Mild weather brings crowds to annual Krist Kindl Markt

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

The 2017 Krist Kindl Markt is now in the history books and this year, the often-fickle Texas weather was kind to the downtown Christmas festival that has taken place for more than 20 years. 
While past Krist Kindl Markts have seen everything from sweltering heat, sleet, rain and even snow flurries, this year’s downtown festival saw mild temperatures for December and a few rain showers on Sunday. 
Vendors lined the streets of downtown Copperas Cove, giving shoppers opportunity to eat, mingle, and get some holiday shopping done at the same time.
Entertainment was also on tap to include the Williams Ledger Elementary Sunrise Singers, the Scotty Ray Show, the Double C’s Square Dancers, as well as the Copperas Cove Junior Varsity and Varsity Cheerleaders, and the Copperettes dance team. 
The foot traffic downtown swelled after the conclusion of Saturday afternoon’s Christmas parade with the theme “Santa’s Workshop.” The crowds were especially thick along Avenue D near first street and Main Street, with spectators getting a clear view on the elevated sidewalk and ramp of the floats and marching units.
The festival also had several craft vendors from whom shoppers could buy anything from knitted or crocheted scarves and hats, Christmas stockings for nearly every NFL and college football team, or animated characters, as well as other booths selling art, home décor, furniture, jewelry and more.
Fay Rocha along with her sister, Ellen, have had their booth Craft Creations at Krist Kindl Markt for six years now. They carried a wide assortment of Christmas stockings, potholders, and microwave bowl covers. The pair sew the items year-round. 
Rocha was pleased with the foot traffic they saw this year, largely due to the weather, with a slight downturn in traffic on Sunday morning due to sporadic rain showers. 
“It was great,” Rocha said. “Yesterday, our best sellers were the towels and the microwave bowls.” Rocha and her sister carried different size fabric bowl covers that served as hand protectors when pulling bowls out of the microwave. “You just put it in there when you microwave something. Or, it can keep your hands from getting cold when you’re holding a bowl while eating ice cream.”
Rocha’s work isn’t done yet, although the festival is over.
“I’ve got about two or three more orders due this week. We do this, and people tell us other things they’d like for us to make for them.”
Claudia Sedore, owner of local shop Décor & More, brought some of her shop’s wares to sell over the weekend, and said she did well on Friday and Saturday. She believes that next year she’ll need more space for her variety of home décor and vintage items. On Sunday, she and some of her fellow vendors had to scramble to cover up some of their merchandise to protect it from the rain. 
Longtime market vendor Leona Marshall had her products set up on display. Leona’s Charm offered handmade soaps, some in the shape of slices of cake, with other products like cupcake-shaped bath bombs. 
“We’ve been coming here for a few years. This is a very good year this year,” said Marshall. “Last year was cold, wet. It was a mess, but we enjoyed it.”
Marshall, who lives in Copperas Cove, is also one of the Copperas Cove Farmer’s Market vendors that sold her skin care products at the market this past summer. 
“I do make a face wash and facial moisturizer. We’re a duo,” Marshall said. 
Like other vendors, she hopes customers will follow up with them after the market. 
“I have a website where people can see what I have for sale,” said Marshall, adding that they can also contact her through her website for orders.
The icing on the cake for festival-goers on Saturday night was the return of the light show on Main Street, during which “snow” fell on the street to the delight of children of all ages. 
Maurice Tobin with the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce was pleased with the reaction to the light show, along with other festival attractions like story time with Santa Claus, who took the stage on Friday and Saturday evenings. Santa also took time for photos with families who brought their children—and pets—to see him.