There is something special about the tradition of a German Christmas market and we look forward to visiting one in Urbana again this year
After years without a German Christmas market in Champaign-Urbana prior to 2019, festivities on hold in 2020, and a joyful return in 2021, we are delighted to see plans in the making at Riggs Beer Company once again this holiday season. Last year’s German Christmas Market at Riggs in Urbana was a highlight of the season and we can’t wait to visit again.
For the first time in 2019, Matt Riggs and his wife Caroline, part of the ownership family of Riggs Beer Company, constructed and opened a German Christmas market at the Urbana store.
The traditional huts that are characteristic of German Christmas markets truly make the experience. Not only do they provide a beautiful backdrop for the experience but, by being stacked closely together, they block the wind to help keep visitors warmer than if the winter winds were blowing right across the open fields.
This year’s food line-up includes “sweet and savory crepes” along with bratwurst, candied roasted nuts, hot spiced wine and more. This is “very much what you would find at a German Christmas market in Germany,” according to Riggs in 2019.
Must Know Info
Get detailed info on the Riggs Beer Company website.
When: Four weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Opening Friday, Nov. 25
- Thursdays and Fridays, 4-8 p.m.
- Saturdays and Sundays, 2-7 p.m.
Where: Riggs Beer Company, 1901 S. High Cross Road, Urbana
How much: There is no fee to get in – “just come and be merry,” they say.
There are German Christmas markets in the Chicagoland area, but none other than the one at Riggs to be found downstate that we know of.
We anticipate the opportunity to shop various local vendors, selling products like homemade soap, wood-made Christmas ornaments, honey and preserves, and Christmas wreaths. Riggs has posted each weekend’s vendor line-up already on its website for 2022.
Follow Riggs Taproom on Facebook for more announcements about the German Christmas Market.
Looking for more? Subscribe to our Home for the Holidays Newsletter. Want more ideas for holiday (or everyday) fun? Check out our Event Calendar.
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