How Arlington’s generosity to a war-ravaged German town led to a huge Christmas market
The big German-themed Christkindl Market has returned to Arlington, and this year’s celebration is shaping up to be the largest ever for the annual festival.
Anchored by the internationally renowned Käthe Wohlfahrt, there are 20 vendors offering specialty gifts and gourmet foods along with an expanded experience that awaits visitors to this seasonal event.
A first-time centerpiece is the 5,000 sq. ft. outdoor ice skating rink adjacent to the market filling the plaza at Texas Live!, right next to the Texas Rangers new ballpark.
Inside Käthe Wohlfahrt’s big tent, shoppers can discover an outsized selection of authentic, handmade German gifts and decorations. They’ve been chosen for the market from the company’s more than 30,000 items that have attracted, according to its head office in Rothenburg, millions of visitors from all over the world.
Now, a short trip to Arlington puts them within arm’s reach of local enthusiasts and shoppers looking for something unique to delight recipients of these distinctive gifts.
The shopping experience is just getting started as an array of merchants are lined up offering a variety of items that will surprise those looking for an unusual gift or perhaps something for themselves not found on customary shopping trips.
Among the selections are three-dimensional wooden, self-moving model kits and puzzles from Europe, handmade arts and handicrafts, unique jewelry collections and a chance to meet the artisans who created them, an array of organic skincare products, handcrafted pet supplies, functional wood and acrylic art crafted for the “hard to buy for,” and lots more.
Then there is the food and drink, again, choices of German specialties. They range from bakery items, to European-style gourmet chocolates, roasted almonds, pecans and cashews, exotic meat jerky, pork schnitzel, jaeger fries, kartoffelpuffers, fleischkuekle and currywurst.
For those who have never heard of some of the above, it’s all part of the discovery that awaits a stroll through the market. You might want to combine it with a visit to Six Flags Over Texas’ Holiday in the Park extravaganza.
The origins of Arlington’s Christkindl experience can be traced all the way back to the early 1950s. That’s when the residents of what was then a small town gathered essentials of daily life and shipped them to the people of Bad Konigshofen, Germany, who were recovering from the ravages of World War II.
That humanitarian initiative included three boxcar loads of clothing and other common supplies sorely in need by about 6,000 residents of all ages.
The bond that was created among people a world apart from each other who didn’t share either a common language or culture grew into a lasting friendship and the development of a sister city relationship now spanning three generations.
On the occasions of visits to Bad Konigshofen, Arlington travelers are often approached by its citizens, many in their 60s and 70s who were among family members who received something as ordinary as a pair of shoes, who wanted to again express their gratitude of what Arlington had done for them.
Through those relationships, Arlington officials discovered the Christkindl Christmas Markets of Germany and decided such an experience ought to be brought to Texas.
It represented both an expansion of the two cities’ partnership and an opportunity to broaden the Christmas experience with an international flavor now taking place in Arlington’s ever burgeoning entertainment district.
The market is open through Dec. 22; the ice rink continues until Jan. 22. Admission is free and adjacent parking is abundant. Check the website for details and times: txchristkindlmarket.com.
This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 9:52 AM.