The Royal Mile is offering Hoegaarden, a Belgian wheat beer, on tap for $3. This is an easy and fun way to help raise money for Christkindlmarket Des Moines.

Why is fundraising so important for us? It’s what’s going to power Christkindlmarket Des Moines this December! As a non-profit, we rely on fundraising to help us produce this event. Our team of volunteers has many great plans, but we need funds to make those ideas reality. It’s especially important now as we host the event for the first time.

Fundraising will also help us execute our mission of bringing together people of diverse backgrounds to discuss their heritage, culture and experiences. We want to be Iowa’s go-to resource for European cultural heritage. If you believe in our mission, consider donating. Even better, bring your friends and join us at Royal Mile on Thursday, February 25! (RSVP Here)

Doug Whittle is president and owner of his consulting and training company, Whittle Consulting Group LLC. He and his wife Dianne live in Urbandale and share a passion for the traditions of European Christmas celebrations. Their extensive European travels have included multiple Christmas seasons in Germany where they have attended hundreds of Christkindlmarkets in villages and cities throughout Germany. Doug brings his business expertise, his German heritage, and his love of all-things Christmas to his work as an active volunteer with the Des Moines European Heritage Association (DMEHA) in bringing the first-ever Christkindlmarket to Des Moines in 4-6, 2016.

Speak with anyone who has ever experienced a European Christmas celebration, and chances are you will notice their eyes light up, their energy level rise…and any attempts to switch them to another topic will become one of your greatest challenges. Regardless of the country where it’s held or the name of the actual multi-day celebration, Christmas in Europe casts a seemingly magical spell over its participants through a multi-sensory experience that you will taste, smell, and feel in the weeks and months that follow the event.

The first thing you will notice about Christmas in Europe is that it’s not limited to one single day on a calendar. Instead, villages, cities, and regions across Europe host outdoor celebrations that can range from a 3-day weekend to a full month, with many of them staying open through noon on Christmas Eve. The “markets” as they are commonly referenced, date all the way back to Middle Ages. They are open-air community events typically held in the town square of small villages and in multiple locations scattered throughout larger cities. In Berlin, for instance, there are as many as 70 outdoor markets taking place simultaneously. There are even markets set up outside the train stations and airports in Germany. Young and old alike gather in celebrations that reflect the unique heritage and customs of a particular country or region through food and drink, dances and processions, costumes, crafts, and ceremonies.

In every market, you will find yourself surround by the towering beauty of centuries-old buildings and cathedrals. The market area literally glows at night from flickering candles and torches and thousands of twinkling lights strung among evergreen-decorated wooden market stalls, yesterday’s version of today’s “pop-up” stores. The stalls are small huts made of wood that are typically arranged in rows. In some villages, these huts are the same ones that were used 100 or more years ago. The number of stalls varies by the size of the market. The Nurnberg market boasts over 200 stalls, including a special market area set aside just for children.

Walk through the rows of huts and be prepared for a multi-sensory experience for the eyes, ears, nose and taste buds! Music from choirs and small brass bands blends with the laughter and chatter of people gathered in jovial conversations. Regional foods are freshly prepared while you inhale the tantalizing aromas of cheese-covered noodles, savory meats roasted over open fires, cinnamon and sugar-coated nuts, picture-perfect desserts and candies dipped in kettles of dark, melted chocolate, freshly-baked pastries and breads, and hot, simmering alcohol-laced drinks, the most famous of which is the German mulled wine called Gluwhein.

Scattered among the food and beverage huts are vendors displaying and selling a vast array of items that can range from candles and soaps, to delicate lace and hand blown glass, to wood and metal objects of art. Most items are hand-crafted and reflect the unique heritage of that geographic region. It is not unusual to meet a vendor who represents several generations of a family-generated craft.

You will purchase beautiful hand-knit caps, mittens, scarves, and sweaters to keep you warm in the crisp December air as you walk through the rows of stalls. In one stall, you will see hundreds of delicate, glittering hand-blown glass ornaments for your tree. The next stall might be filled with intricate hand-carved wooden arches, pyramids, nutcrackers, smokers, angels, and stars. Another stall will be draped with lighted, multi-dimensional paper stars in intense colors and intricate designs meant for hanging in your entryway or windows. If you’re looking for the children on your Christmas list, you will have a hard time choosing between the stuffed animals, hand-carved wooden puzzles, mechanical wind-up toys, beautiful dolls, delicate to-scale doll house furniture, and colorful illustrated books.

But just so you know, the key rule of shopping at these markets is this: If you like it, buy it! Because some of the markets are so large, you may have difficulty relocating the specific stall when you decide to go back to buy. And for certain, as you move from region to region, you will find entirely different crafts and foods.

In every market, you will find ample opportunities for live entertainment. It might be a local children’s choir that performs on the central stage set up on the steps of a cathedral. It could be a 4-person brass band playing traditional Christmas music. Other towns may feature dancers in traditional costumes. Street entertainers can range from puppet shows to mimes to magic. Most towns have an opening ceremony that heralds the beginning of the market and some villages even have an opening parade that showcases the local customs, costumes, and heritage. By the way, when you start feeling the chill of the crisp December air as you partake in all of these outdoor activities, you can rest and warm up inside the beautiful churches and cathedrals while you listen to vocal and organ concerts.

In the weeks and months ahead, join me as I take you on a word-and-picture tour of just a few of the many German markets my family and I have experienced over the years, including Nurnberg, Regensburg, Seiffen, Dresden, and Leipzig.

Better yet—come join the team of volunteers who will be bringing the first-ever Christkindlmarket to Des Moines on December 2-4, 2016. Whether you have actually experienced a market yourself or if you’re simply intrigued and want to make this a reality for Iowa, we need your talent, your energy, and your participation.

If you’re interested in joining us, message the Christkindlmarket Des Moines Facebook Page or send Suzanne Hull an email ([email protected]).

As a grassroots non-profit, Des Moines European Heritage Association serves as a platform to carry on European traditions, support language education and to create cultural awareness. We are a resource for Iowans, immigrants, travel enthusiasts and international business professionals to connect with European cultural heritage and for cultural organizations who want to engage with their members in a cohesive and centralized manner.

My name is Becca Baldwin. I’m a old graduate of the University of Northern Iowa. I graduated with a double major of Global Marketing and Organizational Leadership Management. After graduation, I continued my studies at the ESC Rennes School of Business in Rennes, France. I completed a one-year master’s program in International Business while living in France from August 2014 to May 2015. While in France I was able to travel and experience a bit of European culture. I currently live in Des Moines and work at Principal Financial Group. My hobbies include traveling, being with friends & family, exercising, and volunteering. I decided to get involved with the Des Moines European Heritage Association and Christkindlmarket Des Moines planning because I am very much interested in European culture. I want to experience as much as I can of what the world has to offer, and plan on accomplishing this by being involved in my community and traveling as much as possible!

It’s no secret winters are cold here in Iowa. But that doesn’t mean we should spend three full months cooped up inside! There are many activities that can be done in outside in the winter to cure those Wintertime Blues. Here are my top five reasons to get outside:

1. Vitamin D. Studies have shown the main cause of the wintertime blues is the lack of proper sunlight. What better way to boost your mood than to get outside and feel the crisp air and sun on your face? Getting outside in the sunlight can be an instant fix to a seasonally caused bad mood!
2. Seeing your surroundings in a whole new light. Another great reason to get outside is to see how the Earth transforms in the winter. I took the below picture while home for Christmas this past December. When there are leaves on the trees and grass on the ground, it’s easy to see how beautiful nature can be, but I was struck by the beauty of the leafless trees covered in a layer of snow. Not everyone gets to experience true beauty first-hand!
3. You can act like a kid again. Nothing brings back some of my favorite childhood memories like a good snowball fight or a sledding marathon. Some of the best times spent growing up in Iowa were spent flying down a hill on a saucer sled or getting in an intense snowball fight with your friends. Being able to do some of these cherished winter activities only brings a smile to my face and an appreciation for Iowa winters!
4. For a great workout. Because your body has to work harder to warm itself in the cold winter months, physical activity done in the cold can burn more calories than the warmer seasons of the year. Your heart gets a better workout too! Working out in the winter means you’re in better shape for spring, and beach season!
5. Last but not least – Christmas Markets! As Iowans, we sure do love our Farmer’s Markets in the summer. What could be better than a European-style Christmas Market in the winter?! For those of you who haven’t had the chance to experience a Christmas Market firsthand, think: hand-craft goods, European sweets and desserts, mulled wine, seasonal activities, and full holiday spirit. Christmas Markets give us a chance to get out, get active, and enjoy a special occasion with friends and family during the winter, and definitely give us a boost to fight those wintertime blues.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more information and mark your calendar’s for Christkindlmarket Des Moines coming to you December 2016!

As a grassroots non-profit, Des Moines European Heritage Association serves as a platform to carry on European traditions, support language education and to create cultural awareness. We are a resource for Iowans, immigrants, travel enthusiasts and international business professionals to connect with European cultural heritage and for cultural organizations who want to engage with their members in a cohesive and centralized manner.