Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market and Craft Fair 2009

Venue: Victoria Square and New Street
Date: Thursday 12 November – Wednesday 23 December (Craft Fair from 19 November)
Time: 10am – 9pm
Tel: 0121 464 2012

Join the millions of visitors who return year after year to enjoy delicious German food, soak up the atmosphere and explore over 180 beautiful stalls in search of that perfect Christmas gift.

Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market has enjoyed great success in recent years. With stalls filling Victoria Square and Upper New Street and over 2 million visitors a year it is the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany or Austria.

In 2008 Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas market was open from 13 November to 23 December from 10.00am to 9.00pm daily.

Visitors from all over the region and further afield come to Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market to buy unusual and handmade gifts, including ceramics, candles, glasswork, jewellery and Christmas decorations. A number of stalls also feature traditional German items such as wooden toys, nativity scenes and marionettes.

Visitors are also able to sample the delights of German mulled wine (Gluhwein), grilled sausages, German beer, and for those with a sweet tooth, gingerbread and marzipan sweets. A range of traditional German breads and pastries are baked fresh on site each day.

Many parties of school children from all over the region visit the market to experience the atmosphere of a great German Christmas tradition. There are differentiated activity packs for primary and secondary pupils to use either in the classroom or whilst visiting the market. These packs include a trail for taking them around the market. Further information for schools and activity packs to download will be available from 3 November. Please visit the Birmingham Grid for Learning website.

The origins of the Christmas Market in Frankfurt can be traced right back to 1393. In Mediaeval times, the original Frankfurt Christmas Market was exclusively for the burghers and the city craftsmen reserved their finest wares for local people. Little wooden carts and rag dolls were among the favourites, and later on wooden hobby horses were introduced. Sweets made with almonds, marzipan, dried fruits and honey were also popular. Many of these original sweets, along with gingerbread and other delicacies, are featured at the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham.

The Frankfurt Christmas Market is now so well established in the Birmingham events calendar that it is an annual feature, and a great public symbol of the strength of the relationship between Birmingham and its partner city, Frankfurt.