CARMEL — A year after major leadership upheaval at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, the beloved holiday market is set to open later this month while the city continues a third-party investigation into the decisions that led to multiple firings and resignations.
The investigation committee, led by City Councilor Ryan Locke, aims to answer lingering questions about why and how the city made changes to the market's leadership structure.
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"If we're going to have relationships with nonprofits to do things that matter, we need to ensure that they're done right," Locke said.
The controversy began when Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam removed two members from the Christkindlmarkt board, citing the need to alleviate financial burden on taxpayers. A third member, Susan McDermott, resigned days later.
The turmoil culminated later in the Spring of 2025 with the resignation of Maria Rosenfeld, who had served as the market's president and CEO for eight years.
In her resignation letter, Rosenfeld claimed her leadership was "undermined" by the newly appointed board and that she was excluded from key decisions about the market's operations.
"The real questions we haven't answered yet, and that the investigation is looking at, are really the why we made the changes that we did when we made them, and how did we made those as a city?" Locke said.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Julia Davis, the new CEO for the group in charge of the holiday market, says this year's visitors can expect the same authentic experience they've come to love.
"Our biggest goal is authenticity outside of Europe. European Christmas market tourism is huge, and it's growing within the United States, and we want to be at the forefront of that," Davis said.
Davis emphasized that the investigation hasn't been a distraction in planning for this year's market.
"We have wanted to be a cooperative neighbor the entire time. And I feel like we have been. And then as a team, our focus has been on what we do day to day to make sure that this market happens," Davis said.
For visitors like Jeffty McKinney, who has built family traditions around the market, the focus remains on the experience itself.
"It's just so nice. We come here and we meet people from all over the country that are here for different reasons," Jeffty said. "I don't care who's running it, which mayor, which CEO of the Christkindlmarkt or whatever, as long as they have the city's best interest. That's all that matters."
In April, McDermott filed a civil lawsuit against the city and Mayor Finkam seeking liability for damage to her professional reputation. That lawsuit is currently pending.
Mayor Finkam has maintained her commitment to the market's future, stating, "We look forward to a 2025 Carmel Christkindlmarkt that continues to exceed the expectations of our residents and our guests who travel from across the state and beyond for the beloved holiday event.”
Locke emphasized that despite the investigation, everyone involved wants the market to succeed.
"This market is wonderful. The mayor, the council, all of us took these steps because we care about this community and we want it to succeed," Locke said.
The market is set to open on November 22 and be open Wednesday through Sunday through December 14th, and open daily from December 15-December 24.
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt schedule is available on their website.
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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.
