My wife and I visited during the last weekend it was open. We arrived early so it wasn't that crowded but it was getting bad. The market is located at the closed steel mills outside of downtown Bethlehem. There is an entrance fee of $14 per person (adult) before you can enter the area. Overall, my wife and I found the market to be closely associated with a flea market or a craft show. I have been to Christmas markets in Germany and Quebec City, and this could not even come close. High prices and owners of the space that would rather be on their phone than acknowledge your presence. As it turns out, we only bought dog treats. It took us about 90 minutes to walk through the entire market. Again, high prices on top of paying 28 dollars to enter. There is parking lot nearby and only a five minute walk to the facility. I'm glad we experienced it but I don't think I'll be returning. read more

Numerous kiosks with a wide variety of Christmas items, Knick Nacks, wine beer German Food, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Wine and Spirits bars. read more

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Went here with my dad and sister. Got there early and it was quick to check in. So many great vendors and food options. read more

Christkindlmarkt - Local Flavor Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

It's a very expensive trip to go into the marketplace and have something to eat. We spent over $70 just to get in and have a sandwich with a $4 bottle of water. The vendors were very good but be prepared to spend money. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect since I didn't look at the website before coming but it was very cute. It is a market full of Christmas vendors and food trucks. If you love local vendors, handmade crafts this is a place for you! There is a Santa and so much more! read more

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Friday nights from 5-8 pm are free; thank goodness. If I had paid the $11-13 admission price, I'd be pretty upset. I've never understood why consumers should have to pay for the privilege to shop. Seems that vendors are losing out the most because after paying admission, we're less inclined to buy. Speaking of vendors... you enter the market via the Retail tent. That is, a lot of crappy commercial goods that you can get just about anywhere. Though a few local stores were represented. The Artisan tent was a bit more interesting, with local artists selling everything from woodwork, jewelry and photos to handmade ornaments. Especially fun was watching artists at work, like glassblowers and metal artists. The food section was pretty disappointing. Two vendors sold authentic German food, but the one I tried was not very good. Other vendors tried to German-ize their food by adding sauerkraut to everything. The one stand out was the Pumpkin Rice Pudding, a nice twist on an old favorite. Something to do during the holiday season, for sure, but nothing like the European Christmas markets (which are free, incidentally) that Christkindlmarkt models itself after. Parking is a nightmare. The tents take over most of the parking lot and the remainder is supposed to be for the skating rink next door. Paid street parking is available, but not super close. Wear comfy shoes. read more

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Set against the industrial back drop of the SteelStacks campus, the Bethlehem Christkindlmarkt is a unique and wonderfully organized Christmas Market. Beginning with the location, the setup of the Christkindlmarkt on the SteelStacks/ArtsQuest Campus makes the event/venue worthy of visiting. Having been to Christmas markets in Germany and throughout, the Bethlehem Christkindlmarkt's layout and design is an eccentric take on the traditional row-by-row, outdoor venue as it attempts to melt and merge with the industrial tunes of the environment. It's a combination of large, indoor (almost Biergarten-style tents) and a handful of outdoor stands from which vendors due business with the patrons to this venue. You can purchase tickets in advance on the SteelStacks website, however, if it is a last-minute visit, there is the option to purchase admission at the door as well ($15 on the weekend and no military discount). It is about a dollar discount if you purchase the tickets in advance, regardless of day of week, while the Thursday and Friday's are about 3 dollars cheaper than the weekends. The website also advertises various options for parking, however there could have been a better job done with the parking management, as there were only signs "event parking" to guide patrons when they arrive to the area. We lucked out and were able to find a space in one of the first-come-first-serve free lots (ArtsQuest Parking Lot 2) since it was not blocked off with a "full-lot" barricade; we saw a lot of folks utilize the parking decks/garages which requires payment. One can reasonably expect for the venue to be busy when going on a Saturday, after the opening day, an hour after opening. Again, the flow of traffic into the area is a little mismanaged, however, once you navigate and find parking, the actual grounds of the venue is able hold large capacities of people rather well. Walking through the indoor tents with a double-side by side stroller despite the amount of people was actually manageable. There was a great variety of vendors, both in goods and foods. There is a "main" tent (arguably the one you enter through), and a "food" tent in which the majority of the stalls offered a variety of eats. Between these two tents, you will find a few stalls that serve adult libations. The price of these alcoholic drinks are reasonably priced (what you'd expect for a festival); a wonderful surprise was getting a free-to-go souvenir sippy cup for one of the specialty cocktails (the Apply Mule was actually pretty good). Meanwhile, the selections of food is generous and takes on the festive flair of the event theme, which a combination of full-platters to small eats. The Kathe Wohlfahrt vendor definitely feeds into the festive theme; if you're not familiar with Kathe Wohlfahrt, they are a genuine vendor of German goods usually Christmas ornaments and decor. There are also a good selection of other unique vendors that patrons can peruse through. Meanwhile, there are several photo-ops between the indoor and outdoor areas, while the venue itself provides a photo-with-Santa booth which patrons can pay for the photo package afterwards. There are no specific activities for children here, however, we did stumble upon a free craft booth for kids. A big shout out to the ladies that volunteered to help at this because my children thoroughly enjoyed making their Christmas trees here with their help and motivation. Ultimately, I think we could have explored the venue a bit more, but cut it short after 2 hours. It was worth the visit from New Jersey, and we definitely plan on coming back to this festival the following year. Would definitely recommend as a family-event to any group. read more

Great place for holiday shopping and spirit! There are around five gigantic indoor heated tents to wander through. There's also food and alcohol. Fire pits and igloo tents outside. Definitely a winter stop from now on! read more

My wife and I are suckers for a great Christmas market like Christkindlmarkt. This is our second year coming to the big event and we brought our daughter along. What I love about this particular Christmas Market is there's something for everyone. The three of us all were able to find multiple gifts (from stocking stuffers to really nice cheese to some nice jewelry) and we finished up at the food court. The food court is pretty large, but be aware the tables are cafeteria style where they are really king and you'll probably end up next to someone. The food is good, not great. Wifey had a pulled pork burger, daughter had a burger and fries, and I had a Krainer wurst with sauerkraut. We also shared some tots and potato pancakes. The potato pancakes were the star of the meal...the rest was just ok. We finished up with a German Apple Strudel and some roasted pecans with cinnamon and sugar (dessert we got to go). If you've never been to the market it's located right on the old Bethlehem Steel site, which is a really cool historic location. Easy to get to from north or central Jersey and if you like supporting small business owners this is a great opportunity. read more

I'm a sucker for Christmas markets and for this year, none compared to this one! I went to one in DC and one in Baltimore, but they could not compare. Maybe NYC would have something comparable. It was the first time I visited Bethlehem PA Christkindlmarkt and I was not disappointed! There are many stalls selling unique items and I bought pretty cool items! Driving in alone already impressed me because Steel Stacks is so cool!!! There were Christmas trees and fire places, globes, a band... the place was very lively! One thing that was not very good was the bratwurst I had for dinner. I was not even sure it was completely cooked, but I was so hungry, I ate it anyway. I bought some baby shoes with matching headband, some animal hats since it made my baby laugh, hats, gloves, some signs, ornaments... it was such a good time! I was bummed I only had time to go one day. read more

Its that time of year! You will enjoy all the charming holiday items they have here. Maybe you will be able to get allof your holiday shopping done in this one place They also have coffee and food trucks outside in a courtyard area with firepit tables and igloos to shelter in. The negative is the parking! The lots are full by the time it opens, so expect to walk from further parking options. Getting an Uber drop off would be your smartest option! Happy Holidays! read more

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great family fun. went with our daughter & grandson. pics at the big Christmas tree with Steelstacks in the background. German food in the food court. good coffee choices. meaderies & distilleries with tasting & sales. Austrian ornaments & crafts & produce of all sorts. chainsaw ice carving. glass blowing. great market. lots of fun. read more

Entirely too crowded. They need to limit tickets. Too many people packed into a small area where you can't move at all. It's a safety hazard. I wouldn't recommend this venue to anyone. read more

Nice variety of vendors but the food is horrible so eat before you go. Unless you like over priced reheated food that sits there. There is a great variety of vendors but not cheap. Nice experience to see all the lights and the neat items for sale. read more

I think it's a nice event, I don't think it's kid friendly like they portray. So I wouldn't bring kids here. Make sure you come early, it was super busy even at 1005am, and it just opened. Lots of items, some booths were super expensive. Like got my two sons cookies. For a small cookie it was $20 a cookie. Which is absolutely ridiculous, I was figuring 8$ a cookie. But when I heard that price I always pissed myself. read more

Biggest scam around. You pay to enter the "market" and once inside its extremely underwhelming. The vendors sell flea market type merchandise. The food is what you expect to eat at a carnival and the service is awful. Skip this tourist trap and head to the main stretch in town by hotel Bethlehem. read more

I read through some of the reviews before going to this, and found some of the reviews utter nonsense. Some of these people should never have left home. It's Christmas time. Yes, it's going to be crowded! No, this isn't Germany and it's not a German Christmas market there. It is designed to be a place to shop for unique Christmas gifts, and there's a whole area of handmade jewelry and other craft items, so no, it doesn't have Walmart prices! Who goes to a place like this expecting that? What the Christkindlmarkt does have is free parking in close proximity to the venue. This was my first time there, as it's more than an hour drive to get there, so I was not at a prior location in Bethlehem but the location at the Steel Stacks and the PNC Plaza was very convenient. Everything is heated, though some are in giant tents, and there are 3 or 4 venues with hundreds of booths to explore. The renovated steel mill is a very cool location. I found some favorite artists and vendors from other shows and found lots of great gifts for others, as well as myself, and found all price ranges. Nothing was very expensive, but then I usually shop for one-of-a-kind items and and am aware that a handmade item will usually cost more. There is a large area where other items are sold, and you can find plenty of affordable items. It was not near as expensive as a place like the Sugarloaf Craft Festival, and there were lots of great talent and friendly faces. One thing that is expensive is food. One slice of pizza and a bottle of water was $8.50! Eat before or after you go. You can find plenty of things for anyone on your shopping list as well as many nice items for yourself. I enjoyed it and will make sure to make it back there again. read more

We come every year. We always go home with some unique and hard to find gifts. Plan to spend 2-4 hours depending on if you are a person who looks at things or races to the end (we have both in our family!). Parking is a bit far, but then once you get in the event you'll be walking some more! Have heard complaints about the entrance fee, as well as the prices. Understand this IS a funding event and the fee protects the vendors from non shoppers too, many of whom give away ample free samples. The prices are fair, not cheap. read more