MILWAUKEE -- There has never been a Christkindlmarket outside of the Chicagoland area, until now. Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Fegin announced Monday that they are "thrilled" to partner with the authentic German festival, and host it on the outside plaza of the Wisconsin Sports and Entertainment Center.
From November 17 through New Years Eve, the plaza of the arena will be "transformed into picturesque, holiday village where visitors can stop by and try European and German delicacies," according to Fegin.
The holiday village will feature around 30 vendors. Each vendor will have a traditional German candy cane striped hut. In addition to the authentic food and souvenirs, there will be live entertainment and activities on each day of the festival.
Milwaukee currently has a large amount of German heritage, making this partnership ideal. Chicago-land has hosted many Christkindlmarkets, and it has been a tradition there since 1996. In 2017, these authentic German festivals generated $170 million of economic activity in the Chicago area. The hope is that it does the same for Milwaukee.
The market will be open every day, with the exception of Christmas day. Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. For Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and new Year's Eve, the market will be open for 11:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"This is going to be the place to be everyday throughout the holiday season," according to Mark Tomkins, President and CEO of the German-American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest. Tompkins also said that he expects this partnership to continue "annually."
