The Glens Falls Collaborative has about 28 vendors set to sell at the city’s first annual Adirondack Christkindlmarkt. The German-style holiday market ran the last two years in Lake George Village and will run during the first weekend of December in Glens Falls City Park.
Organizer Nancy Turner of the Bell House Inn in Glens Falls said that they have more vendors who have expressed interest, but the collaborative plans to limit vendors to 32, or 16 vendors per giant tent in the park.
“I think we’ve been doing really, really well,” in the planning and organization of the market, she said, adding that the collaborative wants to keep this year’s event a little smaller to see how it goes, “and then keep increasing as the years go on.”
They are expecting between 4,800 to 5,000 visitors to the event.
The Collaborative is also running the annual Hometown Holidays event, starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, with the Santa Claus parade through the city and then the annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 3, along with the start of the Christkindlmarkt, their website says.
The traditional Glühwein, a mulled, spiced wine in the European markets, will not be available in the beverage tents, Turner said, mainly because the companies in the area that might have served it are having staffing issues.
She said she has been asking downtown restaurants to provide a German dish or some sort of hot wine or cocktail “so people will be able to experience some of that.” She has reached a couple so far and is working to reach more.
Tyler Herrick the president and general manager of the Queensbury Hotel said his venue is ready to give vendors special pricing to stay the weekend of the Christkindlmarkt, and to make changes to the menus, if needed, though he did not have menu changes yet. The hotel’s igloos to cover sidewalk dining tables will return as the weather turns colder.
“We’re ready to help,” he said. “I think it’s going to all come together.”
Tracy Willis, co-owner with her husband Francis of the Gourmet Cafe on Glen Street, said Turner had approached her about creating some sort of German food or beverage, and they are looking into at least one German food. She asked that FoothillsBusinessDaily.com not print which food it was since she was not sure what could be done by Dec. 3, if anything, especially with supply chain issues.
Still, she said she loved the effort that Turner and the collaborative put forward.
The effort is “very much appreciated,” Willis said. “Any event we can have downtown is wonderful.”
The event is expected to be promoted with a $20,000 occupancy tax grant from Warren County, if it is approved later this month.
Entertainment beyond shopping:
- Three music groups including Bobby Dick and Suzie Q will entertain on the weekend.
- Carriage rides.
- Photos with Santa Claus.
- Crafts in the Children’s Museum Tipi
- Mascots from the Great Escape and the Adirondack Thunder will stop by.
FoothillsBusinessDaily.com is the media sponsor for the Glens Falls Collaborative.