The Holiday Season wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Atlanta Christkindl Market, Atlanta’s authentic German Christmas Market presented by the German American Cultural Foundation. Join us at Atlantic Station, 1381 Street, Atlanta, Ga., 30363, in the winter wonderland for our month-long celebration featuring the Atlanta Christkindl Market, entertainment, nightly snow shows and ice skating.
Stroll through the Atlanta Christkindl Market which offers handcrafted gifts such as ornaments, nutcrackers, toys and more. Come hungry and enjoy a selection of delicious German food such as bratwurst, roasted nuts, pastries, pretzels and more. There will be plenty of beverage options including German beers and the traditional glühwein, a hot spiced mulled wine, perfect for warming you up in the up the crisp winter weather. While you are there, experience Atlantic Station’s nightly snow shows, visit with Santa at Santa’s Cottage, the newly expanded ice-skating rink and take pictures in front of the giant Christmas tree adorned with more than 10,000 lights.
The Atlanta Christkindl Market is the official Christmas event presented by the German American Cultural Foundation as a long-term fundraiser and means of spreading German culture within the United States. The Atlanta Christkindl Market is an enchanting, family-driven event, modeled after the traditional Christmas markets held all over Germany during the Holiday season. Traditional food, beverages, handcrafted products such as ornaments, nutcrackers, and toys, as well as a festive, winter-wonderland ambience work hand in hand to create the authentic German Holiday experience. This is an event that will spread Holiday cheer amongst children and adults alike, while exposing them to the festivities of one of Germany’s oldest cultural traditions. The goal of the Atlanta Christkindl Market is to demonstrate German Christmas traditions and provide a fun, cultural experience for all visitors.
The Atlanta Christkindl Market is different from other Christkindl markets in US since the market’s main goal is to support educational programs in the Southeast. The German American Culture Foundation invites you to visit the Atlanta Christkindl Market and help in supporting educational institutions, organizations and schools in the greater Atlanta area. Students and teachers are more than welcome to participate in our school activity projects such as decorating a Christmas tree, painting a backdrop picture for our Christmas booth and performances from school bands, dance groups, and more.
On opening nights, visitors welcome the Christkind, usually depicted as a child with curly blond hair that has never been seen by children. The parents tell children that Christkind will not come and bring gifts if they are curious and try to spot it. Traditionally, families enter the living room where the Christmas tree is located and the gifts the Christkind has brought are waiting to be opened. Mark your calendar to join us for the official opening ceremony with a visit and photos with the Christkind on Nov. 29 at 6:00pm.
Admission is FREE to enjoy this magical holiday experience. The Atlanta Christkindl Market presented by the German American Cultural Foundation opens Friday, Nov. 23, and runs through Dec. 23 and will be open Wednesday – Saturday 11:00am – 9:00pm and Sundays from 11:00am – 7:00pm. The Atlanta Christkindl Market will have extended hours the week before Christmas and will be open Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 17- 18 from 11:00 am – 9:00pm. This year’s Atlanta Christkindl Market has expanded to feature more booths and will be located on Tower Street, adjacent to the all-new ice-skating rink.
The Lighting of Atlantic Station on Saturday, Nov. 17 (1pm – 9pm) will feature a sneak preview of the Atlanta Christkindl Market. The Atlanta Christkindl Market is presented by the German American Cultural Foundation as long-term fundraiser. The focus of the German American Cultural Foundation is on promoting the German language, bringing the best of German culture to the southeastern United States, and educating the next generation of American economic leaders on the rewards of being able to respond to different corporate cultures and lifestyles. The German American Cultural Foundation is committed to supporting the development of institutions and schools that offer the chance to learn the German language through direct financial support and by providing scholarships and fundraising opportunities. The German American Cultural Foundation also supports the Global Youth Ambassadors Program which is a student exchange program between the US and Germany. In the 10th year of operation, GYAP will expand its offering of dynamic global program for high school students to include travel to the “Peer to Peer Teen Exchange Program in Germany.” This four-week program will see students spending two weeks on a pre-departure course, learning the basics of the German language, culture and leadership skills before departing on a two-week trip to Germany, spending six days with a host family in Nuremberg before taking cultural excursions to both Munich and Berlin.
To find out more about the Atlanta Christkindl Market, please visit http://www.christkindlmarket.org or engage with the event on social media at www.facebook.com/AtlantaChristkindlMarket or Twitter and Instagram: @atl_christkindl.