Marketplaces have always intrigued me. Having grown up in India, it’s quite nostalgic to see a variety of vendors, from near and far, come together in one place, featuring a myriad of curios wares as people traverse through rows of booths, stopping now and again to investigate their prospective buy. Such markets intrigue me even more when they are attuned to a certain theme. I’ve been through many markets in the past, however, had the pleasure of participating in one of its kind recently. With the dual theme, the annual German Christmas Mart was held for the 24th time in the historic town of Harmony, PA.
We decided to bring our best offerings for this holiday season. With boxes of chocolate adorning our table, we were pleasantly surprised to recognize some faces. However, what was even more delightful was when people recognized us and the town of Foxburg. Visitors to our table not only enjoyed the variety of chocolate samples being offered, but also the consistent demonstrations of our craft. Rows of rice cakes, freshly dipped in chocolate lined up two medium sized cookie sheets and those who got a chuckle out of the irony, were subjected to our favorite slogan that accompanies Naughty Rice, which is, “They make them healthy, we make them edible!”
It was a two day market with some vendors set up outside under tents, and the rest, including ourselves, set up inside a hall which is part of the Harmony Museum. It was a joy to take an opportunity to browse through and check out some of the other displays, out of which I had to bring some of the craftsmanship home.
Thousands of visitors come through the market every year and this weekend was no exception. We had a great time participating and hope to return to the German Christmas Market in the town of Harmony PA in the years to come.