Wisconsinites Enjoy Christkindl Festivities

The first annual Christkindl Market at the Fiserv Forum has been a great success with about 40,000 visitors in the first weekend, according to Kate Bleeker, director of German American Events and over 20 vendors.

There are mini events everyday to really experience the German culture. On Sunday, December 2, Kinder Tag, children’s day, was the special event. Lanterns were brought from Germany for a parade to celebrate St. Martin’s day. St. Martins Day celebrates good Samaritans and is popular for children.

About 40 people reserved lanterns online, but because of the lousy weather, only three children paraded around the market while singing Christmas carols with Christkind.

“We couldn’t have asked fora warmer welcome,” Bleeker said. An average weekend brings in from 15,000 to 20,000 through the whole length of the day.

Besides the special lantern parade, tonight was also the first night of Hanukkah. A caravan of cars drove to the Fiserv Forum to watch the first Hanukkah candle light, along with Marc Lasry, the owner of the Bucks.

The Christkindl Market and the Bucks have a partnership and the Bucks really wanted to make sure they included all denominations. Many Jewish men and women began to dance and sing to celebrate the first night.

“I came here with the rest of Hillel High and tomorrow we are leaving school early to go to Governors Mansion in Madison to watch the second candle on the menorah light,” EJ Meltzer said.

Dave’s Coffee Cakes – a family owned business –  was one of the many food vendors handing out free samples of the many flavored coffee cakes. They have only been selling for three days but it has been great. “We love the people here,” seller Jesse Prado said.

Dave Barajas, owner, started off with the triple cinnamon and the cinnamon supreme which has been around for15 years. Since then this business can offer 75 cakes. They also do fundraisers, cake of the month, and have online sales. Traveling all around the U.S. is what they love to do to sell their delicious cakes.

More delicious edibles from A Blend Above is the asiago roasted garlic dip which is their most popular dip. They also sell oil dips, dessert dips, soups, and beer breads. Each dip good with pita chips, pretzels, carrots, you name it, is made with one pump of sour cream and one pump of mayonnaise.

“We are hoping to get into the Chicago and Naperville markets and stay with Milwaukee as well,” seller Cindy Sobczak said. The unique thing about A Blend Above is they travel everywhere, there is no standing store.

You can’t go to the Christkindl market without some good ole European food. Austrian Lodge is here from Germantown with their brats, laberkase, and much more. Their restaurant in Germantown is called Old Town Beer Hall. “We love it here,” Evan Hoier said. Alpine Cheese is their most popular product.

Many customers were chowing down on dumplings, spätzle, and stollens, while others were drinking away with their hot cocoa, honey crisp apple cider, and the famous hot, spiced gluhwein.“The apple cider is the best thing I’ve ever had in my life,” Ashlyn Pintersaid said, who also participated in the lantern parade with her cousin.

You need to purchase the gluhwein and the souvenir mug, according to Bleeker. “The beer and wine is kind of the staple of the market,” she said. This her Bleeker’s fifth year as the Director of the markets. She has also been in charge of the Chicago and Naperville markets. Bleeker has a degree in German history and has been to Germany so she brings the culture and tradition she knows to the markets.

Partnership for Culture and Craft makes all of their products by hand, stitch by stitch. This booth is filled with bright colors from top to bottom, left to right. The scarves are a combination of silk and wool, 100 percent natural products. They have also done the Chicago and Naperville markets.

“We are here for the festivities and Christmas spirit and love it so far,” local Wisconsinite Mary Wirchsaid.