Since the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, Inc. nonprofit was established in 2017 by Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard, our organization has grown exponentially to keep up with the growth of the Christkindlmarkt festival, which the organization manages and operates on behalf of the City of Carmel, as well as the development of our year-round educational programing to fulfill our mission and vision.
What started as a holiday festival beloved by locals quickly became recognized as one of the most authentic Germanic Christkindlmarkts in the United States, and is now internationally acclaimed. Each year, we bring German artisans from world heritage sites to our Werkstatt (Workshop) to provide demonstrations for our guests, as well as providing free activities in our Kinderecke (Kids Corner) and meet-and-greets in our Spielhaus (Play House). We program our main stage with entertainment for every hour the Market is open, and we offer cultural education around German Christmas traditions in our Kulturecke (Culture Corner).
Our vision is to transform lives through exposure to new cultural experiences - and every year, we do just that for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come to the Market, as well as through our year-round programming in the community.
To engage and educate the community in German Christmas traditions through an authentic, annual Christkindlmarkt festival, while offering year-round programming that celebrates the rich heritage, traditions, and customs of Germanic cultures.
Transform lives through exposure to new cultural experiences.
The following timeline highlights our history and provides access to documents that detail our growth.
24
21 Huts
1 Trailer Stage
1 ATM Enclosure
1 Auxiliary Structure
$1,352,878
$883,499
$357,259
$526,240
$420,000
$5,000
1
35
4 Huts
1 Glühwein Pyramid
1 Mini Hut Photo Opportunity
4 Fire Tables
1 Auxiliary Structure
4
$2,273,543
$854,630
$743,231
$111,399
$125,000
$24,000
7
41
3 Huts
2 Electric Housing Stations
1 Hildegard Stage Photo Opportunity
5
Sankt Nikolaus 5K Lauf
$3,079,570
$908,917
$855,785
$53,132
$43,000
7
Market is Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
$36,671
$173,736
-$137,065
$32,601
42
1 Giant Schwibbogen Photo Opportunity
1 Winter Pavilion (replacing the trailer stage structure)
11
$4,652,404
$1,076,682
$760,411
$316,271
$52,000
6
59
12 Huts
3 Lighted Tables
2 Auxiliary Structures
12
KulturFest (Originally German Club Day)
2
$5,752,940
$2,005,250
$1,677,662
$327,588
$44,000
7
68
1 Werkstatt Hut
1 First Aid Hut
1 Giant Sleigh Photo Opportunity
2 Barrel Stuben Tables
4 Auxiliary Structures
13
Sankt Martinstag
A Gathering of Faiths
61
216
300
1,325
3
$9,140,978
$3,111,789
$2,310,909
$800,880
$117,000
16
26
$23.1M
71
1 Werkstatt Souvenirs Hut
1 Nursing Station
1 Barrel Stuben Table
13
Wundernacht
Indianapolis Colts Fest
63
170
289
556
1,192
9
$9,625,453
$3,415,661
$3,855,130
-$439,470
$202,700
$150,000
29
23
*These CCI numbers reflect financials from 04/01/24 - 03/31/25 with forecasts for the month of March. These numbers are not final numbers. Final number to be reported to the IRS will take place after the end of the fiscal year.
*The 2024 loss represents an investment in CCI organizational infrastructure and growth, positioning the organization for continued success long into the future. In addition, CCI covered additional costs that were provided in-kind in prior years.
$24.3M
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9
*These CCI numbers are as of February 2025
Tax documents can also be found on the GuideStar website.
Filings for our most recent fiscal years will be shared as soon as they are available.