Category Archive Sponsors

Many thanks to Greater Iowa Credit Union for their support of Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2021. 

Greater Iowa Credit Union is a federally insured, state-chartered community credit union with nine branch locations in Ames, Ankeny, Des Moines, Waukee, Denison, and Indianola! GICU is an ever-growing, member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative with assets of $624 million.

The GICU story began with just nine people in June of 1932. Over the years, they have grown exponentially from humble beginnings. Today, they serve 33,900+ members throughout a 33-county area in Central and Western Iowa with a staff base of over one hundred twenty.

LGL values being a part of their community and welcomes the opportunity to support their office family in their interests. Christkindlmarket Des Moines is an event that their employee Erin Baldwin is actively involved in and passionate about and they are happy to be a part of the event.

Their firm has been serving the law needs of businesses and individuals in Ankeny and throughout Iowa for over 20 years. Whether you are starting a business, changing custody agreements or getting your affairs in order, an expert at Ankeny Law will be at your service.

We’re pleased to include Hessen Haus among our family of 2021 sponsors!

The Hessen Haus perfectly recreates the authentic atmosphere of an old-world German bier hall. The twenty-one imported German biers on tap, authentic German fare on the menu, and sounds of live music on the stage – including local bands and regional polka – create a lively yet cozy atmosphere where large crowds gather to pass the boot and small groups find themselves making new friends.

A combination of a state in west-central Germany and the German word for house, the name Hessen Haus was chosen for its authentic origins and welcoming feel. The state of Hessen which the bier hall is named for plays home to more than six million inhabitants – which are referred to as Hesses if male or Hessins if female. In English, occupants are known as Hessians – a term affectionately applied to our more frequent visitors to the restaurant.

In 1989, Polk County and Prairie Meadows established a partnership with the goal of investing a significant portion of Prairie Meadows’ revenue back into the community. This investment is what allows them to sponsor community events, such as festivals, galas, dinners, walks, etc. to support important issues in our community. Polk County is committed to bettering our community by investing in education, arts, culture, health and economic development.

Over the past three decades, together with Prairie Meadows, they have invested over $1.8 Billion to non-profits and local infrastructure projects. These investments play a major role in your everyday life as a resident of Polk County. From your public library, daily workout at the YMCA, major roads you drive on, your child’s school and more, this partnership has invested in it all so you can thrive in the place you call home.

Thank you for your support!

Centennial Warehousing Corporation has graciously agreed to continue to donate storage space for our wooden vendor stalls.

As a non-profit, community partners are extremely important. Many thanks to Centennial Warehousing Corporation!

Centennial Warehousing is a full service logistics company. Services range from a full service warehouse, over the road trucking, regional distribution, and freight brokerage. We have our own fleet of semi-trucks and 53 ft. air ride trailers driven by our own professional drivers.

We’re pleased to welcome GreenState Credit Union as an Annual Hut Sponsor of Christkindlmarket Des Moines 2021.

Organized in 1938, GreenState has grown to be Iowa’s largest credit union and one of the top financial institutions in the United States for returning profits to members in the form of better rates and lower fees. GreenState Credit Union serves over 255,000 members with 24 office locations.

Christmas crackers are a traditional favorite in the United Kingdom. Tom Smith, a London sweet maker, came up with the idea after visiting Paris and seeing the French ‘bon bon’ sweets (almonds wrapped in pretty paper). He tried selling sweets like that in England and included a small motto or riddle with the sweet, but they didn’t sell very well.

Legend says that, one night, while Tom was sitting in front of his log fire, he became very interested in the sparks and cracks coming from the fire. Suddenly, he thought what a fun idea it would be, if his sweets and toys could be opened with a crack when their fancy wrappers were pulled apart. In 1861, Tom Smith launched his new line of what he called ‘Bangs of Expectation’!

The Christmas Crackers that are used today are short, cardboard tubes wrapped in colorful paper. There is normally a Cracker next to each plate on the Christmas dinner table. When the crackers are pulled – with a bang! – a colorful party hat, a toy or gift and a festive joke falls out! The party hats look like crowns and it is thought that they symbolize the crowns that might have been worn by the Wise Men.

The gift giver that travels the world to the delight of boys and girls everywhere is known by many names, and Germany calls him St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was an actual person born in present-day Turkey. He lost his parents at a young age and used his inheritance to help the sick and the poor with a special focus on children. As a devout Christian, he later served as the bishop of Myra.

He is believed to have passed away on December 6th, which is celebrated in many parts of the world as St. Nicholas Day. Children leave a pair of shoes outside their door on December 5th and awake the next morning to treats left inside.