The Cullman Christkindlmarkt, seen in 2019 under the Festhalle, dates back to, essentially, a one-day pilot test.
PHOTO BY BENJAMIN BULLARD
A guest races down the Winterbahn snow tubing attraction in 2024.
“ Review of what worked and what didn ' t begins as soon as the market closes,” Anderson explained.“ By spring, vendor recruitment, infrastructure, new attractions, sponsorships, marketing and operational planning are all underway.”
City parks festivals director Daniel Wyatt added they drill down into the tiniest moments to make sure it’ s truly a winter wonderland— regardless of the unpredictable, sometimes all-too-warm winter weather in the South.
“ We ' re constantly looking at how we can improve the visitor experience,” Wyatt said.“ That means paying attention to even the smallest details, right down to trash can placement. And do you know how hard it is to keep ice frozen in November in Alabama?”
Christkindlmarkt 2026 edition
So what’ s to come this winter, in the 2026 edition of Cullman Christkindlmarkt? The team behind the festival is keeping the big reveals under wraps for now, but teased new experiences and surprises are planned for this year, along with the return of fanfavorite activities visitors love.
“ We ' ve always been strategic about giving people something new every year. We never want someone to come back and feel like they ' re seeing the same festival they saw last year,” Anderson said.“ Our goal isn ' t to make the market bigger for the sake of being bigger. We ' ve reached a scale where the focus is on making the experience better, more immersive and even more authentic. As for what ' s new in 2026, we ' re going to keep a few of those to ourselves.”
Though the festival has quickly become one of the biggest events in Cullman, Christkindlmarkt is also garnering regional and national attention. It’ s been recognized by several state and area tourism groups, was named among Southern Living ' s Cutest Christmas Towns in the South, and is also a Top 25 finalist in Hallmark ' s Merriest Christmas Town contest.
“ That ' s been rewarding for our team, because these are outside organizations looking at what we ' re doing and saying there ' s something special happening here,” Anderson said. " For a community our size, that kind of regional, state, and national recognition means a lot.” C
30 Cullman magazine | HOLIDAY 2026