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Friday, November 25, 2005 (PST)
- Christkindl Markt
For the third time the Village of Arlington Heights has had the beautiful Christkindl Markt.
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STAFF WRITER
For the third year in a row, Arlington Heights will host a Christkindlmarkt, a German-style Christmas with German music and food and a marketplace for holiday gifts.
From Friday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 27, two heated tents will be set up on Eastman Street next to North School Park. One tent will be for the entertainment and food. With bratwurst, potato pancakes, pierogis, apple strudel and butterkuchen on sale, plan to come hungry. Those who didn't grow up in an Eastern European home should know that pierogis are half-moon shaped dumplings with a filling such as pork, sauerkraut, or plums, and butterkuchen is a butter cake flavored with lemon and topped with almonds.
Simpler American fare, such as hot dogs and pizza, also will be available.
"You don't have to like sauerkraut to find something you'll like," said Tom Kivlahan, a member of the village's Special Events Commission.
Nor do you have to understand German to enjoy the numerous groups that will perform over the weekend.
"Although it's German music, it's fun music," said Kivlahan.
The "genesis" of the idea for a Christkindlmarkt in Arlington Heights was the Bavarian Christmas markets that have been held in Europe for more than 700 years, said former village trustee Stephen Daday. So performers who preserve German traditions in song and dance were booked for the three-day event.
A 30-piece Bavarian band from Milwaukee, the Freistadt Alte Kameraden Band, will perform traditional music from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 on the stage in the entertainment tent, known as the Musikplatz. They best fit the description of a German "oompah" band, said Daday.
DANK, a group of children and adults from the German Language Schools of Chicago Northern Suburbs, will perform in the Musikplatz from 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25. DANK, which stands for Deutsch-Amerikanischer National Kongress, or, in English, German-American National Congress, will sing traditional German songs and Christmas music in German. After the tree lighting, the Mardi Gras Society and Karneval Prinz will entertain alongside the musical group Phenix from 5:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Prairie Brass Band will close out Friday's entertainment with a concert of holiday music from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
"It's a great way to end the evening," said Daday. Germany also has its traditional dances which will be performed by the Donauschwaben Kindergruppe from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 25, and the Egerlander Tanz Gruppe, who will stroll through the Musikplatz from 4 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Nov. 26, and from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 27.
The second tent will serve as a mini-shopping center with 27 vendors selling crafts, "artsy" things and conventional gifts, said Kivlahan. "You could do all your Christmas shopping there." Vendors include Calligraphy by Linda, The Flower Petal, Paula's Material Things, United Moravian Societies and Barnes & Noble Booksellers.
Edible creations will be on display from the fifth annual "Gingerbread Homes for the Holidays" contest in the lower level of the Park District Administration Building at 410 N. Arlington Heights Road, next to North School Park. It's worth noting that contestants do not have to make a house out of gingerbread to enter the contest. In the past, contestants have made Nativity scenes and miniature versions of Wrigley Field and Noah's Ark. All the materials that are visible must be edible.
"It's amazing how creative people can get," said Ron Crawford, the chairman of the contest which is sponsored by Crime Stoppers, a non-profit organization which helps the police by offering rewards for tips that solve crimes.
The "gingerbread houses" will be on display beginning at 3 p.m. Nov. 25. During the tree lighting, the display will close, but re-open at about 5:15 p.m. with viewing until 8 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 26, people can see the homemade creations between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Entry forms are available at all park district facilities and from the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce Web site, http://www.arlingtonhtschamber.com/. For more information, call the chamber at (847)253-1703.
Holiday activities continue downtown. The von Trapp children, descendants of the family featured in the movie, "The Sound of Music," will perform at the Metropolis at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Nov. 25.
The Arlington Theater will show holiday movies the morning of Nov. 26. Filmgoers have a choice of three PG-rated movies: "Elf," the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell; "Jingle All the Way," the 1996 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; or last year's "SpongeBob SquarePants Movie." All three movies start at 9 a.m. The theater opens at 8 a.m. A donation of a non-perishable gift item is required for admission.
If customers also bring an unwrapped toy for donation, they will receive a free large container of popcorn. The food will be given to local food pantries and the toys will be given to Shelter Inc. More than 40 toys will be given away as raffle prizes during the morning movies Nov. 26. Only children will be given raffle tickets, said Kivlahan.
Children can tell Santa Claus what other toys they might like for Christmas in person. Santa and his reindeer will make regular appearances at Harmony Park beginning Nov. 25, when they will be in the park at Vail and Campbell from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. On Nov. 26, they will be there from noon to 3 p.m. Children should bring their wish list. Santa will return to Harmony Park on Dec. 3, 10 and 17, the times are not yet scheduled.
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