Christkindlmarkt set to open Thursday at SteelStacks
Christkindlmarkt — Bethlehem’s annual holiday market — is set to open Thursday, a full six weeks earlier than usual, thanks to COVID-19.
The market, hosted by ArtsQuest, will not be affected by the new regulations on indoor and outdoor crowd sizes announced Tuesday by Gov. Wolf.
“The overall safety of our guests, patrons, staff and volunteers is of utmost importance to us. At this time we do not have plans to make changes to Christkindlmarkt capacity for the upcoming weekend in our newly crafted outdoor setting,” ArtsQuest spokeswoman Amber Galdamez said in an email.
Wolf’s new coronavirus guidance places limits on large crowds based on a sliding scale and the venue’s maximum occupancy.
Galdamez said ArtsQuest has worked closely with the Bethlehem Health Department and state and local officials to ensure the safety of shoppers throughout the event.
The 28th season of the market was already planned to be quite a bit different, dueto COVID-19 restrictions. In a typical year, the market starts in late November and ends just before Christmas, attracting more than 90,000 visitors. It’s also held in four large, heated tents.
This year it’s earlier and will be completely outdoors, spread out over the SteelStacks campus.
Another change: Tickets will be sold in advance and for designated time slots to allow ArtsQuest to safely limit and control the number of people taking part.
As for COVID safety, shoppers are required to wear masks unless they are eating or drinking and must stay 6 feet apart from others. Staff and volunteers will be at the entrance to each Christkindlmarkt section to ensure the maximum capacity for each area is not exceeded.