Chicago’s festive Christkindlmarket may be in jeopardy after Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration placed space requirements on the event this year, a move that organizers say has created long lines to enter and severely restricts the number of people who can visit the German-themed food and retail booths on Daley Plaza.
A holiday tradition for 29 years, the event was launched and organized by a subsidiary of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest Inc. to promote trade between Germany and the United States. The market, which opened last week, runs through Dec. 24, also including sites in Wrigleyville and Aurora.
But new space restrictions put in place by the city limiting the number of festivalgoers seeking their iconic mugs, a warm sip of glühwein, hot pretzels and pickle ornaments have organizers asking Johnson’s administration to grant a reprieve and warning that the event faces an uncertain economic future.
Organizers say the capacity limits are straining the ability of vendors to make a profit after paying rental fees and expenses. And they fear visitors seeing long entrance lines will give up and stop attending. They also note that other big-attendance events in the city, such as Lollapalooza, do not have similar space limits.
Event operators sent a letter to Johnson’s office and mayoral aides Wednesday asking them to reconsider the restrictions. The group also has scheduled a Daley Plaza news conference on Black Friday, typically one of the festival’s busiest attendance days, to warn of its future.
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In its first few days operating under the restrictions, capacity has been limited to about 1,000 people at a time, down from a normal 5,000 visitors. The sharp reduction in festivalgoers also has been translating to reduced vendor sales, raising concerns that nearby Loop businesses, which get residual business from the event, also will see declines.
The inaugural marketplace was held at Pioneer Court in 1996, and then the event moved to Daley Plaza, its longtime home, the following year. In recent years, it expanded to satellite sites at RiverEdge Park in Aurora and Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville.
Organizers point to the economic impact for the city from the event on the festival’s website. Two years ago, the three markets combined reached a record of more than 2 million visitors, they said.
They also note the tourism impact of the event, which has repeatedly been cited as one of the world’s best Christmas markets.