Chicago Part 4 of 8 - Christkindlmarket

This is what I was expecting!

Due to some planning errors on my part, we weren't able to see the market in all it's glory.  The annual German Christmas market isn't open on Monday morning - go figure.  I'm in Chicago on vacation, I sort of expected all of Chicago to be available to me!

From wiki  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christkindlmarket,_Chicago

The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest first held Chicago's Christkindlmarket on Pioneer Court in 1996.  Christkindlmarket was inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany. In 1997, Mayor Daley requested that the festival be moved to Daley Plaza.  That year the market attracted more than 750,000 visitors.   By 1999, the Christkindlmarket had become part of the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.  In recent years, Chicago's Christkindlmarket has become the largest Christmas market in the United States, hosting well over 1 million visitors annually.

Here's what we saw - the manger, the 50 foot tree, closed shops and pigeons.

Check this out- Pigeons around an open fire!

A nice little warming area at the entrance of the Market

These were happy little birds, wish I could have joined them.

See here for Part 3 of 8 of the trip.
Part 5 here

Astrid