By: Aiyana Moore ~Staff Writer~

Spending time outside at Fountain Square may be the last thing anyone wants to do during the cold winter months, but there is something to be said for the quaint, temporary German village that overtakes Cincinnati’s downtown park during November and December.

This winter, Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt celebrates its fourth year as the first traditional German Christmas Market to be held in Fountain Square.

The event is organized by local nonprofit, Cincideutsch, which is a group of German-speakers in the Cincinnati area who work to bridge the gap between the historically German Cincinnati and the more modern German culture.

Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt is an outdoor market that features the work of local artisans and vendors. These products include a variety of hand-sewn socks and scarves from alpaca wool, handcarved wooden ornaments in the shape of animals and even jewelry.

Aside from the obvious nods to Cincinnati’s historically German culture, Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt also features items specific to the modern city, most notably Bengals themed hats and gloves.

The market thankfully does not leave off at gift items. In fact, there are several food vendors scattered throughout Fountain Square that offer German-themed foods like goetta, strudels, Bavarian pretzels and sauerkraut.

Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt also serves up cream puffs and hamburgers for the less adventurous eaters in the crowd.

Even though the winter weather is cold, Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt vendors make sure that it’s possible to stay warm. Hot chocolate is available at several shops for only $3.

For those of legal drinking age that want something more in the spirit of a German Christmas, Glühwein, a hot spiced wine, is also sold for $5. Though Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt is only around for a few weeks each year, make sure to bundle up in a coat and scarf and head down to Fountain Square to experience the rich, German history of Cincinnati.

Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt takes place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays at Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati until Dec. 20.