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CARMEL, Ind. – Carmel’s second annual German holiday market will draw its German cuisine from right down the road.

Carmel’s Market District supermarket already makes pretzel buns and rolls, and produces Bavarian-style pretzels as a seasonal item for Oktoberfest. It’ll extend production into November and December to supply vendors at Christkindlmarkt. The store will also supply cheese and bratwurst to other food stalls at the market.

Christkindlmarkt CEO Maria Murphy says the festival wanted to improve the authenticity of its food offerings, and was also looking for ways to partner with the supermarket and the Indiana German Heritage Society. Market District food and beverage manager Rick Hopkins says the realization that the store had not only ingredients but freezer and oven space just a few miles from the holiday market made it a logical partnership.

Christkindlmarkt opens the weekend before Thanksgiving, and will operate Wednesday through Sunday until December 23. Murphy says there will be 47 vendors and activity booths this year, seven more than last year, with new arrivals including hand-blown glass ornaments and handmade mittens and gloves.

Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard looks over an assortment of Bavarian pretzels at Market District (Photo: Eric Berman/WIBC(