Brittney Lohmiller/The Herald
Ferdinand-native Hillary Cremeens of Nashville, Tenn. portrays the Christkindlmarkt Angel during the opening ceremony of the 21st annual Christkindlmarkt at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand in 2018.

By LEANN BURKE
lburke@dcherald.com

FERDINAND — This weekend marks the third weekend of November, and in Ferdinand that means the Olde World is coming.

This weekend, the Ferdinand Christkindlmarkt will overtake the town for the 22nd year and bathe the community in a Bavarian atmosphere as shoppers scurry around five Christmas market sites and several downtown businesses looking for treasures, including home decor, holiday gifts and tasty treats.

It’s the start of the Christmas season in the town, and people drive from miles around to experience tradition.

“We know we have seven tour buses coming from Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; and St. Louis, Missouri,” said Diane Hoppenjans, a Ferdinand Tourism board member and part of the Christkindlmarkt planning committee. “Then there are always those that find their way to the mart without letting us know ahead of time.”

That’s to say nothing of the flocks of attendees who drive themselves to the market from all around Dubois County and the surrounding areas.

This year, attendees can expect to find more food booths to fuel their holiday shopping. One of the most common pieces of feedback, Hoppenjans said, was that the food lines at previous marts got long, so this year’s committee sought more food options to keep lines shorter. Several local businesses within walking distance of the market sites will also provide refreshments.

Each of the six market sites — Forest Park Junior-Senior High School, the Tri-County YMCA, the Ferdinand American Legion, the Ferdinand Community Center, Ferdinand Elementary and the Monastery Event Hall at Monastery Immaculate Conception — will also all have new vendors, including local craft coffee roaster Stay Brewed and two new wineries, Huber and Buck Creek. Other new vendors carry gourmet salts, soft pretzels, hot chocolate and raclette cheese.

Of course, old favorites like the Glockenspiel and marionette performances will be back, as will the wide variety of handmade items, antiques and holiday treats for sale, most with an Olde World vibe. For Hoppenjans, one of the can’t-miss items is the springerle cookies. Springerles are anise biscuits with embossed designs baked into the dough. They are a German holiday tradition, and for Hoppenjans, it’s not Christmas without them.

“I love that traditional Christmas flavor and the look of the raised imprint,” she said.

Christkindlmarkt kicks off with opening ceremonies Friday night and runs through Sunday evening. Although organizers encourage attendees to walk from site to site — all are located in and around downtown — there will be a shuttle service to transport shoppers among the six market sites and local businesses. More information can be found at www.ferdinandchristkindlmarkt.com.

Christkindlmarkt schedule


Friday

6:30 p.m. Opening Ceremony on the Monastery Immaculate Conception lawn

7 p.m. Eve Dinner at St. Gertrude Hall at Monastery Immaculate Conception. Reservations required.

Saturday

9 a.m. Markt booths open

9 a.m. Black Forest Organ Grinder all day at the Ferdinand Community Center

9 a.m. Live Musical Entertainment all day at the Forest Park Practice Gym

10 a.m. Guided tours of the Monastery Immaculate Conception

10:30 a.m. Reindeer Reserve at the Ferdinand Branch Library

11 a.m. Live Glockenspiel performance at the Forest Park Practice Gym

Noon Live Glockenspiel performance at the Forest Park Practice Gym

1 p.m. Guided tours of the Monastery Immaculate Conception

1 p.m. Live Glockenspiel performance at the Forest Park Practice Gym

1:30 p.m. Holiday Cabaret on Strings Marionette Theater in the Forest Park Auditorium

1:30 p.m. Tours of St. Ferdinand Church

3:30 p.m. Holiday Cabaret on Strings Marionette Theater in the Forest Park Auditorium

Dusk Lights on the Grotto at the Monastery Immaculate Conception

7 p.m. “Sounds of the Season” Celebration Singers concert at Christ the King Parish

Sunday

10 a.m. Markt booths open

10 a.m. Masses with German hymns at St. Ferdinand Church, Christ the King Parish

10 a.m. Black Forest Organ Grinder all day at the Ferdinand Community Center

10 a.m. Live Musical Performances all day at the Forest Park Practice Gym

11 a.m. Live Glockenspiel performance at the Forest Park Practice Gym

11:30 a.m. Children’s Craft Workshop at the Usborne Books booth in the Forest Park Junior High Gym

11:30 a.m. “Holiday Cabaret on Strings” Marionette Theater in the Forest Park Auditorium

Noon Live Glockenspiel performance at the Forest Park Practice Gym

Noon Guided tours of Monastery Immaculate Conception

12:30 p.m. Children’s Craft Workshop at the Usborne Books booth in the Forest Park Junior High Gym

1 p.m. Live Glockenspiel performance at the Forest Park Practice Gym

1:30 p.m. “Holiday Cabaret on Strings” Marionette Theater in the Forest Park Auditorium

2:30 p.m. Children’s Craft Workshop at the Usborne Books booth in the Forest Park Junior High Gym

Dusk Lights on the Grotto at the Monastery Immaculate Conception