Sister Bay Historical Society Announces Christmas Market

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The Sister Bay Historical Society will host Door County’s first ever Christkindlmarkt, or Christmas market, with help from a $22,838 Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

Starting the last weekend in November, Christkindlmarkt will showcase vendors selling handcrafted, made-in-Door County goods, with food booths selling northern European fare. The market is scheduled to be open Nov. 26-28, Dec. 4-6 and Dec. 11-13 in 2021.
 
“Holiday markets are popular throughout the world, and they are a wonderful place for a family outing, for finding treasures made by local artisans and for getting that perfect gift for a loved one,” said Acting Secretary Anne Sayers. “I’m thrilled to see the Sister Bay Historical Society bring a creative and fun event to life that will support small business and creators while attracting tourists to the area.”
 
The event will be held at the Corner of the Past Museum, a recreation of a pioneer homestead in the late 19th century. The vendors will include weavers, potters, photographers, painters, clothing makers, woodworkers, furniture makers, jewelers, candlemakers, glass blowers and more, with food and drink provided by local restaurants. The Sister Bay Historical Society will soon contact prospective artisans and restaurants about participating as vendors. (For more info, contact Donna Fearing: 920.421.3688, [email protected].)
 
“Receiving a JEM Grant from the State of Wisconsin is a great honor,” said Fred Johnson, president of the Sister Bay Historical Society. “Our board of directors has outperformed itself in creating a new, out-of-season event whose unique vision is essentially being endorsed by the Department of Tourism. Our goal is to help bring new visitors to northern Door County during a time of year that has traditionally been rather quiet, despite the abundant natural beauty at that time of year. We hope to impact early winter tourism while benefiting our local artisans and hospitality businesses for many years to come.”
 
As Wisconsin’s third largest economic sector, tourism is crucial to the state’s economic recovery. Organizations around the state have been showcasing creative and innovative ideas in the time of the pandemic, and the Department of Tourism can be a partner in making these ideas a reality through grant investments.
 
In fiscal year 2020, the Department funded 52 JEM projects, awarding $1,154,904 million statewide, with estimated visitor expenditures driven by the marketing from these projects at $206 million. JEM grant funds are available to non-profit organizations for the promotion of Wisconsin tourism events and destinations. The state can fund up to 75 percent of a project’s first-year advertising and marketing costs and provide support for second- and third-year projects with decreasing amounts for funding until projects become self-sustaining.