Black Friday has become a holiday tradition all its own and everyone has seen the videos of people pushing and biting for the perfect holiday gift. But for everyone who hasn’t started their stopping yet and doesn’t want to lose a limb in a last-Barbie-brawl might want to consider Christkindlmarket Chicago. Part of the allure of this outdoor, traditional, German Holiday marketplace is its return to simplicity in the middle of Chicago’s urban hub. While this Chicago tradition has only been around since 1997, Christkindlmarket Chicago was modeled after the Christkindlmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany that began in 1545. Christkindlmarket Chicago has many food and gifts traditional of a German marketplace but also welcomes international wares from Israel, Poland, Nepal, Peru, Ecuador and right here in the U.S. The Marketplace is open every day until Christmas Eve, and here are a few suggestions for last minute shopping. Most booths have copies of the marketplace map, which corresponds with the stand numbers below.
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