This year, you don't need to take an end-of-year European tour to experience the magic of France's oldest and most incredible Christmas Market.
This December 2 through 22, the Marché de Noël de Strasbourg-Alsace, the Strasbourg-Alsace Christmas Market, will set up shop in New York City's oldest public park, Bowling Green Park in lower Manhattan.
Sponsored cooperatively by the cities of Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse (cities all located in France's Alsace region), the extraordinarily charming Christmas village will consist of 30 authentic wooden chalets, which have been fashioned by master artisans and imported directly from Alsace.
Strasbourg's internationally acclaimed team of designers will bring to life an abundance of dazzling light displays and apply a bevy of traditional decorations to re-create the enchanting ambiance of the original market in the heart of New York.
Festivities will begin with a tree-lighting ceremony on Thursday, December 5, 2019, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The magnificent 22-foot tree will be decked out with customary handcrafted ornaments from the city of Mulhouse.
Shoppers can expect to find genuine artisanal crafts on offer, including pottery made in Soufflenheim and Betschdorf, hand-painted ornaments from Strasbourg and fine table linens produced in Colmar. Edible imports will include handmade candies, jams, Christmas cookies and fragrant gingerbread.
There will, of course, also be food stalls serving Alsatian specialties, such as tarte flambée, and steaming plates of choucroute piled high with hearty sausages and potatoes.
And the enticing aromas floating through the air won't be the only element that enhances the holiday spirit. Visitors can look forward to daily performances of French Christmas carols, and children can immerse themselves in interactive holiday workshops or perhaps visit Père Noël himself.
Springing from deep Alsatian roots, which entwine both the French and German cultures, Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik was founded in 1570 and thus is celebrating its 449th season.
Attracting over two million visitors each year, including many holiday river cruise-goers, Europe's oldest and most beautiful Christmas Market has earned itself the nickname "The Capital of Christmas." Indeed, it's difficult to imagine any place better embodying the Old-World charm of European holiday traditions.
The Strasbourg-Alsace Christmas Market in Bowling Green Park will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., from Friday, December 6 through Sunday, December 22, 2019.
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