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Community Corner

Excelsior's Christkindlsmarkt Launches Holiday Season

Christkindslmarkt is an outdoor market with products, food and events for the whole family.

Excelsior may have a small town feel, but it will mark the beginning of the  in a big way with the Fifth Annual Christkindlsmarkt—a festival that originated in Germany hundreds of years ago. In Excelsior, the festival survives as a German-themed open air market that has become part of a long list of seasonal events in Excelsior.

“There’s a lot of events that go on in Excelsior and that’s what makes it unique,” Rick Meyer said about his city.

Meyer is one of the three event planners on the Christkindlsmarkt Committee. Myrle Mackenzie and Denise Westman make up the committee's other two members.

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Although this year’s Christkindlsmarkt has a moved to a new location—the East Municipal Parking Lot in downtown Excelsior—the event will still be the one that many residents have grown to love.

“It’s a great family experience,” said Betty Sorenson, president of the Excelsior Downtown Business Group. “It’s really getting a great following.”

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The festival starts Friday, Nov. 25, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 27. At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, a parade sponsored by MOM.com will usher in the festival, which will officially open at 10 a.m. Friday will also see the Children’s Lighted Lantern parade at 5:30pm. The three event planners expect to see a healthy crowd over the three day period.

“It gets the word out about how fabulous Excelsior is,” Myrle Mackenzie said about the festival.

The event will include a host of music performances, from such groups as Minnetonka High School Madrigal, Wayzata Chorale and the Kids of Westonka Choir. Vendors will sell a variety of items: scarves, handmade sweaters, wooden toys, art and jewelry, just to name a few. Food is another feature, from desserts and snacks like strudels and roasted almonds to meats like sausage and brats.

Denise Westman said that she could hardly explain in words how much she enjoys Christkindsmarkt. She described the outdoor shopping, the food, the sense of being part of a community, and even the cold.

“When you’re outside, it’s just a great feeling,” Westman said. “The atmosphere is very festive.”

One of Westman’s favorite traditions is to drink hot cocoa or Gluhwein, warm spiced wine.

with Santa Claus is another part of the Christkindlsmarkt tradition. The trolley will be decorated as the North Pole and during the ride children will have the opportunity to visit with Santa Claus.  

Each day of the festival is marked with its own set of unique events of music performances, which promises to draw people from all over the Lake Minnetonka area.

“I get a great sense of satisfaction that our downtown draws from such a wide range of communities,” Mayor Nick Ruehl said about Christkindlsmarkt. “I love to see people having a great time. It’s a wonderful time to be in Excelsior.”

Christkindlsmarkt hours of operation:

Friday, Nov. 25: 10am-7pm; Saturday, Nov. 26: 10am-8pm; Sunday Nov. 27 11am-4pm

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