Christkindlmarkt to fill Ferdinand this weekend

ByLocal Sources Reading Time: 6 minutes

NOTE: The Christkindlmarkt Eve opening ceremony in Ferdinand will take place this Friday at 6:30 p.m. as normal, but the location has been moved to the main entrance to St. Ferdinand Church (west side). The opening will NOT be held at the monastery this year.

Christkindlmarkt will fill Ferdinand with music, food and Bavarian Shopping stalls as the town settles into the Christmas season, continuing the old-world charm of Dubois County’s holiday season.

Ferdinand’s Christkindlmarkt, held the third full weekend in November, annually features over 200 lavishly decorated booths filled with quality hand-created items, Christmas wares, antiques, art, delicious regional food and wine, live entertainment, a free concert, free tours, and so much more.

In Germany and throughout Europe, artisans display their wares in the local churchyard in the weeks before Christmas. Ferdinand’s Christkindlmarkt is one of the most authentic in the United States. Instead of booths in the churchyard, markt sites are located indoors and outdoors throughout town.

The third full weekend in November annually brings the heady aroma of authentic Bavarian specialty foods,
regional wines, and over 200 vendors of folk art, period pieces, and hand-made treasures. An incredible array
of Christmas wares, antiques, quality hand-crafted, and primitives await the public at Ferdinand’s Christkindlmarkt,
Saturday and Sunday, November 16 and 17.

Parking is free, as is the shuttle service between market sites.

The six markt locations include the Ferdinand Community Center at 1710 Community Drive, the Tri-County YMCA Antiques Markt at 131 E. 16th Street, Forest Park High School on 14th and Vienna, the Ferdinand American Legion at 425 Main Street, Ferdinand Elementary at 402 E. 8th Street, and the Monastery Event Hall at 840 E. 10th Street.

In addition to regional foods and wines, quality handcrafted treasures, antiques, florals, folk art, ornaments, pottery, fabric, and artwork, booths will showcase the works of wood carvers, basket weavers, chocolatiers, candle makers, bakers, and other artisans as at Christkindlmarkts held in Germany.

There are many exciting new vendors ready to show their wares. The festival-style setting has drawn thousands
of guests as part of the Olde World Christmas program promoted by the Ferdinand Tourism Commission and
the Dubois County Visitors Center.

Live, free musical entertainment will be offered both days at the Forest Park locations, including the amazing Marionette Theater with half-life-size puppets at 12:15, 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. EST Saturday and at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. The live Glockenspiel performances will perform at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday on the stage in the Forest Park High School Auditorium located in the FPHS Lower Commons. These
live cuckoo clock animations last approximately ten minutes after the chiming of the hour.

A Reindeer Reserve Meet ‘N Greet will be held at the Ferdinand Branch Library Community Room from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday. One of Santa’s elves will arrive from the North Pole with a reindeer you can meet!

Be sure to tell Santa what you want for Christmas when you visit with Santa Claus from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday at the library as well. The Ferdinand Library south parking lot will be trans- formed into an ice-skating rink for the weekend
complete with the skates needed to enjoy the fun!

Watch for the Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas) and the Christkind (Christmas Angel) who will also be making their appearances on Saturday, exact times unknown.

The beautiful Monastery Immaculate Conception Church will host Saturday evening’s entertainment featuring a seasonal concert with musicians from the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus and Youth Orchestra at 7 p.m. The holiday program will feature a wide variety of heartwarming traditional Christmas music. The concert is free and open to the public, goodwill donations will be accepted.

Then, on Sunday, a mass with German hymns will be held at St. Ferdinand Church at 10 a.m. EST.

Free tours of Monastery Immaculate Conception will be available on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and
12:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and again on Sunday any time between 12:30 and 3 p.m.

All six markt sites will be open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST on Saturday and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. EST on Sunday. There
is no admission charge. Parking and all events are free.

The Christkind appears on Christkindlmarkt Eve, November 15th, at the markt’s annual opening ceremonies.
Bells chime, choirs sing, and children light the way prior to Christkind’s appearance to herald in the markt.

You can learn more about the events here http://www.ferdinandchristkindlmarkt.com/about.html.

Here is a schedule of events.

Friday, November 15

The Opening Ceremony will now be held in front of St Ferdinand Church at 341 E 10th St, Ferdinand at 6:30 p.m. Due to the rain over the weekend, the hill at the Monastery has become too saturated to hold the event this year.

The Christmas Angel will appear in front of Christ the King Church front doors. Imagine a live Nutcracker waving a banner as he stands guard. Imagine the resounding chords of trumpeters heralding in the season and a bell choir of nuns performing angelic tunes. Better yet – don’t imagine – live it – during opening ceremonies for the 27th annual Christkindlmarkt to be held in Ferdinand, Indiana.

The Sisters will be hosting their annual Monastery Baked Goods Bake Sale immediately following the program in the North Parking Lot.

Saturday, November 16:

  • Markets Open: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST
  • Appearances by the Christkindl Angel and Father Christmas Various locations at various times
  • Guided Tours of Monastery Immaculate Conception: Any time between 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 – 3 p.m.
  • Ice Skating at Ferdinand Library South Lot 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Children’s Craft Workshops at Paper Pie Booth outside the FPHS Jr. High Gym site 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
  • Reindeer Reserve Meet ‘n Greet at the Ferdinand Branch Library, 11:00 to noon
  • Live Glockenspiel Performances at the Forest Park High School Auditorium, 11 a.m., 12 and 1 p.m.
  • “Holiday Cabaret on Strings” Marionette Theater: 12:15, 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. in the Forest Park High School Auditorium
  • Visit with Santa Claus Ferdinand Library 112 E 16th ST, 1-4 p.m.
  • Lights on the Grotto: On the grounds of the Monastery (after dusk)
  • “Sounds of the Season” Concert: Members of the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus and Youth Orchestra, Monastery Immaculate Conception 7-8 p.m. EST

Sunday, November 17:

  • Markets Open: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. EST
  • Mass with German Hymns at St. Ferdinand Church, Christ the King Parish, 10:00 a.m.
  • Appearances by the Christkindl Angel and Father Christmas Various locations at various times
  • Ice Skating at Ferdinand Library South Lot 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • Live Glockenspiel Performances at the Forest Park High School Auditorium, 11 a.m., 12 and 1 p.m.
  • Children’s Craft Workshops at Paper Pie Booth outside the FPHS Jr. High Gym site, 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
  • “Holiday Cabaret on Strings”Marionette Theater: 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Forest Park High School Auditorium
  • Tours of Monastery: Any time between 12:30 and 3 p.m.
  • Lights on the Grotto: On the grounds of the Monastery (after dusk)
  • Ice Skating Free to all adults and children! Skates provided! Don’t miss the refreshment items next to the rink, including coffee, hot chocolate, deep-dish cookies, and pizza! Ferdinand Library parking lot, 112 E. 16th, Saturday 10:00 – 5:00 p.m.; Sunday 10:00 – 3:00 p.m
  • Reindeer Reserve Ferdinand Library 11:00 – noon. One of Santa’s elves will arrive from the North Pole with a reindeer you can meet, pose with, and pet if you wish! Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Live Glockenspiel A cuckoo clock comes to life Saturday and Sunday at 11, 12, and 1:00 EST at the Forest Park High School Auditorium.
  • Children’s Craft Workshops Lindsay and her elves love to work with children creating crafts! Hands-on, free sessions… both days, hallway behind FPHS Junior High Gym site.
  • Visit with Santa Claus Tell Santa what you want for Christmas! Children of all ages are welcome from 1-4 p.m., Saturday at Ferdinand Library 112 E 16th.
  • Marionette Theater Half life-size Melchoir Marionettes will perform on Saturday at 12:15, 1:30, and 3:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Forest Park High School Auditorium.
  • Tours of Monastery Immaculate Conception, home to one of the largest communities of Benedictine women in the United States, the monastery dates back to 1867 and is within the National Register of Historic Places. Free guided tours will be held any time between 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 – 3 p.m. on Saturday and from 12:30 – 3 p.m. on Sunday. Experience what the locals affectionately call the “Castle on the Hill.”

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