Sister Bay, Wis. (November 9, 2023) — The Sister Bay Historical Society has announced the dates for its 3rd Annual Christkindlmarkt, or Christmas market. Once again, Christkindlmarkt will take place on three subsequent weekends in November and December, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This year’s dates are Nov. 24–26, Dec. 1–3, and Dec. 8–10.
Like the highly popular Christkindlmarkt events throughout northern Europe, Christkindlmarkt Door County showcases vendors selling handcrafted, locally-made goods, plus food booths selling unique German and Nordic fare and drinks. The 2021 and 2022 Christkindlmarkt Door County events were hugely popular and drew over 10,000 enthusiastic visitors both years. Besides the Sister Bay Historical Society, the event’s main sponsors are Nicolet National Bank, Door County Medical Center, and Door County North, the business association for far northern Door County.
The event will again be held at the Corner of the Past Museum, a beautiful recreation of a pioneer homestead in the late 19th century. The vendors include photographers, jewelers, painters, woodworkers, beekeepers, and glass blowers, plus makers of tree ornaments, wreaths, maps, candy, glassware, clothing, hats, socks, cutting boards, furniture, toys, candles, leather goods, puzzles, health and wellness products, and more. Christkindlmarkt will also include The Bookshop, a Door County-focused bookstore featuring books by 20 well-known Door County authors.
Three Door County chefs from Thyme Restaurant, Culinaria, and Wally’s Weinie Wagon, will serve reasonably-priced Northern European entrees, side dishes and desserts in a ‘food court’ inside the property’s large Koessl Barn. Two food trucks — 888 Cheese Co. and Savor BBQ — will also serve special menus from a location just outside of the main vendor tent.
Christkindlmarkt events always feature hot mulled red wine, known as Glühwein in Germany and Glögg in Sweden. The Historical Society will serve Glühwein in a special ‘drinks hut’ that will also serve hot chocolate and hot apple cider. New for 2023, Peach Barn Farmhouse Brewery is Christkindlmarkt’s exclusive new beer vendor, serving an array of their fine beers from a new beer hall tent just behind the event’s drinks hut — Peach Barn is also brewing a special Winter Ale just for Christkindlmarkt.
Anderson House, the refurbished 1875 home on the museum property, will again feature the popular pop-up bakery that debuted at the first annual event, and will offer a wide selection of decorated cookies, cardamom coffeecake, pecan rolls, pies, and other baked goods.
“There were more than 10,000 attendees at each of the first two Christkindlmarkt events,” said Fred Johnson, president of the Sister Bay Historical Society, “proving the concept is a great match with our visitors’ expectations. We’ve spent the past year applying what we learned to this 3rd annual version of the event, especially traffic flow and parking.”
Live Christmas music at this year’s Christkindlmarkt will be performed in the Artisan Vendors Tent:
• Gibraltar Area School’s concert band, under the direction of Charlie Eckhardt, will perform from 1:00-3:00 pm on Saturdays (Nov. 25, Dec. 2, and Dec. 9).
• On both Fridays and Saturdays (Nov. 24-25, Dec. 1-2, Dec. 8-9), from 2:00-5:00 pm, David Watkins, the vintage music DJ, will play selections from his vinyl collection of rare Christmas albums (for more info and to hear sample sets, visit www.davidwatkinsdj.com). On other days and hours, recorded Christmas music will be a constant presence throughout the event’s property.
Corner of the Past Museum is located at the corner of Fieldcrest Rd. and Hwy 57 in Sister Bay (10310 Fieldcrest Rd.). Attendee event parking is at three nearby Sister Bay locations, each with a large parking lot: the former Shopko Hometown (2541 S. Bay Shore Dr.). Stella Maris Catholic Church (2410 S. Bay Shore Dr.), and First Baptist Church of Sister Bay (2622 S. Bay Shore Dr.). Throughout the day and evening, buses will continuously ferry attendees from the nearby parking lots to the event, bringing people quickly back to their vehicles on a regular schedule.
If you are staying at any of the following lodging facilities during Christkindlmarkt, a shuttle bus will pick you up at the front door of your lodgings and deliver you directly to the event property —
SISTER BAY: Birchwood Lodge, Coachlite Inn, Country House Resort, Dörr Hotel, Open Hearth Lodge, Pheasant Park Resort, Scandinavian Lodge; EPHRAIM: High Point Inn
For more information about Christkindlmarkt Door County, visit: doorcountychristmasmarket.com.
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