Overview
- In Gelsenkirchen, a long‑running bratwurst stand dropped a new poultry sausage after three days for lack of demand, while a baked‑apple mulled‑wine variant drew weak interest.
- Visitors reported affordability strains, with Esslingen and Essen‑Steele comments highlighting higher food and drink prices that are limiting family visits.
- Gevelsberg set a validated world‑record polonaise with 1,978 costumed participants, confirmed on site by the Rekord‑Institut für Deutschland after a WDR‑streamed event.
- Crowd management remains tight at sought‑after venues, as the Ravennaschlucht market requires advance tickets already sold out for 2025 and Velen’s illuminated forest market controls entry with paid admission.
- Markets continue full Advent programs nationwide, from Memmingen’s official opening ceremonies to Dortmund’s sprawling “Weihnachtsstadt” with a 50‑metre Ferris wheel and the city’s signature giant tree.