Wichita can get a European Christmas market experience at a new event set for this weekend
Outdoor Christmas markets are dreamy affairs in European cities like London, Paris and Berlin: Vendors set up their wares in little wooden huts and patrons bundled up in coats, hats and scarves enjoy hot drinks and sweet treats while they shop, accompanied by the sounds of nearby carolers.
Such markets have always fascinated Laura Lombard, who until recently worked as the CEO of Kansas Global — a Wichita-based nonprofit that helps small businesses learn how to export their goods. She decided she’d try to start a European-style holiday market in Wichita, and her efforts will be on display this weekend at the inaugural Kansas Global Holiday Market, which runs Friday through Sunday at Riverfront Stadium, 275 S. McLean Blvd.
The market, which will be set up in the covered concourse of the stadium, will feature more than 70 vendors representing 40 cultures and selling things like food, drink and artisan gift items. The event will also feature more than 20 cultural performances, a beer garden and visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
“I’ve been going to Christmas markets for years, whether in Chicago or New York or overseas in Europe, and I’ve thought for a long time Wichita needed one,” said Lombard, who in the course of planning the market got a new job as the head of the international division for the Kansas Department of Commerce. But she kept her role as chair of the market, which is sponsored by Kansas Global.
Entry to the family-friendly event requires a ticket — $15 for adults and $7.50 for children ages 5-12. Once inside the concourse, visitors will find a large selection of food and drink from around the globe. Among the vendors that will be set up are BChic Bar & Grill serving African fare, Mexican food restaurant Fonda La Chona, and Asian food vendors Rice’n Tings and the WSU Asian Student Conference. Plenty of coffee and boba tea vendors also will be there, and visitors also will have access to hot chocolate and hot spiced wine.
The long list of merchandise vendors includes makers of art, accessories, jewelry, gift items and more.
This year, Lombard said, vendors will be set up under pop-up tents. But she hopes that in the future, the Wichita event can look more like an authentic European market, where vendors sell their wares from tiny wooden huts. She’s had two such huts made, and visitors this weekend will be able to see what they look like.
“The grand goal is to be able to build enough of those huts that vendors will all have that style,” she said, comparing the huts to “little store fronts” that let vendors protect their wares from the elements.
The event will also feature a slate of performances featuring carolers, musicians, dancers and storytellers. Chicken N Pickle has agreed to bring yard games for visitors to enjoy, and the concourse will be filled with Christmas trees and holiday lights.
Lombard said she hopes the market catches on and becomes an annual event. She’s already noticed a lot of buzz around the market, she said, and even people from outside of Wichita and out of state have been purchasing tickets.
She’s hoping to draw around 10,000 people over the course of the weekend.
“This will really give an opportunity for people to see the world a bit from the comfort of their own city,” Lombard said.
Kansas Global Holiday Market
What: A European-style holiday market featuring food, drink, vendors and performers who represent 40 different cultures
When: 4-9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday
Where: The concourse at Riverfront Stadium, 275 S McLean Blvd.
Tickets: $15 for ages 13 and up, $7.50 for ages 5-12, free for ages 4 and under. There’s also an $80 family pack that includes two adult admission tickets, three child admission tickets, two holiday mugs and two custom market bags. Advance ticket purchases www.kansasglobal.org/holiday-market/ are encouraged. Tickets also will be available at the gate but customers will have to buy them using a QR code on their mobile devices
More information: Visit www.kansasglobal.org/holiday-market/
This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 10:40 AM.
.jpg)