Texas Christkindl, a market launched in Arlington in 2011, has grown as more development has sprouted in the Entertainment District. Christkindl has moved from streets outside Choctaw Stadium to the plaza outside Globe Life Field.
The market launched as a way to expand Arlington's partnerships with its sister city, Bad Königshofen, Germany and its "partner Christmas city," Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany.
"The relationships work in a variety of ways: Culturally because of the people. If you come to our Christkindl market, you will see our cultural exchange where we have German vendors and vendors from all over the world," says Texas Christkindl's Henry Lewczik. "You also see educational relationships and even government where we're learning from each other."
This fall, members of Bad Königshofen's government came to Arlington for the dedication of a plaque marking the shipment of aid supplies sent to the city in Germany in 1952.
"We love that they try to speak our language, we try to speak their language and somewhere in between, we meet," Lewczik says. "[Christkindl] is expanding. There are so many people in North Texas with some ties to Germany."
Lewczik says those ties might be people whose families came from Germany or students at UT Arlington who have served in the military and spent time in Germany. This fall, Military Times ranked UT Arlington the top public university in the country for veterans.
At Christkindl, people have set up stands selling Christmas decorations, food and other gifts.
Charla White runs Sawdust and Bullets, which sells pens, lighters and other gadgets out of wood and spent shell casings.
"It's family fun, and it's free. The parking is free, the market is free, and there are a lot of unique, one-of-a-kind things people can buy," she says.
White says business during Christkindl has grown as more destinations have filled in the Entertainment District over the past 12 years.
"It's a lot of fun, there are a lot of people who come out and don't even know we're here," she says. "They're coming to Texas Live!, and then they get the nice surprise of the market, and that makes things really, really fun for everybody."
People shopping Tuesday said they like having a place in the middle of a city as big as Arlington that still provides a place where small businesses can thrive.
"We can have fun, look around, buy some gifts and just spend time together," one man said.
"This was a date, a surprise date. I didn't know where we were going, so it was a great surprise," his wife said.
Texas Christkindl also has choirs and bands that will perform, including German bands and bands from schools in Arlington ISD.
The market runs daily from 11 am-8 pm through December 23. A complete schedule and list of vendors is available at https://txchristkindlmarket.com/.
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