You Snow the Drill! Get in the Holiday Spirit with Christkindlmarkt presented by Univest Financial 

This year, shop and celebrate with an EXTRA weekend! 

Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley, PA., October 17, 2024 – Christkindlmarkt presented by Univest Financial is set to kick off on Friday, November 15 through Sunday, November 17. Admission tickets and the schedule for the 32nd year of Christkindlmarkt are on sale now at Christmascity.org!  

“The holiday season in Christmas City is unlike any other. Families from across the region, and beyond, come to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season,” says Kassie Hilgert, President and CEO of ArtsQuest. “With Christkindlmarkt, presented by Univest Financial right next door to the Ice Rink at SteelStacks, presented by Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the SteelStacks campus is transformed into a fun and festive winter wonderland experience. We are grateful to all of the vendors and retailers – those who return year after year along with new ones. It’s a joyful time for the entire community to visit and celebrate while supporting the local business community during the holiday season.”  

Twice recognized as one of the best holiday markets in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure Magazine, the German-inspired, multi-tented Christkindlmarkt is truly a family event that celebrates the essence of the season in the official ‘Christmas City,’ Bethlehem, PA. Christkindlmarkt offers a unique holiday shopping experience with over a dozen crafters, artisan and retailers – such as crowd favorite, Käthe Wohlfahrt, who offers handmade ornaments, nutcrackers and collectibles straight from Germany! 

In addition to holiday shopping, Christkindlmarkt offers hands-on holiday-themed craft making, fun for the entire family. Afterward, enjoy Season’s Eating such as warm strudel, piping hot poutine, potato pancakes and more including holiday beverages! You can even meet St. Nicholas, arriving all the way from the North Pole.  

Single-day tickets are available here. Tickets range from $11 to $15 for the general public. For children ages five and under admission is free. For ArtsQuest Members and Circle Donors, with valid membership cards, admission is free. And once again, admission is free for the general public on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas City Combo tickets are on sale now, priced at $31.50. This ticket includes admission to Christkindlmarkt on a day of your choosing and a visit to all three stops on the Trees of Historic Bethlehem Tour. You can purchase the Christmas City Combo tickets here!  

“Univest Financial is excited to again serve as presenting sponsor of this favorite annual tradition loved by people in the Lehigh Valley and beyond,” said Betsy Roush, Community Relations Manager, Univest Financial. “Not only does Christkindlmarkt bring the community together for festive fun, it also provides impactful support to local artisans and small businesses. Univest is proud to partner with ArtsQuest as part of our commitment to giving back to the communities we serve.” 

ArtsQuest has partnered with Edrington and Levy Restaurants to bring back – and add new twists to – last year’s sold-out tastings built around the Old-Fashioned cocktail! An ‘Old Fashioned’ Christmas will take place on December 7 and 8 at 1 p.m. and on December 14 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Ticketholders will get four different Old Fashioneds to sample using spirits from the Edrington portfolio. An ‘Old Fashioned’ Christmas ticket gets you admission into Christkindlmarkt, a full old-fashioned cocktail from one of the Christkindlmarkt bars and food from Levy Restaurant Executive Chef Julie Marble.  

Christkindlmarkt will open Fridays through Sundays for its first three weeks and then expand to Thursdays through Sundays. This year we’ve added an EXTRA WEEKEND of holiday fun with the holiday market starting on the weekend of November 15 and ending the weekend before Christmas. The hours of operation are Thursdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. 

In addition to Christkindlmarkt, the Ice Rink at SteelStacks presented by Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital is set to open on Friday, November 22 and is open until January 5. Tickets can be purchases at https://www.steelstacks.org/icerink/.  

About ArtsQuest  
ArtsQuest’s mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities. ArtsQuest™ supports this mission via the presentation of performing and visual arts, film, arts education classes and outreach, youth programming and cultural events. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest; the Banana Factory Arts Center; and the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. The organization’s programs and events, of which nearly 50% are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region.