Sister Bay, Wis (November 11, 2024) — The Sister Bay Historical Society has announced the dates for its 4th Annual Christkindlmarkt, or Christmas market. Christkindlmarkt will take place on three subsequent weekends in November and December, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This year’s dates are Nov. 29–Dec. 1, Dec. 6–8, and Dec. 13–15.
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, 2022 and 2023 Christkindlmarkt Door County events were hugely popular and each drew over 10,000 enthusiastic visitors. Besides the Sister Bay Historical Society, the event’s main sponsors are Nicolet National Bank, Door County Medical Center, Door County Piggly Wiggly, Door County North, the business association for far northern Door County, and Carlson-Erickson Builders of Sister Bay.
The event will once again be held at the Corner of the Past Museum, a beautiful recreation of a pioneer homestead in the late 19th century. The event’s 36 artisan vendors include photographers, painters, woodworkers, beekeepers, and glass blowers, plus makers of tree ornaments, candy, quilts, glassware, pet products, clothing, hats, socks, scarves, furniture, toys, candles, leather goods, puzzles, health/wellness products, and more. Christkindlmarkt will also include The Bookshop, a Door County-focused bookstore featuring books by 20 well-known Door County authors.
Thyme Restaurant, Culinaria, Wally’s Weenie Wagon, and Zero Sum will all 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 entrance to the main vendor tent.
“There were more than 10,000 attendees at each of the first three Christkindlmarkt events,” said John Lijewski, 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 4th annual version of the event, especially traffic flow and parking.”
Christkindlmarkt events always feature hot mulled red wine, known as Glühwein in Germany and Glögg in Sweden. The Historical Society will serve Glühwein from a special ‘drinks hut’ that will also serve hot chocolate and hot apple cider. Attendees have the option of purchasing their hot Glühwein in a collectible Glühwein mug that was designed by Anne and Alley Woelfel of Jack and Joie’s, a Fish Creek retail business located in the village’s Bayside Shops.
Returning for 2024, Peach Barn Farmhouse Brewery is the event’s exclusive beer vendor, serving an array of fine beers from the new Music & Beer Hall tent just behind the event’s Drinks Hut. Peach Barn is also once again brewing a special Winter Ale 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.
A new event feature is the Kids’ Craft Corner in the Food Barn, featuring two childrens’ activities on Saturdays from 1-5 pm. Children can decorate and personalize a wooden holiday ornament or write a letter to Santa Claus on printed stationery (Sister Bay’s USPS office has a special mailbox for their letters). All materials and art supplies are complimentary. Children should be accompanied by an adult.
Live Christmas music at this year’s Christkindlmarkt will be performed in the Music & Beer Hall tent’s stage:
• Colin & Friends, the renowned local musical group led by organist Colin Welford, and featuring special soloist appearances, will perform on the stage on the afternoon of Sat., Dec. 7;
• Gibraltar Area School’s elementary grade choir and middle school/high school choir will both perform on Sat., Dec. 14, from 1-2 pm.
Two local vocal groups will stroll the event grounds on different dates while singing traditional Christmas carols. The Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church choir will perform at 2:00 pm on Sat., Nov. 30, Sat., Dec. 7, and Fri., Dec. 13; and the Community Church of Fish Creek Carolers will perform on Sat., Dec. 14 from 1-3 pm. (Check for updates on the Sister Bay Historical Society’s Facebook page.)
On other days and times, recorded Christmas music will be a constant presence on the event property.
Like most Christkindlmarkts throughout the world, the event in Sister Bay will feature a visit from the “Christkind,” which translates to “Christ child” in German. The Christkind’s origins go back to the Protestant reformer Martin Luther in the early 1500’s, and the Christkind is still the bearer of Christmas gifts to most children in German-speaking countries, just as Santa Claus is to children in the United States. Local resident Lillian Ahrens is the official Christkind at Christkindlmarkt Door County — you can easily recognize Lillian from her gold-and-white robes and the crown upon her head.
Corner of the Past Museum is located at the corner of Fieldcrest Rd. and Hwy 57 in Sister Bay (10310 Fieldcrest Rd.). Attendee parking is at three nearby Sister Bay locations, each with a large parking lot: the two free lots are at the former Shopko Hometown (2541 S. Bay Shore Dr.) and Stella Maris Catholic Church (2410 S. Bay Shore Dr.). Throughout the day and evening, buses will continuously ferry attendees from these nearby parking lots to the event, bringing people quickly back to their vehicles on a regular schedule. Finally, the Corner of the Past parking lot on State Hwy 57 is next to Thyme Restaurant, within walking distance of the event, and requires a $10 parking fee. Find the entrance to each of the parking lots by looking for the roadside signage.
If you are staying at any of the following Northern Door 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
Christkindlmarkt Door County is organized and managed by the Sister Bay Historical Society as a fundraiser for its operations, especially its upcoming new History Center, the former Little Sister Barn. The event is presented each year with the assistance of its primary sponsor, Nicolet National Bank. Other major sponsors include Door County Medical Center, Door County Piggly Wiggly, and Carlson-Erickson Builders. The Door County North business association, which promotes the interests of the Town of Liberty Grove, is the event’s transportation sponsor.
For more information about Christkindlmarkt Door County, visit: doorcountychristmasmarket.com.
ALL CONTENT © 2024 BY DOOR GUIDE PUBLISHING
