Carmel Christkindlmarkt Preview

Carmel’s annual Christkindlmarkt officially opened for the season on Saturday, November 20th. This has been a favorite holiday season tradition of mine since it first opened in 2017. Christkindlmarkt is the German term for a traditional Christmas market. The markets began in Germany and have been popular in American cities like Chicago. The tradition has made its way to Indiana and it is definitely here to stay!

We visited the Media Preview Day earlier this week for a sneak peek at all the market has to offer. The market features an ice skating rink, hand-crafted ornaments, toys, food and more. There are a wide variety of Glühwein (mulled wine) options this year including the classic red, white, rose, cranberry, blueberry, cherry, baked apple, elderberry, and pumpkin. They also have a selection of German beer, and we really enjoyed sampling the Christkindlmarkt Bier served warm by Bier Brewery. My favorite Carmel coffee shop, Rose & Lois, is even there this year, so make sure you stop by for a hot cup of coffee! You can view the full list of vendors here, and view a list of events happening at the market here.

Definitely snag yourself one of the collectible Glühwein mugs during your visit! This year’s mug is blue, and the previous ones were red, green and white. I also recommend purchasing your ice skating tickets in advance to avoid wait times here: https://www.theiceatcartergreen.com/