GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The holiday season is starting to take shape in downtown Grand Rapids as crews work to transform the Downtown Market into a European-style Christmas village.
Construction is now underway for the fourth annual Grand Rapids Christkindl Markt, which opens November 18 and runs through Christmas Eve, December 24.
While it may not look like a Christmas village just yet, crews are busy building the outdoor market that will soon be filled with lights, food, shopping and plenty of holiday cheer.
Once the market opens, visitors will be able to stroll through more than 45 outdoor vendor booths, offering everything from ornaments and clothing to pottery, candles, jewelry and handmade gifts.
The market will feature products from artisans around the world, including Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey and Estonia, along with plenty of items made right here in West Michigan.
Food and drinks will also be a big part of the experience.
Visitors can warm up with hot cocoa or glühwein, a traditional German-style hot mulled wine typically served with warming spices. Sweet treats will include chocolates, cookies, fudge and macarons, along with traditional stollen.
The holiday experience will extend inside the Downtown Market as well, where more than 20 vendors and restaurants will offer food and drinks throughout the season.
The Christkindl Markt is inspired by traditional European Christmas markets and has become an annual holiday attraction in downtown Grand Rapids.
For now, crews are still putting everything together. But in just a matter of days, the Downtown Market will start looking and feeling a whole lot more like Christmas.
