Update: The photos and descriptions in this post were the ones provided by press releases and on the Charlotte Christmas Village website. Unfortunately there were some implementation difficulties and the Village does not look like the pictures that were shared. I’d encourage you to still go and support the local vendors that are there, understanding that this was the first year for the event. Hopefully it will be a tradition that will grow and improve. To read the reactions of the people who have attended, go to the Charlotte Christmas Village Facebook page and you can see some reviews.
This holiday season for the first time Romare Bearden Park, 300 South Church Street, will transform into a Charlotte Christmas Village. From November 24th, 2016, to December 24th, every day of the week except for Monday, the park will be filled with vendors in wooden huts, like those found in a traditional Christmas Village in Germany, selling traditional handmade crafts, gifts, Christmas items and so much more.
The aromas of specialty foods will drift across the village, from classic German strudels, Bratwurst with Sauerkraut, various baked treats, and roasted nuts. Visitors will also enjoy German beer, hot chocolate and, of course, Glühwein, a spiced mulled wine.
There will be a wide assortment of traditional Christmas sweets to take home, like Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Stollen, cookies and chocolate-covered fruits, too.
Featured programming will include:
- Open Thanksgiving Day following the Charlotte Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Opening Weekend – Nov 26th
- History Weekend – Dec. 3rd
- German American Weekend – Dec 10th
- Charity Weekend – December 17th
The Performing Arts Stage will be programmed with a variety of entertainment featuring:
- Middle School and High School Choral Groups
- Middle School and High School Bands
- Dance Academies
- German Dance Groups
- Featured Local Performers
The village will be open:
- 11 am to 7 pm Tuesday – Thursday
- 11 am to 9 pm Friday – Saturday
- Noon to 6 pm Sunday
- Closed Monday
And there’s more…
Watch kid-friendly holiday movies at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. every Tuesday, with a special 3 p.m. show on Thursday, December 23rd. Watch live performances on Friday evenings, plus Saturdays and Sundays. Want to meet Santa? He’ll be there on the weekends. Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is free.
Charlotte on the Cheap is a member of 
Barbara Langford says
Hello,
I was wandering if any vendor can participate in this?
I design floral arrangements, wreaths and much more.
Also::
Is this going to by an ongoing event every yr.?
Thank you,
Barbara Ann
On Facebook at::
Floral Designs by Barbara Ann
diana quin says
We went this afternoon and only 2 shops were open. They said they were only open 11-3 today but I didn’t see those hours listed anywhere. Also, it’s not a wood hut village, it’s tents. City shut down the wood huts due to code.
MJ yanicak says
We went this evening but we were definitely disappointed. It did not have a “Christmas ” feel to it, the little huts were replaced by tents, it felt more like a farmers market. Maybe it will improve as the season continues, we did enjoy walking around the city, it was a beautiful, warm evening!
Ginny says
We were very disappointed. We went at 5 pm tonight and there was no Christmas music or Christmas lights. Where was the holiday spirit? Some of the vendors were closed and there were very few handmade crafts. Next year you may want to omit the Gutter Guard tent and other commercial vendors. I am hoping this great idea will evolve.
Sabine Heggelke says
To show the picture above and call it a German Christmas village is very misleading. Was very disappointed. We walked around the circle of tents and left.
K says
I have been to the village yesterday and was very disappointed! The description is very misleading and it did not meet my expectations. To call it a German Christmas market is almost a shame for me as I am from Germany and this isn’t even close to what a German Christmas village looks like. As other comments say as well: there are no wooden huts, just white tents, it doesn’t look welcoming or creates a Christmas feeling, poorly decorated, no music, some vendors were closed, no real German food, the whole offer was very poor and all in all it’s very small. It was an attempt. The idea was there, I can see that. But the way it has been worked out is disappointing. I can just hope it gets better.
Donna Woods says
Wow! I was planning to drive from Fayetteville to go to this..so glad I didn’t waste my gas! Thank you for commenting! Sounds like they need to stop misleading the public with those pics!
Rick says
Glad we read the reviews…we were going to drive from Burlington but decided not to.
Hint: Go to Chicago and take a look at there Xmas Market.
We lived in Germany for 5 years and visited probably 20-30 Xmas markets every year, big and small.
The only one in the states takes after anything in Germany is Chicago.
We are still looking for the ultimate U.S. Xmas Market.
Joras says
Definitely a huge waste of time unless you’re in the market for beer. Definitely not kid friendly or Christmas-y in any way. We went on a Saturday afternoon around three and while vendors were open, it was very crowded and there were dogs everywhere. Don’t waste your time.