Belleville’s Christkindlmarkt has global gifts
Now is your window of opportunity to shop comfortably outdoors — when the sun is shining and it feels more like May than December.
I strolled on a chilly but sunny Tuesday through downtown Belleville’s annual holiday Christkindlmarkt. According to the weather app on my phone, Saturday will be a great day to be there, too.
Set up on the northeast and southeast sides of the Public Square, the little brown “chalets” offer a world of gifts for Christmas and beyond, most of them handmade. The vendors will be there daily starting at 10 a.m. through Dec. 23.
I couldn’t cover all the chalets, so here’s a sampling of what I discovered. It’s such a nice area to shop that you can easily browse all of them in an hour or so. You can buy German stollen and other baked goods and food if you need sustenance!
Starting on the southeast side of the Square, the first chalet you’ll see is Siostra Polish Pottery, which sells durable stoneware in lovely shades of blue. You’ll find a variety of patterns, all of which are designed to be mixed and matched. An oval serving dish with scalloped edges and handles is $78 while a loaf pan is $44 and a butter bell is $45. The shop also has tongs handmade in the United States out of cherrywood for $38.
Just around the bend from the Polish pottery is Das Haus chalet. Local nonprofit groups will staff the official booth of the market and benefit from sales when there. Buy an attractive $10 canvas tote for all your purchases; it has the Christkindlmrkt blue logo on it. You’ll also find market mugs for $6, cool Bavarian men’s hats for $45 and more.
Serenity offers Himalayan wool hats, scarves and mittens. The $20 hats have intricate knitted patterns in them and are fleece-lined. Some have braided ties, top knots and faux fur linings. Wool mitttens and gloves are $18. The chalet also sells baby and animal hats for $10.
Andry’s Gifts from Afar is so colorful you have to stop to take it all in. You’ll find wooden Santas, hand-carved wooden toys, lacquer boxes, walls of lighted houses, nesting dolls, ornaments and more made in Ukraine. Glossy, painted nesting dolls will lure you in to take them apart. Prices range from $20 to $25 for the dolls, with as many as nine hiding inside some.
At Memorable Creations, owner Anna Steff has mixed up a wide selection of jams and jellies to take home for $6 a jar or three for $15. You’ll find sugar-free apple butter, pepper jellies, chocolate blueberry jam, mango peach and many more. If you need a trio for a gift, she’ll put them in a gift box for free.
No doubt the best — and most luxurious — bargain of the season: $30 all-cashmere scarves from Nepal at Whimzy Collections on the northeast side of the Square. The rectangular scarves are in shades/patterns of cream, tan, soft grays and browns, so they’ll work for men and women. Sold anywhere else, such as a department store, these would cost $80 or more.
At Plauener Lace & Gifts, hand-crafted German lace snowflake ornaments are $2 or 10 for $19. Called the lace city of Germany, Plauener crafts people also create lace scarves, doilies and other pieces.
Next door, Handcrafted in Holy Land & Erzgebirge Germany not only has olivewood nativities but a limited supply of Steinbach nutcrackers. Made in Steinbach, Germany, these brightly painted nutcrackers are collectibles with serial numbers. Prices range from $75 to $85 for smaller ones to $100 to $250 for the larger ones.
Unique Gifts offers hand-blown glass ornaments ($10 to $30) from Egypt that catch the light and shimmer as they hang inside the little chalet. Also available are votive candle holders ($15 to $20), tiny Christmas trees and much more.
As I was ready for a break, I saw a booth run by Eckert Florist in Belleville. There, you will find wrapped bundles of evergreen branches and holly, tied with green ribbon and a pine cone, for $15. It’s a nice gift to take to a holiday get-together.
This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 3:49 AM with the headline "Belleville’s Christkindlmarkt has global gifts."