Chemnitz Christmas Market 2024
From 29 November to 23 December
Today, Mayor Knut Kunze and the staff of the Public Order Office, Department of Police Law, Public Order Law and Markets presented this year's Christmas market. Traditionally, it opens its doors on the Friday before the 1st Advent, this year on 29 November.
Set-up:
Set-up begins on Saturday, 9 November.
Opening:
On Friday 29 November at 4 pm, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will open this year's Chemnitz Christmas Market together with Father Christmas. Both will hand out tickets for the rides to the children in front of the stage.
Opening times:
Friday, 29 November | 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
Monday to Thursday | 11 am to 8 pm |
Friday and Saturday | 10 am to 9 pm |
Sunday | 10 am to 8 pm |
Stalls:
There will be a total of 143 stalls on the market square, Neumarkt, Rosenhof and Jakobikirchplatz, and 17 stalls on Düsseldorfer Platz - with the Erzgebirgsdorf and the new two-storey pyramid house.
In Innere Klosterstraße, which traditionally once again hosts the Chemnitz Klosterweihnacht with its medieval market, there will be 22 historically themed stalls.
Product ranges:
The product range of the stalls is divided into: Christmas articles, food, hot drinks, baked goods, confectionery, fruit, vegetables and nuts, food, gifts, textiles and clothing, showman's shops and charity (associations take turns at a stand).
Traders travelling the longest distances:
Some traders come from further afield, including from Finland (1,267 kilometres), Austria (552 kilometres) and Walkendorf (488 kilometres).
Regional retailers:
123 dealers come from Saxony.
New registrations:
13 dealerships are new this year.
Mulled wine cup and children's crockery:
The 2024 Christmas market mug is black with gold lettering and the figure of "Bucklige". Children's crockery with an Abrafaxe motif will also be available for purchase this year.
Design:
A total of 16,000 lights illuminate the Christmas market. This year, Chemnitz day-care centres will decorate small Christmas trees, which will be distributed throughout the Christmas market.
Note: On Monday, 23 December, from 4 p.m., the Christmas trees set up at the Chemnitz Christmas market will be handed over to interested parties free of charge.
Ten signposts provide orientation at the Chemnitz Christmas Market.
Once again this year, one of the special visual attractions of the Chemnitz Christmas market is the twelve-metre-high Christmas pyramid created by the "8th of May" carving circle in 1986 on its site between Neumarkt and the market: 24 figures depict everyday life in the Erzgebirge mountains on five floors. In 2016, the pyramid ("Per(e)mett" in Erzgebirge) was given a new body and the figures have been replaced piece by piece over the past few years based on the originals. The original figures can still be seen in the foyer of the town hall on the market square.
Another homage to Christmasland is the five by two metre, 200 kilogram original candle arch from the Ore Mountains by craftsman Claus Döhler from Sosa, which has once again adorned one of the festively decorated entrances to the Christmas market at its regular place since 1993.
The large music box also has its place at the Christmas market again. In 2013, it was reissued by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz GmbH on behalf of the town. The original was the music box, which has been a feature of the Christmas market since 2002. The scene "Bescherung in einer Weihnachtsstube" ("Giving presents in a Christmas parlour") revolves on a plate with a diameter of 4.40 metres.
In addition to the well-known traditional Erzgebirge figures, the decorated area also features a miner and angel (each 1.80 metres tall), a snowman (also 1.80 metres tall) and a 1.90 metre tall smoker. All four figures were made by Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gahlenz GmbH.
Cultural offerings:
The figural carillon can be heard every day (Mondays to Saturdays at 11 am, 4 pm and 7 pm; Sundays at 10 am, 4 pm and 7 pm). The tower brass band plays on Saturdays at 10.15 am. Carillon concerts can be heard on Wednesdays from 10 am to 10.30 am, Fridays from 4.30 pm to 5 pm and Saturdays from 10.05 am to 10.35 am.
In addition, two historic fairground organs can be heard daily from 4.30 to 4.50 pm. The two organs, built in 1904, will be played on the Neumarkt (at the Super 8 double loop) and on the Rosenhof (at the sports carousel).
Stage:
Every evening at 5pm, Father Christmas (played alternately by Thomas Landgraf and Thomas Hillmann) visits the stage and brings a fairytale surprise.
Christmas tree:
A spruce about 26 metres high and around 50 to 60 years old is still standing in the forest district of the Sachsenforst state enterprise in Eibenstock, Wildenthal district*. The tree will be delivered to the Chemnitz market on Saturday 9 November in the late afternoon and put up.
From 11 a.m., the waiting time for the tree will be shortened with grilled sausages and mulled wine.
Lights shine:
Every year, eins and inetz create a Christmassy atmosphere in the streets of Chemnitz city centre, light around 7,000 lamps and decorate the Christmas tree with around 800 lights.
This year, the large Christmas tree on the market square will be decorated on Monday, 11 November. At the same time, the fairy lights on the deciduous trees on Jakobikirchplatz and the strings of lights on the market square will also be put up. On Thursday, 21 November, the ornaments will be put up and all other work will be carried out. The Christmas tree, the fairy lights and the ornaments will then light up from Friday 29 November at 4 pm.
Chemnitz Monastery Christmas area
One of the attractions is the historical market organised by Bibow Communications GmbH since 2005 as part of the Chemnitz Christmas market programme with the "Chemnitzer Klosterweihnacht" on Innere Klosterstraße with 22 historically designed stalls. The bakery and tavern, Schießburg, Lederer and much more have a long tradition.
Ore Mountain Village area
The "Erzgebirgsdorf" is located on Düsseldorfer Platz with 17 stands, including the two-storey pyramid house and the mulled wine pyramid. The event is organised by the SEG group of companies. Reservations for the pyramid house can be made by calling 0371 4640311.
Preventive measures for general safety
For several years now, the Chemnitz Christmas Market has had a security concept agreed with the police, which is updated and updated annually. This includes a risk analysis of all possible situations. Measures are planned for potential hazards to minimise the security risk. For example, containers filled with sand and large planters are placed on some of the access routes to the Christmas market.
Big mountain parade
One of the impressive highlights of the pre-Christmas period in Chemnitz is the 44th Great Mountain Parade on Saturday, 30 November, starting at 2 pm through Chemnitz city centre.
This year, 940 participants will present this tradition: 580 people in uniform, 360 mountain musicians and 20 mountain singers will be seen in the always impressive procession, opening the Christmas season in the Ore Mountains.
Mayor Sven Schulze will open the mountain parade at 1.30 pm with a greeting to the mining brothers and sisters and the spectators.
The parade will start as usualat 2 pm. The route leads from Theaterplatz via Richard-Tauber-Straße, Straße der Nationen and Brückenstraße, then back to Theaterplatz.
The grand closing ceremony will take place again on the theatre square at around 2.40 pm.
All information about the Chemnitz Christmas Market at:
www.chemnitz.de/weihnachtsmarkt
* modified on 6 November 2024