"Like little Europe right there in the Village": Wauwatosa Holiday Market opens Dec. 6
Bridget Fogarty
Want to visit a traditional Christkindlmarket this winter without booking a flight to Germany or driving to Chicago? Find your fix at the first ever Wauwatosa Holiday Market, which runs Dec. 6 to 17.
More than 25 vendors will sell European goods and food out of Belgian-imported chalets at the Harts Mills Lot, 7735 Harwood Ave., during the 12-day event. Inside a heated “Wintergarten” festival tent, visitors can take a break from the cold and buy Bavarian pretzels and warm beverages while enjoying live polka and holiday music.
“It looks like little Europe right there in the Village,” said Maria Panno, an event organizer and the owner of Infinite Warrior, a crystal business. Panno sold hand-crafted crystal goods at Chicago’s famous Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza for years, so she’s excited to see the German-style outdoor holiday market come to life at home in Wauwatosa.
Hans Weissgerber III, the director of the market and the proprietor of Milwaukee’s Old German Beer Hall, hopes the Tosa market brings visitors similar feelings of closeness and character you’d find in the Nuremberg, one of the oldest and largest Christkindlmarkets in the world.
Wauwatosa's new market isn't the first traditional outdoor holiday market to come to the Milwaukee area. Weissgerber III has been involved in the German Christmas Market of Oconomowoc since its inception 13 years ago.
German American Events, which hosts the popular Christkindlmarkets across the Chicago area, brought a Christkindlmarket to the Deer District outside the Fiserv Forum in 2018 and 2019. But the COVID-19 pandemic shut down plans for the market in 2020, and the market never made its return to Milwaukee due to low interest from vendors.
Weissgerber III said the Tosa market’s location holds promise to become a regional attraction that will bring people to Wauwatosa hotels, businesses and restaurants.
“The goal is have something that is really phenomenal,” he said. “We want them to come to the holiday market, but really we want them to visit shops in Wauwatosa.”
When is the Wauwatosa Holiday Market open?
Here are hours for the holiday market:
- Wednesday, Dec. 6 from 3 to 9 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 7 from 3 to 9 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 11 from 3 to 9 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 3 to 9 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 13 from 3 to 9 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 14 from 3 to 9 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 16 from 10 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Visit the website for a schedule of live music performances. Groups can make a reservation for tables in the Wintergarten tent by calling 414-219-9065 or emailing office@hbmilwaukee.com.
What’s on the menu at the Wauwatosa Holiday Market?
Inside the festival tent, you can expect lots of German and Bavarian food ranging from $4 to $15, Weissgerber III said. Schnitzel, Usinger’s sausages, currywurst and giant fresh baked Bavarian pretzels are a few menu items to look out for. Drinks include Leinenkugel and Hofbrauhaus beer, as well as non-alcoholic beverages.
Outside at the vendor village, look for baked goods and Swiss raclette sandwiches from the Baked Cheese Haus, a Wisconsin specialty and artisanal cheese company based in Mineral Point. Visitors can also purchase 2023 Holiday Market souvenir ornaments or mugs “either empty or full of” hot chocolate or mulled wine and designed by an artist, Panno said.
What to know when you go to the Wauwatosa Holiday Market
Admission is free to the market and families and children are welcome. On Saturdays and Sundays from 11 to 3, kids can visit with Santa and get a free picture taken. A mailbox to drop off letters to Santa will be at the market all season long.
Visitors can park for free at Hart Park, certain nearby churches and on the street in the Village, organizers said.
What vendors can you find at the Wauwatosa Holiday Market?
Here are some of the vendors at the market:
- Baked Cheese Haus
- City Tins
- Cream City Caramels & Confections
- Cream City Patchworks
- Farmers Candle Co.
- Flakey Jo's Homemade Pastries
- Global Artisan Collective
- Hughes Happy Hives
- Infinite Warrior
- Jully's Fashion Design
- MD Metal Art
- Melissa Makes
- Treat Street
- Waterford Bee Company
You can reach out to Bridget Fogarty at bfogarty@gannett.com.
More:Caribou Coffee is coming to Brookfield with dollar-off drink deals in its first month open
More:Gift shopping? Here's a list of holiday craft fairs to check out in the Milwaukee area