First time at Athenaeum Christmas market and we had fun! The best about it was it wasn't as crowded as Carmel. It is not expansive as Carmel but we still enjoyed the experience. I loved the cute mug, and the hot cider was great. I especially liked the food from Rathskeller- I highly recommend the brat n kraut balls- they were delicious. There was live music which I enjoyed a lot. read more

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Our first visit here was enchanting. Looks like it's the third year that the Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt made it's way to town. Went on a Saturday. Parked in the parking garage next to the Athenaeum with a parking app for a reasonable price and spent hours in the area. Had lunch at The Rathskeller and came back to visit the market for snacks and mulled wine/ciders/drafts. The treats included the raclette sandwich, bacon lollipop, German potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer), Brauhaus pretzel, German bratwurst, schnitzel, gingerbread cookies, baked goods. The process for picking up food orders could be improved upon. Told to come back in 20 minutes and came back but the server appeared confused when we told him our order, then said wasn't ready yet, saw other people who ordered after us get their orders, and eventually after a couple more inquiries received our order. A pager system or a number/now serving screen would be useful way to communicate ready orders. Took home a cute collector mug and got to drink my tasty mulled cider from it while there. If I had decided to get another drink, it would be $1 less for subsequent fills. It was entertaining to watch the costumed characters tease the children and guests and the various performers cross the stage. There were a couple of artisan stalls to peruse as well. Really appreciated the heat lamps scattered throughout the area as this season was chiller than usual. It's a brief stop that brings the holiday spirit! read more

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Smoked nuts fill the air with savory goodness. It was cold outside when we visited, but lots of stand heaters were scattered around to warm up under. The 7 piece band was playing Christmas songs and the decorations really made it seem special. Certainly puts you in the mood sipping on a warm mulled wine and singing along to carols. It may have been the weather, but it was not very crowded and easy to look around at all the shops. Lots of unique gifts were available, and prices seemed reasonable. read more

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - Live music - German Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Exactly what you want when you think of a Christmas market in terms of beautiful ambiance and tasty treats. I knew going in that it would be smaller than the Carmel Christkindlmarkt but I was surprised at how much smaller. I loved the live music from the stage. It added an extra layer of Christmas magic. Plus, we had the benefit of one of the first snows of the season adding to the ambiance so it was a vibe. After going to the Carmel one a few years in a row, we were pleasantly surprised that we didn't have to wait in long lines and fight crowds of people just for a sandwich. We were able to stop at every booth and try just about every type of food offered in about an hour. They had lots of heat lamps and seating available too. We were able to reserve a spot and park in the Block20 garage next door for about $5. It's a good thing because it was over $17 for two tiny Butterbiers. For the hot chocolates, it was $16 cash for two but there was an extra dollar+ fee for using a credit card. It's definitely worth stopping in while you are already downtown! But bring cash. read more

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Love the space! Lots of seating. I love that they sell Christmas trees, have German food and sell beverages. We had a pretzel, raclette, beer and gluwine. Also music- both piped in and live. And a wonderful Santa. Free admission and parking was easy to find. I'd love it if there were more vendors. I think that would really push this over the top. I realize the space is smaller, but I think it could work! read more

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - a person holding a cup of coffee - German Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

What a charming winter addition to Mass Ave. Located behind the Rathskeller, this Christkindlmarkt is in its second year and while not as big and extensive as the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, has a lot of charm and much smaller crowd sizes. There are a variety of food items - I had the schnitzel sandwich, loaded Kartoffelpuffer and mulled cider. The schnitzel was really good and is definitely the inspiration behind the Hoosier tenderloin. The potatoes were alright - I think I prefer the spiral potatoes on a stick but these are a great side for the sandwich. Mulled wine is not my thing, so I got the cider and found it much more agreeable. It will warm you up inside! The decor is very festive and they also have a stage for music and a band was playing during our time there. You'll also find some vendors with things for sale both inside the market and in the alley outside it. I also loved the cute photo ops inside the market too! We parked in the garage that was suggested on their web site and it's just steps away from everything, which was very convenient. I would encourage you to visit for a fun family night, date night or girls night out. read more

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This is the perfect weather to come to the inaugural day of the Anthenaeum Christkindlmarkt! Sunny and almost 50° This is located in the back where the Biergarten is at the Rathskeller. They have German pretzels, roasted Bavarian nuts, gluhwein a German mulled cider, raclette cheese and more. The Bavarian honey ham with raclette cheese on the French baguette was really good. They have souvenir Christmas boots, ornaments also. The stage is beautiful! They decorated it so nice. They have fresh Christmas trees and wreaths for sale before you walk in. They have a nice "Indy" sing where you can take your picture with the Biergarten in the background. I wish they had some props to hold up. Like a pretzel, German flag, Saint Nikolas props things like that. They have a bunch of picnic table outside along a wall and other areas to sit inside. They have restrooms outside in a trailer, but they're nice. They will have concerts throughout the festival and all the information as to who's performing and when is on the anthenaeum website. read more

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The Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt was a fun holiday event addition this year to downtown Indy. The smaller vibe reminds me of the German Christmas markets you'd find in cities like Chicago. It felt cozy and inviting, with heated lamps all around and lights to add to the magic of the environment. We didn't go on a night with entertainment, but I did see they had several nights with music throughout December. A few specific stops I loved: -Ash & Elm had a special holiday cider made for the market. It was delicious and not overly sweet -The Ornament Haus featured the most beautiful handmade wax ornaments by "Wax Traditions." We didn't plan to buy anything but couldn't leave without grabbing one for our tree -The Christkindlmarkt boot mugs were handmade by "Gravesco Pottery" and it was easy to see how high-quality they were -The Rathskeller Restaurant offered traditional German items at a convenient pickup window - their pretzel and ham & raclette sandwich were a great warm snack This well-organized and cute market was the perfect Indy holiday stop! read more

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - Views of 2022 market shops - German Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Pretty good job converting the Biergarten to a holiday market. I think the area would probably be closed during the winter, so they are able to create a new event in a familiar space. The Christkindlmarkt is fairly compact. There are about eight or so vendors, selling everything from food items to merchandise. In particular, they were selling artwork, craft jewelry, ornaments, and pottery. Because of its proximity to The Rathskeller, there are nice food options with German twists. A full bar with specialty beers is also available. Ash & Elm is also on hand with a cider just made for the market. Hot beverages are also available for purchase. There is live entertainment on most nights during the run of the market. While the event is outdoors, there are heaters to keep the guests warm. They did a good job with additional lighting and holiday décor. Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt is worth a quick visit during the holidays, whether to pick up some gift items or to enjoy the atmosphere. It is a nice way to reimagine what a holiday event can be. read more

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - German Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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If you are downtown this holiday season, add this stop to your festivities! Now, this market is not as commercialized and glitzy as the Christkindlmarkt up in Carmel. Rather, it feels more like one you'd find in a German village. It's magical to turn the corner and BOOM there it is! There are a few food and drink options--but the plans are to expand to the alley next year! They had all local businesses like Ash & Elm, just pop in, gallery pastry, silver in the city, etc. bring your wallet--because if you're doing food and picking up a knickknack or two you'll be dropping a good chunk of change. It's free to get in and it's a fundraiser for the Anthaneum. In addition to having different bands and groups perform on the stage, they had a Krampus romp which was pretty fantastic--if only the people running it would learn some Deutsch and pronounce it correctly Macht Spaß! read more

My family and I were downtown today and decided to visit the Athenaeum to check out the market. Since it's a Sunday we found free nearby parking and walked right in. Since it was a cold rainy day it wasn't crowded and we had plenty of space to view all the booths. We loved hearing the live music and checking out the dancing as well. We got a hot beverages to keep us warm and enjoyed the show. It was a wunderbar time! read more

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - German Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Standing heaters kept us warm while we listened to the band and enjoyed the bar. A few vendors selling all things German including food. Picnic tables and seating scattered around. Parking garage nearby. This cozy venue beside the Rathskeller will get you in the holiday spirit. read more

Downtown needed something like that for locals. I'll say I've never been to the circle downtown for the holidays.... I just never make it that way as a local. This place is a nice start to what could be a great tradition for a downtown Christmas market. The only real option to compare this to is Carmel's, which has been going on for many years and has easily 5x the space than the Biergarten does. That being said, I think it was a great first year at this and it will only get better from here on out. Some notes for future planning: - some of the Mass Ave vendors shouldn't have been there. It was odd to see a shop that was literally a block away with their store front. - have more fires and warming stations - squeeze in a few more vendors - there was lots of empty space, especially at the entrance, when we went. - we went during a Christmas karaoke night, but if other nights they weren't playing music, that is a must. Other than that, I think it's a great event and can't wait to see it grow and improve next year! read more

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I absolutely just adored this small Christmas market. The food offerings were quite delightful and warming. Can't go wrong with food ordered from The Rathskeller! Their gluwein was so fantastic in the cutest locally made boot mugs. I sure hope everyone got one! Those babies are such a great collectors item especially at the holiday season. I have been finding myself using my boot mug for tea, hot chocolate, and even my mother-in-law's holiday puncha she makes every year. The music here was such a nice touch for this seasonal market. I can't wait to see how it grows next year! read more

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This Christmas market is very small, but had me feeling the holiday spirit. There are ample holiday beverage selections like cider, hot chocolate, beer and gluhwein. There were fewer food options, but I did enjoy the cookie I bought, as well as the raclette cheese sandwich. There were only a few vendors and they were very Indy in their subject matter. I enjoyed listening to the live entertainment. Despite its very small size, it was still cute and offered great entertainment. read more

We came on Sunday afternoon to visit the market. Since the weather was a little dreary- it was not crowded at all. They had some vendors in the alley way to the actual market but not many. There was a band singing and they had dancers as well. I ordered some hot chocolate and a cookie from one of the vendors which hit the spot. Some of the warming stations were not working and the fire said it was out of order. We would have stayed longer if the warmers were operational. The decorations and the thought put into everything was very cozy and cute! I would definitely come again. read more

We went to the Anthenaeum Christkindlmarkt and had a great time! We me friends on a Sunday late afternoon. We knew we were missing the music, which ended at 4, but we wanted to see the lights as it got dark. We lucked out with free parking and had a short walk. It's not a very big market, but the best part was no lines! We were able to scope out all the huts and there was so much local items to buy. We ordered food and had a seat at one of the tables. The menu wasn't huge, but everything sounded good. We split the cheese sandwich. It wasn't as fresh as watching it made in Carmel, but it was good and it didn't take over an hour. And we got to sit and talk with our friends. There is a cider hut and one for hot cocoa. We all ended up doing cocoa. But the hot cider sounded tasty. I know we want to go back next year and catch Krampus and St. Nick. For the first year the Anthenaeum Christkindlmarkt was just the perfect bit of Christmas cheer we needed to start our holiday. read more

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Love having this cozy, accessible Christmas market downtown! We went right as it opened on a Friday evening and some vendors were still getting set up. We sampled hard ciders from Ash and Elm, got some spiced nuts, and my toddler enjoyed the hot chocolate and decor! Want to come back for food and to enjoy live music before it ends. read more

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - Entrance to market - German Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Free admission can't be beat! Tucked away between buildings is the cutest little market with hot cider (recommended), live music, food, and merchandise. Plenty of space for more vendors (which would have made it slightly more worthwhile). Still a fantastic stop if downtown or on a date night. Cozy outdoor fire. read more

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - German Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana