A Detailed Guide to the Carmel Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market)
Located just north of Indianapolis is the charming town of Carmel. Every holiday season, the city puts on the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, a traditional European-style Christmas market.
Carmel’s Christkindelmarkt is one of the most authentic Christmas markets in the United States – it’s even been voted the “Best Holiday Market” by USA Today four years in a row.
As someone who loves European Christmas Markets, and has visited 15 markets in 9 different countries, I was really excited to come to Carmel and experience their festivities with my kiddos (who haven’t been to Europe yet).
Since I have a lot of experience with the holidays in Europe, I can also definitely comment on how authentic the Christkindlmarkt in Carmel is!
In this post, I’m sharing exactly what you can expect at the Carmel Christmas Market, including what to eat, buy, see, and do, and what kind of prices to expect.
The TL;DR though? We LOVED the Carmel Christkindlmarkt! It was absolutely delightful and extremely authentic. I came with Matthew and our four girls (12, 10, 8, and 6) and everyone had a fantastic time. I’d recommend it for couples, friends, and families – there’s really something for everyone.
Dates for the Carmel Christkindlmarkt in 2024
In 2024, the market in Carmel opens on November 23 and closes on December 24.
Hours for the market are as follows:
- Monday-Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday-Thursday: 4-9pm
- Friday-Saturday: 12-9pm
- Sunday: 12-8pm
Special Hours are as follows:
- Wednesday November 27: 12-9pm
- Thanksgiving and Christmas: Closed
- Monday Dec 16-Tuesday Dec 17: 4-9pm
- Monday Dec 23: 12-9pm
- Tuesday Dec 24: 12-4pm
An Overview of the Christkindlmark in Carmel
So, what is the market in Carmel like? Wooden stalls decorated with garland and lights surround the market, selling gifts, goods, food, and drinks.
A Christmas pyramid – a tall, multi-story tower topped with a fan and is a beloved German tradition sits right in the center of the market, with an ice skating rink, a large decorated Christmas tree, and a pavilion with live music serving as additional centerpieces.
The market also hosts other activities and photo spots for guests to enjoy. The atmosphere is extremely jolly, festive, and beautiful. I loved the attention to detail – it was clear that great pains were taken to make things very high quality and authentic, which really made this market special!
What to Eat at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt
The general theme of the market is German-inspired food, decor, and gifts, but there are also many food choices from other European countries, such as Belgium, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
The food was pricey, especially compared to the same foods at the markets in Europe, but the quality was very high and it was all very authentic.
Lines for food were ridiculously long. For some of the more popular items (raclette, kartoffelspeiss, bratwurst) the lines were 20-45 minutes long. Other lines were 5-10 minutes or less, but plan that you’ll have some decent wait times.
If you want food but don’t want to wait in the long lines, I’d recommend getting your food first thing when the market opens – the half hour after opening and again before closing the lines were quite a bit shorter.
These are some of the delicious foods you can find at the market in Carmel:
Flammkuchen : A thin-crusted pizza-like dish served with cream, onions, and cheese (and other toppings). Although similar to pizza, flammkuchen is not served with marinara sauce and pepperoni.
Bratwurst: One of the most classic German foods you can eat! Carmel was serving very high-quality bratwurst and sausages, and you can get it with sauerkraut if you wish (and I’d highly recommend it!)
Chocolate Dipped Fruit: Skewered fruit dipped in chocolate is a very common market food in Europe! We got the chocolate-dipped strawberries, which were excellent.
Pretzels: Jumbo pretzels are a staple!
Schnitzel: Schnitzel is a thin veal, pork, or chicken cutlet that has been breaded and fried. It’s very common in Germany and Austria, but is very similar to chicken-fried steak or just fried chicken in the US.
Stroopwafel: Stroopwafel is one of my favorite treats – a thin, chewy “waffle” is filled with caramel filling inside.
At this market, they made fresh stroopwafel on-site. A waffle was cooked, then sliced open, smeared with caramel, dipped in chocolate, and topped with sprinkles (or your choice of topping).
Kartoffelspeiss: This is spiralized fried potato on a stick, and was one of our family’s favorite foods at the market. The potatoes were soft yet crispy and perfectly salty – so delicious!
Raclette: Raclette is a type of Swiss cheese, but also refers to the meal where raclette is served. An entire half-circle of raclette cheese is melted underneath a broiler and then the melty part is scraped off onto a baguette or potatoes.
Fun Fact: The word “raclette” comes from the French word “racler”, which means “to scrape.”
Fried Dough Balls: These are exactly what they sound like, and were a perfect little sweet treat!
Fries: Belgian-style fries (extra crispy without being overcooked) are served in a cone, and you also have your choice of different dipping sauces to go with it. We got the garlic pepper sauce, which was fantastic.
Prague Ham: This ham was roasting on a massive spit over a fire, and was super juicy and succulent. You can eat it plain or in a bun!
Other things you can eat at the market include:
- Reibekuchen – fried potato pancakes (similar to a large hash brown), served with applesauce
- Candied nuts
- Gourmet Popcorn
- Gingerbread
- Waffles
- Crepes
Drinks at the Carmel Market
Hot drinks are an integral part of any Christmas market. You can get all your drinks either in a regular to-go paper cup, or you can pay $6 extra and get it in this adorable souvenir pink boot mug that has a picture of the Carmel market on it.
Mugs are an integral part of many European markets, although in Europe the mug system is a little different. In European markets where they use the mugs, every drink is served in the mug and you pay a deposit for the mug, which you can get back when you return the mug (or just keep it as a souvenir).
Here in Carmel, you are just purchasing the mug outright – there is no deposit-and-return service.
I would highly recommend you get at least one mug – they are delightful and cute and strolling the booths while sipping your hot drink out of an adorable boot mug makes everything just *so* much better.
There are several places around the market selling drinks, including under the Christmas pyramid. Mulled wine is the most classic option, but you can also find apple cider, kinderpunsch (non-alcoholic cider with berry juices), hot chocolate, beers, and other alcoholic beverages.
If you’re not drinking alcohol, I’d recommend the kinderpunsch over the regular apple cider. Kinderpunch has a sweeter, fruitier taste, is a very common market offering in Europe, and is extremely delicious!
There were also several varieties of hot chocolate being served, including Belgian hot chocolate, which was extra thick and creamy, and peppermint hot chocolate.
Ice Skating
The Ice at Carter Green is a charming, fairly large rink nestled in the heart of the Christmas market. The market stalls surround 3 sides of the rink, and the Christmas pyramid is directly in front of it, so the ambiance is really festive.
Ice skating is available in a couple of sessions on most days. For example, when we visited on a Wednesday, the market was open from 4-9pm, and ice skating was also open at the same times, with sessions from 4-5:30pm, and again from 6:30-8pm.
Admission plus ice skate rentals is about $15/person (but you can also bring your own skates.) The ice is cleared at the end of each session and the Zamboni goes out and smooths out the surface of the ice before the next session starts, so there is a hard cutoff time for your ice skating.
There can be a bit of a line to get in, so I’d recommend you show up a little before your time slot starts to get maximum time on the ice.
I’d also recommend you buy your tickets in advance to save time and make sure you get a spot, since advance time slots do sell out (our date sold out about 10 days ahead of time). While there can be time slots available the day of, these also sell out quickly.
Entertainment at the Winter Pavilion
The Winter Pavilion is a large, covered pavilion that has a stage for entertainment and tables for sitting, eating, and listening to music. The program changes daily, with a huge variety of performers and entertainers taking a 1-2 hour time slot throughout the market’s opening hours.
The performers generally sing holiday songs, but each has a unique style and focus. German performers singing traditional German songs are regularly a part of the line-up!
Other Activities at the Market
The Carmel Christkindlmart had a lot of fun activities around the market, especially for children. Here are some examples of what is available:
Artisan Demonstrations
Each week, the market welcomes a different European artisan craftsperson, who set up in one of the huts and give demonstrations of their craft.
When we were there, we watched a German craftsman carve the face of Jesus into a wooden stump. Besides just demonstrating his work, telling stories, and answering questions, he also sometimes lets kids come up and help him with the carving, which my kids loved.
The Kid’s Corner
Another little hut has different crafts for kids to do every day. The offerings rotate, but when we were there, there were little wooden magnets to decorate and coloring sheets to do.
Other activities include cookie decorating, or making ornaments, window art, clay centerpieces, paper heart necklaces, and much more.
The PlayHouse
At the PlayHouse, you can find many different types of kid-friendly entertainment and visits from characters. Santa, his elves, and fairy tale characters make regular appearances, or there might be puppet or magician shows, or the opportunity to learn German dances or songs.
Passport and Scavenger Hunt
You can pick up a Passport booklet at The Kid’s Corner Craft Hut, or at a Guest Services booth. Then, as you go around to the booths selling gifts and goods, look for the passport symbol, and get a stamp from the vendors.
Once you have at least 5 stamps, you can go back to Guest Services and redeem for a small prize.
There is also an adult/older kid version with 10 questions to answer that can also be redeemed for a prize.
Character Pictures
Different characters wander around the market for pictures on selected days and times, and the most common character out is the Christkind. This German tradition says that the Christkind angel delivers a tree and presents to children on Christmas Eve.
What is For Sale at the Carmel Christmas Market
One of the things I loved about the Carmel market was how authentic and beautiful the goods for sale were. The vast majority of items in the stalls were very European and the displays were vibrant and eye-catching.
However, the flip side of that is that many of these items were quite expensive.
These are some of the things you can find for sale in Carmel:
Fun Photo Spots Around the Market
Finally, the market has many really beautiful decorations and spots set up to admire and take pictures with. Here are some of our favorites:
Where to Stay When Visiting Carmel
Top Pick: The Hotel Carmichael is where we stayed during our visit to Carmel, and I’d highly recommend it! The location and comfort can’t be beat – it’s literally 10 steps from the hotel doors to the market entrance, which was very convenient when we needed to run back to our room a few times during the night.
The hotel is also absolutely gorgeous and has luxurious details throughout the property and in guest rooms.
Other great options for where to stay in Carmel:
($) Staybridge Suites Indianapolis-Carmel: This highly-rated, budget-friendly hotel is less than a 10 minute drive from the Christkindlmarkt, and every room in the hotel includes a kitchenette.
($$) Fairfield Inn & Suites: This mid-range hotel has comfortable rooms and is only a 7 minute drive from the market.
The Wrap Up
Is the Carmel Christkindlmarkt worth visiting? I 100% think so, particularly if you are within driving distance (we’re about 7 hours away and I felt like it was absolutely worth the drive up). The vibes and aesthetics of the market were on point and totally brought the Christmas spirit!
Looking for other fantastic Christmas Markets in the USA? Chicago and New York City are known for their top-notch Christmas festivities, and Leavenworth, WA is another great holiday destination.
And the Cullman Christkindlmart in Alabama puts on a surprisingly good market for being a small town in rural Alabama.
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