Perhaps your holiday spirit is lagging with finals being so close to Christmas, or maybe you just really love German food. Regardless, the Christkindlmarket in downtown Chicago is a great way to spend a December afternoon, if you don’t mind crowds, that is.

The Christkindlmarket, Chicago’s largest open-air Christmas festival, located at the Daley Plaza and open until Dec. 24, celebrates its 20^th anniversary in Chicago this season. The festival is inspired by the Christkindlmarket in Nuremburg, Germany, and hosts a variety of German-inspired gift and specialty vendors, as well as food and beverage vendors.

The sweet scent of German baked apples and roasted nuts that entices you into the market pales in comparison to the actual taste of the food. Although somewhat pricy, the food and beverage selections are both delicious and varied, even for those who do not usually cherish German food.

Some popular food options at the market include German Bratwursts and sauerkraut, soft pretzels, German strudel, potato pancakes, hot chocolate and hot cider and German Schnitzel. I tried the German Bratwurst ($10), seemingly the most popular food item at the festival, and for good reason, as it was a great tasting entree for all meat lovers.

I also tried the potato pancakes ($7), a staple in the German food culture that I found to be a delectable and different way to eat potatoes. The German sweets, such as the strudel and donuts ($4), are great for anyone with a sweet tooth, as they were incredibly sweet, and the hot chocolate ($3) was not only delicious, but necessary in the 30 degree Chicago winter weather. My advice for anyone looking to sample everything the Christkindlmarket has to offer: bring a big appetite and a big wallet.

Along with food and beverage, the market offers a variety of German-themed gifts and specialty items to purchase. From German ornaments and nutcrackers, to German mugs and woven hats, the market has many Christmas and non-Christmas themed items to purchase that have great gift potential for any of your German relatives. Although many of the specialty items are, again, expensive, they make for interesting and authentic gifts that are not available for purchase at your local Target.

As for the atmosphere of the festival, it was just as holiday spirited as ever, regardless of the decision to move the Christmas tree to Millennium Park. Also unaffected by that decision, however, was the crowdedness of the festival. Despite moving the big Christmas tree, the festival was packed, a characteristic that seemed to frustrate many of the festival goers.

Bottom Line: If you are willing to risk your own comfort and personal space for an authentic German holiday celebration, the Christkindlmarket is worth checking out.