This weekend I was invited to visit an interesting place with my friends. We had been talking about a German market set up for the holiday season called Christkindlmarket Chicago. I had known about it for several years but I rarely drove up to Chicago until I started getting into conventions a year and a half ago. The trip was for a small group of friends in the local cosplay community to enjoy each others company.
The trip was a bit of a doozy for me since I had stayed up all night. I knew the trip would be a hectic one with holiday shopping and not getting much sleep made the drive quite dangerous. It was a good thing I was joined by my friend Waldron for the trip and we took the Blue Line train up to the actual market. Using the CTA wasn’t new to me but it was nice having someone else there to help me figure out the map.
Upon leaving out exit at the Blue Line stop (Washington) and getting to the surface of the street we immediately saw a brightly decorated block of tents and small wooden buildings across the street. It was time for the festival! We met up with our friends and awaited the arrival of a few other people. It was really exciting! Many people were gathered at this event even though it was lightly raining.
Friends at Christkindlmarket Chicago 2012
Delicious aromas filled the air and I couldn’t help but investigate the food stalls! There was a decent variety of food available at the festival but what caught my attention was the bratwurst with sauerkraut. Not being much of a fan of sauerkraut, this was a redeeming chance.
Bratwurst with Sauerkraut from Christkindlmarket Chicago 2012
German Grill food stall where I purchased my bratwurst
We walked around for a bit more and visited some shops. Unfortunately I forgot to buy myself some German chocolates which was my reason for going in the first place. Two of my friends purchased specialty honey from one of the stalls and were very pleased with the product. I might need to make another trip up there if possible!
After the market we decided to go out for a real dinner in Chinatown. The group decided to meet at Joy Yee which is very famous for their fruit smoothies. They even have a counter where you can order them seperate from dining in!
Waldron inside of Joy Yee Restaurant
To end the night on a hilarious note I decided to order the largest bowl of pho noodle soup they had available. The smiles and laughs were definitely worth it.
Large Bowl of Pho from Joy Yee
I had to pass on the bowl after barely getting through half of it with my friends.
Me on the far left with my friends. Photo by Waldron.
I may post more photos from this meetup later on. =)
