Walking through the glistening lights, hearing Christmas songs blaring over the loudspeaker, and smelling hot cocoa wafting through the air are the most festive of feelings. My senses captured these feelings at the Grand Rapids Christkindl Market that opened at the Downtown Market on Nov. 17.
I had seen many people who had gone and experienced the market, so I wanted to do the same. On Saturday night of the first weekend of December, I decided to go myself. However, it was not the best choice of a day to visit; because it was a weekend, the market was quite busy.
Once I arrived at the Christkindl Market, I was instantly overwhelmed by the massive amount of people bustling around. Walking around and through the two strips of the market was quite a task; market-goers were all around, making it difficult to maneuver.
When I finally was able to get to a clearing to read the signs on the booths and decide on what I wanted to eat for dinner, I went to wait in line for waffles. It took 30 minutes to get my food because only one man was working the entire booth, and the line was at least 35 people long. Nonetheless, it was delicious. It was a Belgian waffle covered in strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and powdered sugar.
The other stalls were not the best. They weren’t that exciting and didn’t draw me in, and they were expensive. There were a wide variety of booths, from mini-donuts to raclette (a type of cheese) sandwiches. But, I found most of the booths to be boring. There was a booth selling ornaments that weren’t very original, and there was a booth of just soup with nothing too special about it.
Also, in the middle, there is a long covered area with tables, and in the center—once I got through all the people—there is a small little drink area where they serve hot cocoa, cider, and beer. One of the reasons many people are in line is because, for $10, they can get cider or hot cocoa and a Christkindl Market mini mug. Or, for $12, they can get a bigger mug. I, of course, wanted a mug, but the line was too lengthy to make waiting worth it.
With all the people, it was quite difficult to maneuver around the regular Downtown Market—the stores that are normally there. My mom and I waited for 50 minutes just to get four tacos.
One thing I did enjoy, however, was the ambiance of the Christmas season. There are lights strung all across the market, so as I walked across the booths, I was under a canopy of shining lights. All of the stands were decorated with an assortment of ornaments and garlands. I felt specifically in the Christmas spirit with all the music that was playing across the market.
If you would like to experience a Christmas market filled with lights, ornaments, and all the Christmas songs of the land, I suggest you head to the Christkindl Market and experience it for yourself before it closes on Dec. 23.
However, I would strongly advise people to go on a weekday or night, so you can get the full experience without having to wait in many long lines.
