The Christmas season will officially begin for the city of Cullman Thursday, Nov. 21, as the annual Christmas Pyramid lighting ceremony signals the opening of a newly expanded Christkindlmarkt at Depot Park.

The holiday fun also continues into Friday evening as the annual Christkindlmarkt Parade travels seven blocks through Cullman’s warehouse district on 1st Avenue to Depot Park. The parade is set to culminate in American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and ABC 33/40 meteorologist James Spann leading the Christkindlmarkt tree lighting ceremony.

City of Cullman council member Clint Hollingsworth acknowledged the amount of work that has gone into transforming the park into a traditional German Christmas market during the council’s meeting Monday, Nov. 18.

“I just want to mention that everybody has been working really hard across the street [in Depot Park],” Hollingsworth said. “It should be a fun-filled end of the week.”

With the bulk of Depot Park renovations completed, the city has expanded the Christkindlmarkt footprint which has allowed for several new features.

The city’s Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism department defied the typical balmy Southern winters by installing an engineered outdoor ice skating rink in last year’s market. This year the department has upped the ante by increasing the rink’s size which it describes as “the largest outdoor ice rink in Alabama.”

The largest ferris wheel in Alabama will also be on full display for visitors to enjoy as well as the Christkidnl Express, an “enchanting little train ride.” Other features at the market will include:

— Kinderplatz (Santa’s village full of activities for children)

— Old-fashioned, German-style, pop-up Christmas street market with artists, craftspersons and other makers of gift-type goods.

— Authentic German flavors, from traditional sausages to sweet chimney cakes.

The Cullman Christkindlmarkt will take place from Nov. 21 to Dec. 23, every Thursday through Sunday at Depot Park, 304 1st Ave NE, in downtown Cullman. Hours are Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 12-8 p.m. Beginning Dec. 16, it will be open seven days a week (closed on Thanksgiving Day). Admission is free. For more information on the Cullman Christkindlmarkt including a schedule of events, visit cullmanchristkindlmarkt.com/ or call 256-734-9157.

In other business the council:

— Entered into an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to maintain a service road on Grape Street NW and median storm drain on AL-Highway 157.

Patrick Camp can be reached at pcamp@cullmantimes.com or at 256-734-2131 ext. 238.