Setup For Christkindlmarket Begins Weeks Ahead Of Time In Daley Plaza
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In a sure sign of the season, setup began Friday for the Christkindlmarket Christmas market in Daley Plaza.
In past years, Halloween was a major part of the season at Daley Plaza, which would transform to "Franken Plaza" as part of the city's annual Chicagoween Celebration. The event featured a haunted house next to the Picasso, orange dye for the water in the Daley Plaza fountain, trick-or-treating and crafts, and performances by the Midnight Circus.
But Franken Plaza was discontinued after 2013, and now, the festivities in the plaza jump right from the Daley Plaza farmers' market – which wrapped up its last day on Thursday – to Christkindlmarket, the annual German-inspired holiday market tradition.
While setup was getting under way on Friday, Christkindlmarket does not actually start until Nov. 15. It features an assortment of wooden huts housing gift shops, along with entertainment, food, and beverages such as German mulled wine.
Christkindlmarket dates back to 1996, though its first festival was held on Pioneer Court next to Tribune Tower.
The festival has a second outpost in Wrigleyville alongside the Wrigley Field ice rink, which starts on Nov. 22. Milwaukee also hosts a Christkindlmarket event at the Fiserv Forum.
And while they are not part of the Christkindlmarket brand, similar holiday gift shop festivals are also found in New York, in Bryant Park and at Columbus Circle at the southwest corner of Central Park.