CARMEL, Ind. – This is a return to the norm for the Christkindlmarkt in Carmel after a year of shutdown due to COVID. For some of these vendors, this is the place they call home for the holidays, even if it is a home away from home.

“We have salespeople from Wisconsin, Michigan, we have one from Canada and we have another from Germany,” said Maria Murphy, spokesperson for Christkindlmarkt. For many of them, this is where they make their money for the year.

Last year these stores had to cope without the expected sales of Chriskindlemarkt. Murphy says some of the U.S. vendors have been able to receive government loans for the Paycheck Protection Program (P3) to stay afloat.

Foreign sellers have tried to make a profit in their own country. Falk Richter works for a German nutcracker company, but will operate Glühwein Pyramid bar in the market this year. He flies to and from his home country during the market.

“Last year when the market was canceled, we had to pay for goods and we didn’t make any money,” says Richter before talking about the current state of those markets in his country. “Most of the Christkindlmarkts are canceled, especially in Saxony where I come from.

These small businesses had to order products this year in the hope that the market would come back. In some cases, they even addressed supply chain issues. Bradford Bopp is a Carmelite resident who owns a German watch and gift business in Michigan. He is happy to have stock on the shelves.

“They are [stocked] for now! ”laughs Bopp,“ I hope this will last in the market. Once we acquired the store, I was like we had to be here. We have to be a part of this.

Christkindlmarkt will be closed for Thanksgiving, but it will reopen on Black Friday.