German-Texan Christmas Market

The German-Texan Christmas Market returns to the German Free School on Saturday, December 5, from 10 AM to 5 PM. It's run by the German-Texan Heritage Society, and they turn the school grounds into a traditional German Christmas market for the day.

The venue itself is a bit of a local landmark: the German Free School is Austin's third oldest building, dating back to 1857, and it's designated as both a City of Austin Landmark and a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. It sits at 507 E 10th Street in the Red River Cultural District. On the day, the grounds fill with authentic German gifts, food, beer, and music, all built around the German concept of Gemütlichkeit—that feeling of belonging, warmth, and friendliness. The decorations are imported from the Erzgebirge, an East German region known internationally for its Christmas customs.

It's a kid-friendly day, too. There are activities for children, and St. Nick walks around passing out gifts while the adults warm up with German Glühwein. The German-Texan Heritage Society does more than just the Christmas market, though; they also run Oktoberfest, its smaller sister Maifest, and a Karneval celebration, and they offer German language programs for adults and children based on Goethe-Institut standards.

Entry is free for members of the German-Texan Heritage Society and $5 for non-members. The market runs from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, December 5, at the German Free School, 507 E 10th Street.