In the midst of the cold North Texas weather, a new Arlington tradition warmed hundreds right up with German cuisine, performances, crafts and history this past weekend.
Arlington’s inaugural Christkindl Market was held Thursday through Sunday and commemorated the 60th anniversary of Arlington’s partnership with its sister city, Bad Königshofen. The German city’s name may also be recognized from the Bad Königshofen Family Aquatic Center that opened in 2006 in Arlington on West Sublett Road.
For many North Texans, it was their first exposure to a Christkindl Market, like Tom and Janet Fishbone, but not to the German culture.
“I like German cuisine,” said Tom while sharing a plate of food with his wife. “I think it’s a good start.”
For others like Arlington residents Lorayne Johnson and her husband Phillip, it was a walk down memory lane. The couple lived in Germany together for three years and went to the famous Christkindl Market in Nuremberg.
“We came out for nostalgic reasons,” Lorayne said.
Performances by The North Texas German Band, Miss Arlington 2012, The Performing Arts Department of the Arlington Women’s Club and accordion player Alan Walling were a few of the entertainers present during the market.
German cuisine like potato pancakes, bratwurst, strudel and Bavarian-style beer were some of the food items offered at the Christkindl Market. Vendors also sold decorations like machine-made lace from the German city of Plauen.
The idea for Christkindl Market stemmed from when some of the Arlington Sister Cities organization visited Bad Königshofen and made a trip to Nuremberg to visit its Christkindl Market. Ideas from these trips came to fruition through councilwoman Sheri Capehart, who was part of the group that went overseas.
The City of Arlington plans to host next year’s Christkindl Market for two weeks.
Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck emphasized and thanked the community and its supporters for making the inaugural event a success. Followed by the mayor’s speech, the Christkindl Angel kicked off the tree-lighting ceremony with a countdown and fireworks.
Arlington resident Sheila Clawson, who arrived at the event with family said, “I think it’s fabulous – we don’t have anything like this.”
Article and photos by Rasy Ran
