On the street

Old World Christkindlmarkt

Modeled after the open-air markets held in Germany throughout the Christmas season, the tenth annual Old World Christkindlmarkt held at the Riverside Roundhouse over the weekend was definitely a good way to get into the holiday spirit. Even though I haven't done any holiday shopping yet, it wasn't hard to be inspired by the charming Christmas decorations set-up in the roundhouse.

There were at least a dozen Christmas trees decorated in delicate ornaments. In the German tradition, there were glass birds, fruit and other baubles. Many were replicas of the paper-thin vintage ornaments that I remember fingering gently as they hung from my grandmother's tree. Hers were chipped and faded in spots, but they seemed all the more special for their wear.

Wandering around the market, there were plenty of other items that hearken back to childhood memories. One vendor was selling hand-carved nutcrackers, Santas and snowmen. They also had German Christmas Pyramids like the one I remember my grandmother setting out at Christmas.  Hers was a tiny nativity scene. There were blades at the top and candles fitted to various parts of the pyramid. When the candles were lit, the heat would move the wing blades and rotate the whole thing. I remember being mesmerized by hers as a child.

Another vendor had oodles of toys. Some were from my childhood; others were from my parents or grandparents' eras. There were dozens of wind-up metal toys from late 1800s and early 1900s. The mechanics behind them is probably rudimentary, but they seemed simplistically ingenious compared to today's plastic toys that beep and sing and move. I was tempted to pick-up a few for Christmas presents for my son and nephews, but I didn't because they looked too delicate for a toddler. His plastic toys may not be as carefully made, but they can withstand the wear and tear he doles out. 

Which reminds me. We desperately need to start our Christmas shopping. And by the sounds of it, we're not alone. Most of the shoppers I talked to Sunday at the market hadn't started yet either.

Check in next week. I'll be checking out people's poker faces at the Isle of Iowa Texas Hold 'Em Tournament at the El Kahir Shrine Temple in Cedar Rapids.  

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