Christkindlmarket 2024 set records in both Chicago and Aurora, Illinois
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The holiday season has given way to the bitter winds and snow of the dead of winter, and the shacks and chalets that housed Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza last month have been disassembled and are ready to be taken away.
But Christkindlmarket has quite the year to look back on. The Daley Plaza event downtown and the one at RiverEdge Park in Aurora both broke records in 2024.
German American Events LLC said the attendance record was shattered despite it being colder in 2024 than 2023, and despite the duration of the market being shorter.
There were more than 1.65 million visitors between the Chicago and Aurora events. The Chicago event alone saw 1.4 million visitors, while the Auror event drew 275,000 between Nov. 22 and Dec. 24, 2024.
Organizers said more than 950 gallons of Glühwein were served between the Chicago and Aurora events. A total of 1,500 cheese wheels were used by Baked Cheese for the popular raclette sandwiches, and visitors ate more than 20,000 pretzels between the two locations.
Ornaments from the daily glassblowing workshops at the Aurora location resulted in about 27,000 Christmas trees, organizers said.
The usual third Christkindlmarket event, at Gallagher Way outside Wrigley Field, was not held this past holiday season. An abbreviated Wrigley Winterland event with carnival rides was held, but only on Gallagher Way rather than inside Wrigley Field on the ballfield as in past recent years—as preparations for the NHL Winter Classic were under way at the time.
The first Chicago Christkindlmarket was held on Pioneer Court alongside Tribune Tower in 1996. It moved to Daley Plaza the following year and has been held there every year since except for 2020, when only virtual events were held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
