FREDERICKSBURG, TX --- With the holidays approaching, the City of Fredericksburg has announced its newest holiday event, the St. Nikolaus Markt – a fun-filled festival highlighting this city’s German heritage with plenty of Gemütlichkeit, German treats, music, and beer! Held the first Friday and Saturday in December at the Fredericksburg Marktplatz, the event kicks off the holiday season in grand style while introducing visitors to the City’s vibrant array of new holiday decorations, including the 26-foot Christmas Pyramid.

Built in Germany to Fredericksburg’s specifications, the 5-tiered, wooden Christmas Pyramid rises twentysix feet with each tier decorated with a different theme. Tier one depicts the nativity scene; tier two, carolers; tier three, nutcrackers; tier four, Santas, and tier five, angels. The rotating pyramid will also be decorated with lighted candles for a beautiful display. Skilled craftsmen in Erzgebirge, Germany manufacture these internationally collected Christmas pyramids, which in their smaller, table-top forms, are staples for most German holiday decorations.

Fredericksburg is currently the only municipality in the United States to have an outdoor pyramid of this grand scale – 26-feet. The pyramid was shipped from Germany to Fredericksburg where it will be displayed at the City’s Marktplatz (town square) November 27 through January 6. Visitors to the St. Nikolaus Markt will be able to see this spectacular display when the festival opens on Friday, December 4.

The Fredericksburg community has come together to create this new festival, sponsored by the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce – from organization and decorating, to stage and entrance design.

St. Nikolaus Markt

Local high school students will build the front entrance, while area businesses will be adorned in holiday lights and decorations; delighting the eye as well as showcasing the City’s frontier architecture and beautiful storefronts. At the St. Nikolaus Markt, over 35 booths will provide visitors with the opportunity to shop early, with wares ranging from Christmas ornaments, nutcrackers, mugs, clothing and accessories, to traditional German clothing, German jellies and jams; candles and jewelry.

But that’s not all, at the new St. Nikolaus Markt, visitors will get a taste of Fredericksburg’s German heritage with traditional German foods served, including sausage, schnitzel, warm pumpernickel rolls, sauerkraut, stuffed meat puffs, and more. Sweet lovers will marvel at the variety of cakes, cookies and candies. And don’t forget the beer! Along with soft drinks and local wines – including the warm, spiced Glühwein – the festival will serve a variety of German beers, further emphasizing the German theme of this event.

Recycling efforts will also be in effect, with trash receptacles readily available to accept cups, plates and paper goods made using recycled materials and with separate receptacles available for plastic cups – a conscious nod by event organizers toward creating a “greener” festival.

Entertainment on Saturday night will headline the popular band, the Sauerkrauts, on stage from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Throughout the day on Saturday, visitors will enjoy the sounds of traditional German accordionist as well as Fredericksburg High School carolers. And a mention of Christmas cannot go without the mention of children. Young dancers in the Fredericksburg Ballet Ensemble will perform the holiday classic, the Nutcracker Suite, at 8:00 p.m. immediately following the Fredericksburg Community Parade on Friday, which begins at 6:30 p.m. The children will perform three times on Saturday.

Gates to the St. Nikolaus Markt open on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and remain open to welcome visitors until 10:00 p.m. On Saturday, gates are open from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. There’s no admission charge on Friday, while tickets on Saturday are $5 for adults and free for children age 12 and younger. Adult admission is one dollar off on Saturday for individuals with active military ID and seniors age 65 an older.

“The St. Nikolaus Markt festival is patterned after Christmas festivals in Germany and truly reflects this community’s German heritage,” cites Melodi Frederick, chair of the St. Nikolaus Committee. She added,

“This new festival brings the opportunity to share our German traditions with our families and the many visitors who choose to spend time in our city, and we’re so excited to make it happen!”

The St. Nikolaus Markt starts on Friday, December 4, and runs through Saturday, December 5, 2009 – it promises to inspire and delight; fill appetites and serve as a wonderful prelude to the holidays ahead. For more information, contact Frederick at 210-380-5275 or via e-mail at StNikolausMarkt@yahoo.com.

For a free packet of visitor information to plan your visit to attend the St. Nikolaus Markt, call the Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau at 1-888-997-3600 or visit www.FredTexLodging.com.
While there, click on the “Our Fredericksburg” podcast button to take a quick 2- to 5-minute peak at life in the Fredericksburg and Gillespie County area.

The Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau is a marketing, sales and service organization funded by the hotel/motel tax and dedicated to promoting Fredericksburg and Gillespie County as leisure, group tour, reunion, wedding, incentive and small meeting sites.