German Taste | #CDM2023 Vendor
Tell us about your business
We are 3 veterans, who love to cook.
What inspired you to get involved as a vendor at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023?
We were invited to CDM 2022 and had so much fun. Many of our customers are already familiar with our menu and were excited we came to CDM.
What products will you be selling at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023 and why did you choose them?
Curry Brats are a tradition in Germany at every Christmas Market, and it is our best seller. You can enjoy our Curry Brats and Bratwurst with a bunor Käse Spätzle (German Mac & Cheese). We use an original German Bratwurst. You can get one with sauerkraut or as a tasty Brat Reuben sandwich.
Anything else you’d like to share?
As a German Chef, I know that the number one German street food is ” the Currywurst”. In Germany alone, 800,000,000 are served annually. Come try ours during the market!
Peverill’s Apiary | #CDM2023 Vendor
Tell us about your business
We are a family owned and run business established in 2016. What started out with 2 beehives in our backyard has turned into over 100 beehives through the city of Ankeny. We are considered 100% urban beekeepers with urban beehives. We offer local raw honey as well as beeswax candles, lip balms, paw palms, and lotion bars. Our candles are 100% beeswax and are individually hand-poured by us.
What inspired you to get involved as a vendor at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023?
We had seen the event advertised for quite a few years and someone involved with the market reached out to us advising we would be a great vendor to be in the market.
What products will you be selling at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023 and why did you choose them?
We will have beeswax candles and ornaments, honey and candle gift sets, and honey products. Typically, within Christkindlmarkts, handmade and local items are the main draw as well as mulled wine. Our products are all locally handmade by us. We will have nutcracker candles as well as Nativity candles and Advent Candle sets which are all traditionally found in German Christmas Markets.
Anything else you’d like to share?
When we say we are completely family owned and run, this includes our three children aged 16, 13, and 9. They have been a part of every single step along the way in some form. From pulling honey, to making creamed honey and honey lemonade, to being a “sales person” every Saturday at the Downtown DSM Farmer’s Market, they have grown right along with the Apiary.
Freedom Blend Coffee | #CDM2023 Vendor
Tell us about your business
It is well known that coffee has the power to free a person from the chains of grogginess, but this heavenly brew is even stronger than that. Enter Freedom Blend Coffee Trailer, the mobile café that not only serves Des Moines delicious, fair-trade, house-roasted coffee but also promotes empowering young adults with work training and life skills, a key part of their Freedom for Youth Ministries.
What inspired you to get involved as a vendor at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023?
We have heard great things about Christkindlmarket and are so excited to be a part of it this year!
What products will you be selling at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023 and why did you choose them?
You’re in for a cozy cup of joy! From our espresso-based Cafè Miel with steamed milk, honey, and cinnamon, to our London Fog tea, Early Grey with steamed milk, we serve coffee, tea, and more.
Dakota Tinworks | #CDM2023 Vendor
Tell us about your business
Founded in 2015, Dakota Tinworks is a family-owned business, specializing in traditional, handmade tinware and tin decorative items. Karl, the tinsmith in the family, uses mostly 19th century tinsmith’s tools in the creation of his tin goods. He trained as a historical tinsmith with Loren Miller at the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island, Nebraska, and with the late master tinsmith William McMillen at Historic Eastfield Village in New York. He’s also taken an advanced tinsmithing workshop co-taught at Historic Eastfield Village by Steve Delisle, head tinsmith at Colonial Williamsburg.
The work he produces is split between decorative tin items, like Christmas ornaments and tree tinsel/icicles, and authentic reproduction tinware, like pierced tin lanterns and other museum-quality tinware.
While he works mostly in tinplate, he’s also been doing some decorative work in copper.
As an aside, Karl also teaches traditional tinsmithing, most recently at the Museum of Making in Derby, England, in September 2022.
What inspired you to get involved as a vendor at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2022?
We were invited to participate in CDM 2017, 2018, 2019, CDM Curbside in 2020, and again for CDM 2021 and CDM 2022, so we’ve been a part of CDM almost since the beginning. We’ve enjoyed being part of the Christkindlmarket family of vendors and look forward to being at the event every year. People seem to really like the tin goods we produce and sell. We enjoy meeting everyone who stops by our pop-up tents. We’re looking forward to this year’s Christkindlmarket. It’s our most exciting event of the year!
What products will you be selling at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023 and why did you choose them?
As always, our tin ornaments and tree tinsel remain very popular, so we will, of course, have plenty of those on hand. We also plan to offer pierced tin candle shades, with traditional designs, and pierced tin lanterns in two distinct styles. New this year will be some very special reproduction German cookie cutters, based on antique ones from the Erzgebirge region of Germany, along the Czech border. In addition to being a tin-mining region historically, the Erzgebirge are also known for their Christmas festivals. Another new item will be tin frames with Christmas scenes, featuring reproduction vintage images of German Santas and other Christmas-related themes. In addition to the new items, we’ll also have a full range of other tin items for sale, and several different ornaments made with copper, and sheet brass (also new this year). The colored tinsel we introduced at CDM 2021 (and sold again at CDM 2022) was extremely popular, so we’ll be sure to bring plenty more of that for CDM 2023.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Every year, we introduce some new products, so be sure to follow Dakota Tinworks on Facebook, so you’ll be informed of the latest things we’re creating in the workshop. We’re excited to be a part of this wonderful event once again. We hope people look for our red and white striped twin pop-up tents and come by to see a demonstration and check out our range of products! Our tent layout will be a bit different this year, as we are planning on modeling a tent layout we discovered at the Lucrezia-Markt in Regensburg, Bavaria. It’ll allow us to do better displays and make it easier for people to shop for our items.
Cajun Belle | #CDM2023 Vendor
Tell us about your business
Cajun Belle is a Southeast Texas-cuisine restaurant in the Des Moines, Iowa, metro area. We were founded in 2022 and offer a unique menu available through drive-thru at our storefront location in Johnston, Iowa, as well as catering and on-site event menu options. We provide authentic, fresh, Southeast Texas cuisine to the Central Iowa Metro and surrounding areas. Owner and head-chef Zack Hollier has been cooking this cuisine literally his entire life, he likes to call the Cajun Belle gumbo his ‘childhood in a pot’.
Cajun Belle is also more than just food, we strive to deliver the highest-quality of menu items by making all of the food items on-site daily and from scratch. The dough for the kolaches is literally hand-mixed by team members! We are committed to providing the most authentic and quality food in a convenient way to the bellies of those who seek it. COME ON & EAT Y’ALL!!
What inspired you to get involved as a vendor at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023?
One of my employees recommended the event to me and after looking over it, it seemed like a no-brainier. The reviews from the former vendors is what ultimately made the decision to participate for us.
What products will you be selling at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023 and why did you choose them?
We are happy to provide the most delicious File Gumbo, Jambalaya and Bacon egg & cheese Kolache!
Anything else you’d like to share?
Folks can look for the happy brown fella in the cowboy hat for a meal and a smile!
CDM 2023 Non-Profit Silent Auction Tree Participation now Open!
August 1st marks the opening of our Silent Auction Christmas Tree Participation Application. We invite Iowa non-profit organizations to fill out our application form to secure one of twelve trees available to decorate and auction at Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023. Applications will remain open through September or until all 12 trees have been claimed.
As part of CDM’s community outreach, we encourage local non-profit organizations to decorate a tree that will be displayed through the duration of Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2023. As patron’s visit the market and marvel over the creativity of each tree, they are able to bid via a Silent Auction and take home the tree with all the trimmings when the event ends Sunday, December 3rd. All proceeds will go directly back to the participating non-profits.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please follow the link below:
Christkindlmarket Non-Profit Silent Auction Participation Form
Please send any questions to Missy Mootz, CDM Silent Auction Site Leader at [email protected].
* Cut trees are not perfect and will have a tendency to lean. We will present the trees in the most positive way given our circumstances. Please manage your expectations accordingly.
Host Your Holiday Party in Yuletide Hall at Christkindlmarket Des Moines
‘Tis the season for celebrating! Your reserved table in Yuletide Hall (heated entertainment tent) comes with drink tickets and souvenirs.
Reserve an 8-person table in Yuletide Hall at Christkindlmarket Des Moines on Thursday, November 30 OR Sunday, December 3, 2023 and get into the holiday spirit as you enjoy performances by the Jim Kucera Band on Thursday and Metro Brass Quintet/Greater Des Moines Adult Flute Choir on Sunday. Perfect for families, social club outings, corporate holiday parties, volunteer appreciation outings, social hours, etc.
Each ticket comes with the following:
- A reserved 8-person table in Yuletide Hall, our heated entertainment tent at Christkindlmarket Des Moines (CDM)
- 2 drink tickets PER PERSON that can be used for Glühwein (warm mulled wine), Kinderpunsch (warm mulled cider), craft beer, European beer, or water
- A 2023 commemorative Glühwein mug OR 2023 commemorative .5L acrylic stein PER PERSON
- A 2023 commemorative pin OR 2023 commemorative ornament PER PERSON
Choose from the following seatings on Thursday, November 30, 2023:
- 5pm – 7pm
- 7pm – 9pm
Choose from the following seating on Sunday, December 3, 2023:
- 11am – 1pm
- 1pm – 3pm
- 3pm – 5pm
Early bird pricing per table now through October 1, 2023: $225
Pricing per table after October 1, 2023: $250
Your purchase will support the Iowa European Cultural Connection, the 501c3 tax-exempt non-profit that produces Christkindlmarket Des Moines.
2023 Christkindlmarket Des Moines Christkind Application
Welcome! We appreciate your interest in applying to be the 2023 Christkind at Christkindlmarket Des Moines (CDM) taking place Nov 30 – Dec 3, 2023 at Principal Park. Please complete this application PRIOR to your interview. You will receive a confirmation email with additional details upon successful application submission. We are pleased to offer a $300 scholarship to this year’s Christkind. Learn more about the Christkind and its history.
IMPORTANT DATES:
• Application Deadline: October 1, 2023
• Interviews Held: Week of October 7, 2023
• 2023 Christkind Announcement: October 15, 2023
Click here to complete this official online application
Note: CDM will provide the costume, wig and accessories; Christkind can wear their own shoes.
To be eligible to be the 2023 Christkind, all of the following criteria must be met:
• Must be at least 16 years of age by December 31, 2023, and no more than 22 years of age before January 5, 2024
• A resident of Iowa (or attending an Iowa-based school/university) able to provide verification of residence and/or enrollment
• A student in high school or enrolled as a full-time student (minimum 12 units) in any accredited school or college in Iowa
• Possess at least a 2.0 grade point average in both the current and previous years’ course work and able to provide verification
• Available to participate in-person or via video during scheduled interview
• Must be able to memorize and recite opening ceremony proclamation in front of 200 people without visual or auditory aid
• Must enjoy working with others and talking with the public, including children of all ages
• Must be able to provide own transportation to and from appearances
• Available to attend the following functions/appearances as the 2023 Christkind
5:30pm – 7:30pm, December 1, 2023 | Opening Ceremony
2pm – 4pm, December 2, 2023 | CDM appearance
2pm – 4pm, December 3, 2023 | CDM appearance
Prairie Meadows Donates $20,000 to the Iowa European Cultural Connection
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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Chicago Teahouse | 2023 Annual Hut Sponsor
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.