Wendy Pramik is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in Columbus, Ohio. She enjoys exploring food and drink in small towns across the United States with her husband, Mike Pramik, and their two children, Rosie and Max.When I decided to spend my Thanksgiving break three hours away in Carmel, Indiana, I expected twinkling lights, charming shops and plenty of festive cheer.
I arrive at the market on Saturday, just in time to hear the noon bell rung by Maria Adele Rosenfeld, the market’s founder and CEO. A snowstorm of fat flakes begins falling as if on cue, and for a brief moment, it feels as though I’ve stepped onto a Hallmark Channel movie set. Couples in fur-lined jackets skate gracefully on the central ice rink. The air buzzes with cheerful German music, mingling with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, chocolate, cheese, and grilled meats.
“For me, Christmas is German,” she explains as we walk along rows of more than 60 booths. From nutcrackers and cuckoo clocks to handcrafted ornaments and alpaca wool socks, the items we encounter could have been pulled straight from a Bavarian square. “We wanted to be authentic, importing products and recipes directly from Germany,” she says.
She isn’t exaggerating – as Giovanni Ortiz and Destiny Vuell, a couple also visiting from Ohio, enthusiastically confirm: “That line is so long, but it’s worth it,” Giovanni says, as they dig into their sandwiches topped with ham, pickles, and a dab of mustard.