Sacramento Turn Verein Actives Chriskindlemart

18th Annual Christkindlmark​t. Benefiting multiple charities in the Sacramento area including, New 10’s “Coats for Kids”

Christmas Music, Arts, Crafts, Ornaments,Cooki​es and Cakes for sale, Nurnberg sausage dinner, Gluhwein, Authentic Saint Nick.

In the tradition of the German outdoor Christmas Markets, the Sacramento Turn Verein offers the community an annual Christkindlmark​t for holiday shopping and entertainment.

Highlights of this festive weekend-long event include:

28 booths featuring local vendors Lebkuchen and Magenbrot, traditional German baked Christmas treats Glühwein, also known as mulled wine Daily appearances of Santa Claus and the German Christkind

Note: All vendor stations for the 2014 Christkindlmark​t are sold out.

History In many towns in Germany and Austria, Advent is usually ushered in with the opening of the town’s Christmas Market, also called a Christkindlmark​t (which literally means Christ child market). Generally held in the town square and pedestrian zones, the market combines food and drink in the open air, shopping and pageantry, as well as tradition. On opening night and, in some towns, every night, onlookers welcome the Christkind, or Christ child, in the form of a golden-haired angel, played by a local youth. Some of the most popular items at the market are: Crèche, nativity scenes Zwetschgamännla (figures made of decorated dried plums) Nussknacker (carved Nutcrackers) Gebrannte Mandeln (candied, toasted almonds) Christstollen or Stollen (a sort of egg bread with candied fruit) The most famous Christmas markets are held in the cities of Nürnberg, Dresden, and Stuttgart, making them very popular tourist stops. Each year, the Nürnberg and Dresden markets draw about two million visitors, and the Stuttgart market attracts more than three million visitors. Other well-known markets are held in Köln, Bonn, Lübeck, Wien, Salzburg, and Villach.