Christkindl Market of Mifflinburg Inc

The Christkindl Market in Mifflinburg, PA is the oldest authentic Christkindl Market in the U.S. having its first market in 1989. The Market always begins on the 2nd Thursday in December, is entirely volunteer run, and brings over 20,000 visitors to our community. For three days, Mifflinburg’s Market Street, between 4th and 6th Streets, is lined with festive outdoor huts featuring unique handmade crafts and traditional Christkindl treats. This three-day event features over 100 vendors and continuous entertainment in adjacent churches and an outdoor stage in the center of the Market.

Our 501c3 has a committed board and volunteer group that meet throughout the year to make this weekend successful. With zero admission fees, we rely on vendor fees, sponsorships, and donations to keep the market running. Many of our vendors claim that this weekend is their most successful weekend of the year and your donations help keep our vendor costs from rising. 

Our goal is to keep the Market without admission fees forever and support our local businesses. Behind the scenes, there are significant costs to keeping the market running year over year. From 2019 to 2024, our operating expenses increased by 38%. 

When you visit the market, the huts you see lining our streets resemble traditional market huts and are owned by our 501c3. Continued maintenance on these structures, along with replacing outdated buildings is a significant upkeep cost and vital to the market’s success. Maintaining a safe environment providing crossing guards, public transportation, and trash collection helps keep the downtown safe when congestion spikes during the market. Paying for our entertainment, the goods inside the Christkindl Corner and Christkindl Pub, and donating back to the involved churches are just a few of the many budget items that help the market thrive and give back to the community.

Our community volunteers extend to many individuals, but community groups are heavily involved in our setup and teardown including: the Mifflinburg Borough Crew, SUN Area Technical Institute Carpentry and Electrical Department Students, and Mifflinburg Area School District Agriculture and Music Department Students. 

Keeping traditions, high quality, and improving infrastructure would not be possible without our supportive volunteers and donors - THANK YOU!