I went to Bethlehem to get into the Christmas spirit and this town does a great job of it. The Christkindlmarkt was well done and the $9 to get in was not bad, and you can get a $2 off coupon from many places around town. Yes, there were a few cheesy booths, but there were also a lot of local artisans and a few booths of beautiful, classic wooden German gifts. The new location at the SteelStacks is spectacular. The old buildings are quite amazing to look at and history is so present there. It's great that they converted the old steel factory to an arts center instead of tearing it down. After visiting the market, you can go back downtown via the free trolly that comes by every 15 minutes or so, and enjoy walking around historic downtown, which also has beautiful shops and booths out for Christmas, as well as Historic Hotel Bethlehem and the Moravian Church, which are not to be missed. If you appreciate history, architecture, Christmas, and supporting local economies, then Bethlehem is the perfect place to visit. read more

I will give it 2 stars only. Saturday night in December and they close at 8pm? If you want to see lights, you need to be open later than 8....I saw Sunday they close at 5 pm. read more

Christkindlmarkt is pathetic. The entry fee is ridiculous as other reviewers have mentioned. You want me to pay $8 each for my husband and I to shop from vendors whose merchandise does not change from year to year. My husband always wants to go and has to drag me along(almost kicking and screaming.) The only booth that I enjoyed was the Kathe Wolfhart stand for German glass ornaments until last year when I noticed that the glass ornaments are made in China. What a gimmick. Set up a large display with German looking items in a German festival and slip in "Made in China" crap. An artist friend of mine said that he tried years ago to become a vendor and was rejected because his art was painted on an object that he did not "create" and that items sold at Christkindlmarkt must be 100% made by the crafter/artisan. He did all of the painting himself, he just used the object as the "canvas." Imagine my surprise that year to discover that many of the "crafters" are selling items made entirely in China, and don't even attempt to hide it. They have since come to him, asking him every year to become a vendor (which he declines), so that tells me they must be struggling, that they know they sell a lot of garbage and are desperate for "real" artists and crafters. We tried to go yesterday, and turned into the parking lot only to be directed to turn around and park 3 blocks away in some lot and walk back. No thanks, Christkindlmarkt. We turned around and kept on going. Looks like you lost out on my $16 this year. read more

First time being here, and I thought overall it was ok. I did have a dollar off coupon so admission only cost $8 a person. Was very crowded, then again we were there on a Saturday morning. Lots of free samples, and a variety of vendors selling holiday items. read more

I think it is sad that some people feel that Christkindlmarkt is JUST a tourist trap. Lots of people like to go to local bazaars to purchase handmade crafts. Christkindlmarkt is in some ways like going to a huge bazaar. There are lots of craftsmen coming from beyond our little area. Lots of unusual items for sale, and every weekend is different. Some vendors are there every weekend, and some for only one. One Christmas my sisters and I left our kids at home and had a great afternoon shopping. We had our picture taken with Santa, tried some unusual foods, bought lots of Christmas gifts that you can't find in a store. Some of those things I would like to purchase more of, but haven't been able to find them again. If you have the time for the visit, I suggest you try it and see for yourself. read more

We have been supporting this event for the past 17 yrs. Our granddaughter has been seeing St. Nicholas here for all of her 10 yrs! I was SO disgusted at how they have not only reconfigured the setting to make it more difficult to take personal photos, but have a "gestapo-like" person there to tell you not to take any photos if you try! We have always bought the professional photos and products there and don't see why we can't take a few of our own photos! This is a completely "money-grabbing" effort and very selfish and un-Christmas-like spirit! We are not coming back! Many venues now are doing Santa-sittings for free and you can take as many photos as you want! To have to pay $9. entrance fee and then most of the vendors are over-priced is very sad! We have supported the venue for so many years, but have had it! read more

I was put off at the door by the $9 entrance fee. Not sure what this was for. The majority of the items I found were absurdly overpriced. Many of these items can be found in stores like Kohl's and Target for so, so much less. Granted, some of these were handcrafted type items but some were just run of the mill type of glass ornaments for 2-3 times what I could buy in the retail market. The food was the type of food found at fairs- cheesesteaks, funnel cakes, mediocre sandwiches and the like. I was fairly disappointed in the entire setup. Parking was not clearly defined and we parked quite a distance away only to see that parking was available very close by. It was, on the whole, an underwhelming experience. read more

Heard much about Christkindlemarkt so was excited to go. Crafts/Artisans yay! The entrance fee was incredibly high for what was offered. Had $1 off coupon but still wasn't worth the $8 nor would I use the groupon or coupon in local paper for $5! A buck or two, maybe. I tried to remind myself the fee was going to support the arts . . . After paying and entering, went to the left and saw some items that I liked only to see on the bottom, they were made in China!! Pricey too! there were vendors in there that sold handmade goods, jewelry, scarves etc. Had some beer/wine taps in stone that were VERY unique and enjoyed the ornament area with imported goods from Germany and the booth that sold the bacon spread. Those were about the only ones I hadn't seen at other craft fairs. The tent with the food and music was a waste of time to walk through. Very disappointed with the vendors in that area. Will definitely not be returning to this venue. read more

Much better than the first time I went a couple years ago. Seems larger (in new venue) and more vendors. Did not try any of the food...seemed like same musikfest fair. Did buy some things and saw some I would like to get. Did not know entry fee was $15-would not pay that for any craftfair. Got in as an ArtsQuest member. Since there is more I want to buy, I better get back this year in case we are not members next year. Some of the work in the outside tent is fantastic! The silk work is far superior to the musikfest offerings. I was in/out of Allentown Craft Fair in 10 minutes. I was in Christkindlmart for over an hour and loved every minute of it. And, yes, I do plan for the yearly jaunt thru main street in Bethlehem as many suggest. read more

Extremely disappointed. My husband and I were looking forward to visiting Christkindlmarket since we had been there several times in the past and drove 1 hr and 15 min to get there. When we got to Steel Stacks, the signage to get to the entrance and parking was minimal, there was no one directing traffic, parking was a good distance from the entrance (which was difficult for us since we both have medical problems), and there was no shuttle service. We saw some older ladies leaving the show, and they said they were told there were only a few handicap spaces and that we should save our money because they were very disappointed with the show. They said they also complained to management about the same issues I am. My husband and I took their advice and left. read more

Christkindlmarkt has been a favorite tradition of my friends and family for years. Although, I did prefer when the market was located in the heart of Bethlehem and not in its current location at Steel Stacks, it still has some of my favorite artisans and I always find new ones each year. For all the nay sayers, I suggest, it you don't want to pay the entry fee to the marketplace, tour downtown Bethlehem. If you don't find some Christmas spirit there then Bah Humbug to you! read more

wish i could give you a review, i showed up with my family of 4 including my wife and two children under age 3 and we were informed that they would be asking for an entrance fee of $8 per person including the kids. we asked what we would receive for our admission price of $32 and when they informed us that it would simply be for the privilege of entering to spend more money we promptly turned around and left. i think that is insanity. you pay me to shop at your store, not the other way around. read more