Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says Christkindlmarket may move from Daley Plaza
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday that his administration has been having discussions about possibly moving Christkindlmarket from Daley Plaza to a different location.
This comes as capacity restrictions at the annual holiday festival have caused discord between the city and vendors.
On Monday, city officials on Monday agreed to ease new capacity restrictions at Christkindlmarket slightly, amid complaints from vendors that the new rules were threatening their ability to make a profit.
Christkindlmarket organizers said at the last minute, the city imposed a 1,553-person capacity for the popular German-themed holiday market this year.
The capacity limits the city imposed led to long lines of customers waiting to get into the market, even amid the persistent snow on Saturday, and vendors said their business has dropped 40% so far this year.
At a media availability Tuesday, Mayor Johnson said the holiday market may have to be moved to a different location that would better accommodate the crowds it draws.
"I've had some conversations with, you know, my administration around perhaps looking at a different location to be able to accommodate the growing attraction that is taking place in our beloved city," the mayor said.
Mayor Johnson said city inspectors' observations have resulted in changes to capacity rules at Christkindlmarket with safety always in mind. He added that underlying all the issues is a good sign about the viability of downtown Chicago.
"Whether it's adjusting with our inspectors that have assessed, or looking at an entirely different location to accommodate the thousands of people who are obviously seeing the city of Chicago through the lens at which I've experienced it, which is the greatest, most amazing city in the world," Mayor Johnson said.
When asked to specify what other location might be used for Christkindlmarket, Mayor Johnson would not elaborate.
The city agreed on Monday to increase capacity at Christkindlmarket by 1,000 people, according to Mark Tomkins, president and chief executive officer of The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, which runs the holiday market.
While an improvement, the new capacity limit would still be lower than in 2021, when the city set a limit of 3,494 visitors at a time due to social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Unfortunately, that's still 40 percent below our COVID levels. So, pandemic-era social distancing minus 40 percent," Tomkins said this week. "Obviously, we want to find a good solution with the city that allows people to enjoy the market, keeps everybody safe, but at the other point, if it stays this empty, our vendors aren't going to survive."
Tomkins said, other than during the pandemic, Christkindlmarket has not had a capacity limit set by the city, and has often seen crowds of as many as 5,000 people on the busiest days of the market.
Organizers claimed the city made the change this year based on a new interpretation of Chicago's municipal code, informing vendors of the new restrictions just 12 hours before opening day on Nov. 21.
The mayor's office previously said it would continue to work with Christkindlmarket on a longer-term solution, including possibly relocating the market in 2026.
Vendors said Tuesday that they are in talks with the city about the future location, but said they don't want to leave Daley Plaza because they have used the space for so long. Vendors also noted that Daley Plaza is close to several public transit stops and to other shopping.
instead, the vendors are asking the city raise capacity rules to 3,500 people.
Christkindlmarket has two other locations besides the downtown flagship. A location at Gallagher Way outside Wrigley Field returned this year after a year's absence, as the event conflicted with the NHL Winter Classic in which the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the St. Louis Blues at the ballpark.
A Christkindlmarket festival is also set up at RiverEdge Park in the west Chicago suburb of Aurora.