December 24, 2019
COMMUNITY
Current in Carmel
www.currentincarmel.com
‘POLAR EXPRESS’ ROLLS INTO MUSEUM
Amy Grove, right, reads to attendees. (Photos by Ben Stout)
The Carmel Clay Historical Society presented a reading of Chris Van Allsburg’s “The Polar Express” Dec. 14 at the Monon Depot Museum. Guests also enjoyed cookies and hot cocoa, holiday art and gifts.
Siblings Kai Monkul, left, and Keenan Monkul display their own commemorative train whistles and tickets to ride on the Polar Express.
Christkindlmarkt tops list By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com The Carmel Christkindlmarkt has been voted North America’s Best Holiday Market. ACHIEVEMENT The 2019 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest rankings were compiled through four weeks of public online voting. Twenty nominees were chosen by a panel of editors and experts. “We are thrilled to receive this recognition for our Christkindlmarkt, which we have designed to be the most authentic of its kind anywhere in North America,” Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard stated in a press release. “We took special care to send our market master to Germany to personally order the hand-crafted items that are featured in our huts because it was important for us to make sure our Christkindlmarkt was like none other in North America.” Brainard came up with plans for
the Christkindlmarkt after seeing similar markets in Germany. The Christkindlmarkt opened in 2017, and in 2018 drew more than 325,000 visitors. This year, more huts were added along with more German food options and a new Indiana German Heritage Museum. “We have really worked hard to partner with several community groups to put on a Christkindlmarkt that is not just about shopping and ice skating but also about education and bringing a taste of old world music and the arts to our patrons,” Market Master and CEO Maria Murphy stated in a press release. Learn more about the honor at 10best.com/awards/travel/ best-holiday-market-2019/. The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and noon to 9 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 24 at 10 Center Green. Learn more at carmelchristkindlmarkt.com.
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