The 21st shooting star market on Schlossplatz and in front of the Marktkirche will open its illuminated gates from Tuesday, November 28, inviting visitors to enjoy the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle in an atmospheric setting.
"The official opening will take place on Tuesday, November 28, at 6 pm on the stage in front of the town hall next to our 27-metre-high Christmas tree decorated with around 30,000 lights," announces Mayor Christiane Hinninger. The tree bears the name Noah. This is the most frequently chosen boy's name for newborns in Wiesbaden this year. Last year, the tree bore the most frequently chosen girl's name in 2022, Emilia.
New this year is "Wiesbaden on Ice", the largest mobile ice rink in Germany operated by Sporthilfe Wiesbaden. The bowling green in front of the Kurhaus offers 2,500 square meters of icy fun. The Sternschnuppenmarkt comprises 102 stalls, 79 of which offer arts and crafts, 22 food stalls with culinary delicacies and drinks and the traditional children's carousel. In addition, the nativity scene will be larger and more open than in previous years.
21 large illuminated lilies and the four illuminated gates with illuminated lettering at the entrances to the market provide the festive and atmospheric lighting for the shooting star market. There are also 20 small lilies in the pedestrian zone and 51 lilies in Wilhelmstrasse. In addition, stars, snowflakes and fairy lights in trees create a glittering effect. "Of course, environmentally friendly LED fairy lights and LED illuminants are used to illuminate the shooting star market, as with all our lighting effects during the Christmas season," explains Mayor Hinninger, emphasizing the associated sustainability. Sustainability is also the focus of the new mulled wine cup, which is no longer made of ceramic but of satin-finished glass manufactured in Europe. This year, the mug is adorned with the motif of Wiesbaden Town Hall and is available from Wiesbaden Tourist Information for 3 euros.
"In addition to the Sternschnuppenmarkt and the Kinder-Sternschnuppenmarkt, the WinterStubb with Ferris wheel on Mauritiusplatz is also part of pre-Christmas Wiesbaden," emphasizes Simon Rottloff, authorized signatory at Wiesbaden Congress & Marketing GmbH and responsible for outdoor events there. The WinterStubb with Ferris wheel will also open on November 28 and will remain open until January 14, 2024 - just like the children's Sternschnuppenmarkt and "Wiesbaden on Ice".
On December Saturdays until Christmas, buses can be used free of charge in Wiesbaden. This free service applies from Saturday, December 2, for all bus routes in the ESWE Verkehr network in the Wiesbaden city area.
Other highlights in the run-up to Christmas complement the shooting star market.
International Christmas sounds and organ music: As in previous years, a door of the Advent calendar is opened every day at 5.30 pm on the stage in front of the town hall. Bands and choirs will delight guests on the stage with Christmas sounds from all over the world. There will be Irish songs on December 9, American songs on December 10, Spanish Christmas tunes on December 16 and French sounds on December 22. The Marktkirche also offers a special pre-Christmas program, with daily organ music for Advent from 3 to 23 December at 5.45 pm and an Advent devotional at 6 pm under the motto "12 minutes with God".
Baking course by the Protestant family education: For children, the Protestant Family Education is once again organizing a baking course. Children between the ages of seven and 13 can bake on Saturday, December 9, from 11 am to 2 pm in the Haus an der Marktkirche. The cost per child (including baking ingredients) is 30.40 euros. Those in possession of the Wiesbaden leisure card receive a 50 percent discount. To register, call (0611) 524015 or send an email to in-fo@familienbildung-wi.de.
Christmas competition: The popular "Wiesbadener Kurier" Christmas competition once again offers attractive prizes. Coupons for participation can be found in "Wiesbaden's wonderful Christmas catalog", which will be enclosed with the newspaper on November 28. The entry cards can be handed in at the ESWE Versorgungs AG service center or sent in by post. The winners will be drawn weekly and published in the "Wiesbadener Kurier".
Short tours through pre-Christmas Wiesbaden: Anyone wishing to immerse themselves in the world of pre-Christmas Wiesbaden will find what they are looking for on the "Christmassy Wiesbaden" short tour offered by Wiesbaden Congress & Marketing GmbH. The one-hour tours are offered every Saturday at 3 pm for the duration of the Sternschnuppenmarkt, meeting point is the Tourist Information Wiesbaden, Marktplatz 1. Tickets can only be booked in advance, online at wiesbaden.de/tickets or at the Tourist Information, Marktplatz 1. The tour for a maximum of 15 guests costs ten euros per person. Group tours with a maximum of 15 people can also be booked with a tour guide for the entire duration of the Sternschnuppenmarkt for 74 euros per group (German-speaking) or 77 euros per group (foreign-language).
