Dates: December 12th – December 14th, 2024

In 1987, native Austrian Rudi Skucek conceived a Christkindl Market for Mifflinburg. Rudi and his wife Joannah moved their family back to her hometown in Pennsylvania after he retired a few years earlier. At that time, the local Main Street organization was searching for a town event that would be uplifting, celebrate the area’s German heritage, and promote the small town of Mifflinburg. It took Rudi and Joannah a year to convince the community that an outdoor event such as the traditional German Christkindl market could be successful in cold December. The next hurdle was to inform everyone about the significance of such a market. Rudi gave slide presentations of German markets to children in local schools, service clubs, Borough Council, and other organizations. Although he had an engaging and convincing personality, warmth-loving Americans found it hard to believe anyone would come to an outdoor market lined with huts in cold and snowy conditions. What vendors would freeze for three days while trying to promote their products? Finally, twenty huts were built, the street was closed, and the first Market began in 1989. Other bazaars and Christmas markets existed in several US communities, but none was entirely outdoors. Mifflinburg let the tradition and today claims to be the oldest outdoor Christmas market in the US. The main thrust was to keep it as authentic to European markets as possible. Inspired by the 700-year-old tradition of the Christkindlmarkt, or Christ Child Market, mainly celebrated in Germany and Austria, this festive event is prepared by the town’s churches, organizations, schools, and residents.

​Rudi and Joannah brought the first prune men, Zwetschezkenmanner, from Germany and convinced a local Mennonite resident to produce them. Gingerbread hearts with German phrases were shown to the Methodist Church, who made them for many years. (That tradition has since passed to the Gutelius House Museum.) Skucek created a booth, importing original German wooden Christmas figures and table Christmas pyramids. Whether customers came to buy his wares or talk with Rudi is debatable. His charm and enthusiasm permeated the Market ambiance.​

It was less difficult to find clubs, organizations, and school groups that prepared German foods. The Market air was immediately filled with the aroma of Bratsurst, Apfelstrudel, Hungarian goulash, and Gluhwein (hot mulled wine).

​Some visitors claim that the little town of Mifflinburg has a Christkindl market that is more authentic than most German markets. The committee that organizes the annual event is amused by the creative ideas that other, more recently developed American Christkindl markets have gathered from this small nook of 3,500 residents.​

Rudi Skucek died in 2007, but his legacy lives on. Today’s market expanded from 20 to over 100 vendors and has become firmly rooted in Mifflinburg’s history and an annual pilgrimage for many visitors. In 2012, the Christkindl Market became an independent entity, incorporated as Christkindl Market of Mifflinburg, Inc.