History:

This annual event was conceived fourteen years  ago and is now firmly established itself as a local tradition in Sussex County. Now recognized as the LARGEST Annual Christmas Market in the State of New Jersey and is the ONLY Market to be run specifically to donate back into the community. In 2013 NJ.com ranked The Lake Mohawk German Christmas Market as one of the Top 10 things to do in December in the State.

The idea was brought to life in 2001 by a group of volunteers desiring nothing more than to raise funds for local charities, while creating a unique event that is open to the public along the idyllic boardwalk of the Lake Mohawk Country Club.

Lake Mohawk and it's surrounding countryside has been a magnet for immigrants of German decent. The Bavarian village architecture and local shoppes show this influence. The group that formed the Market was nostalgic for the German Christmas Market they grew up with and decided what better setting than Lake Mohawk to bring a long-loved tradition to America.

For the first few years, the market opened after the traditional First Friday in December Tree-Lighting ceremony on the boardwalk hosted by the Lake Mohawk Country Club. Open late into the evening and then all day Saturday the market was open for shoppers. It was completely held on the boardwalk and often snow would lace the tents and a cold wind might show up across the lake. As the market's reputation grew, so did the numbers of visitors. The tree-lighting ceremony was followed by a members-only banquet in the Ballroom so space was getting cramped. There were also calls to extend the market to Sunday.