Texas ChristKindl Market – a Little Bit of Germany in North Texas

We had a selection of for cost offerings at no cost to ourselves, thanks to some complimentary tickets that were given to us as a thank you for sharing our experience at this event with you.

For those of you who aren’t regular readers of my blog let me tell you my foreign roots run deep 🙂  I’m a first generation Canadian whose parents immigrated from Germany.  Now I’m an American citizen and live in Texas, and the grandchildren on our side of the family will be first generation Americans!  So it’s a lot of fun to take part in a local cultural event, especially around the holidays, that holds all the traditions of my youth..with none of the frigid cold, lol!

One of our favorite things to do in December was to visit a ChristKindl Mart, and it’s something I really missed doing when we first moved from Canada to the United States.  So when I heard about the Texas Christkindl Market in Arlington, TX, I was so excited that this holiday tradition could be revived again.

So last Thursday my husband and I drove over to the Globe Life Park in Arlington (where the Texas Rangers play) to check out the 2015 Texas Christkindl Market.  The market itself is free to the public to attend, although you’ll probably want to make sure you have some kind of money with you for purchases and extra entertainment.  Parking is free also.

This is actually the fifth year the large open-air holiday market has been held, and it’s better than ever!

There are more vendors selling traditional German Christmas goods like tree ornaments, Lebkuchen (a German treat that resembles gingerbread), and currently it’s the only place in the Southwest that you can get Käthe Wohlfahrt merchandise.  There are more nutcrackers in this shop than you can imagine!

Of course my favorite part of any German gathering is the food!  And there are plenty of German dishes to choose from; Brats, Spaetzle, Strudel, Schnitzel, Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes), Beer and of course the holiday Glühwein.  You certainly don’t have a reason to go home hungry.

I had to take a photo of the “Helmut’s Strudel” sign.  My dad’s name is Helmut (told ya’ my German roots were deep, lol!), and I got a kick out of it!  Of course we ate some of it too, and it didn’t disappoint 🙂

While we’re fortunate to be having some seasonal temperatures in the DFW area right now, the open-air market can get chilly for some.  So take your food or just sit down for a bit and enjoy the Christmas music that is piped through the speakers or the entertainment that is on the main stage and visit the Warming Haus sponsored by Arlington Highlands.

This tented area has plenty of seating with tables and patio heaters throughout to take the chill away.

At the end of the tent is a cozy fireplace set up with Christmas trees and poinsettias which is quite festive to take in as you eat your Schnitzel and drink your Glühwein 🙂

The biggest change to the Texas Christkindl Market this year is the Kinder Market which is open Friday, Saturday and Sundays.  Since we went on a Thursday we didn’t get to experience it.  But we took a stroll along the side of the ballpark where the activities take place and snapped a few ‘quiet’ photos 🙂

Among the fun things they have for the little ones to do are:

• Riding the Carousel

• Designing a Gingerbread House (Cost: $30 for Gingerbread House, decorating supplies, and carrying case) All houses are baked from scratch, are totally edible, and come pre-assembled, ready to decorate.  You’ll find that activity by the big Gingerbread people!

• Visit Father Christmas at the Santa Haus (no cameras allowed inside, although photos are available for purchase)

Other activities include:

• Storytelling
• Pony Rides
• Snow Playground & Snow Throw ($8 for 25-minutes at the Snow Playground and $5 for 5-balls at the Texas Rangers Snow Throw)
• North Pole Texas Marionette Show – Show times are Fridays: 5 pm & 7 pm, Saturdays: 11 am , 1pm, 3 pm, 5 pm & 7 pm and Sundays: 1pm, 3 pm & 5 pm.  Cost: $10 for all ages, general admission and $12 reserved seating

There are plenty of great photo opportunities too, so don’t forget to bring your camera or have your phones at the ready.  From giant nutcrackers, reindeers and the chance to take an “Elfie,” there are some super holiday props where you can capture memories of your day at the Texas Christkindl Market.  Don’t forget to tag #TXChristkindl in your social media posts too, so everyone can see the fun you are having 🙂

 

Texas Christkindl Market is open until Dec. 23, 2015  and it’s fun for the whole family!

Opening Day, Dec. 4: 5 pm – 9 pm
Sunday-Friday: Noon – 9 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 10 pm
Adjacent to Globe Life Park in Arlington, Road to Six Flags & Nolan Ryan Expressway

Visit TXChristKindlMarket.com for more information.