The three-day market, held in the club and on the boardwalk of the Sparta, N.J. club has grown in popularity and has drawn an ever-increasing crowd reaching into the tens of thousands. It is because of the event’s success and growth that the market has “transcended Lake Mohawk Country Club’s capabilities as an event location,” said the Lake Mohawk County Club Board of Trustees in a statement.
Citing safety concerns due to its growth over the past 19 years, the Lake Mohawk Country Club Board of Trustees has announced the Sparta, N.J. club will no longer host the popular German Christmas Market—news that has come as a “blow” to the market’s Board of Trustees.
The three-day market, held in the club and on the boardwalk of the Lake Mohawk Country Club, or LMCC, has grown in popularity and has drawn an ever-growing crowd reaching into the tens of thousands. Friends, family and visitors from all over descend upon the boardwalk each December in search of Christmas gifts and traditional German food and entertainment.
But it is because of the event’s success and growth that the market has “transcended Lake Mohawk Country Club’s capabilities as an event location,” said the Lake Mohawk County Club Board of Trustees in a statement to the New Jersey Herald January 18.
In a statement sent to the Herald, the Lake Mohawk German Christmas Market, or LMGCM, Board of Trustees—a group of volunteers that plans, organizes and runs the non-profit market each year—said it was informed January 17 night of the Lake Mohawk Board’s decision during a private meeting between the entities.
“The news came as a blow to the Market Board,” the statement reads. “Over the past 19 years, the Lake Mohawk German Christmas Market has grown from a small afternoon affair consisting of a handful of vendors to a three-day event heralding in the holiday season.”
The Lake Mohawk German Christmas Market Board has, since its inception in 2001, had a mission of giving back to the community, the Herald reported. Once overhead costs of the event are settled, all remaining profits from the event are donated to local charities. In 2018, the market donated $39,400 to more than 20 community agencies and hopes to match that amount again this year, according to Judy Beelaert, the market’s board president. Since its inception, it has donated over $350,000 to local charities.
The 2019 market included just shy of 125 vendors.
The Lake Mohawk Country Club’s Board indicated in its statement that the market’s contributions to local charities and organizations have “positively impacted many in Sussex County over the past 19 years,” but said the event has grown to a point where it poses a safety concern, the Herald reported.
“The event attendance produces crowds and traffic that now exceed what the physical club, boardwalk and reservation can accommodate safely,” the Country Club board said.
The Market’s Board, in its statement, indicated that it had hoped the recent efforts to partner with the LMCC’s trustees to address their concerns would have been met with equal enthusiasm, but “based on the action of the Trustees, this is not the case.”
Beelaert, who spoke on behalf of the entire Market’s Board January 18, said that they were exploring ways to bring in extra money over the years to keep up with the increased attendance, the Herald reported. In 2019, Beelaert said, the board designated the Sparta High and Sparta Middle schools as park-and-ride locations, with eight buses—the most they’ve ever had—transporting attendees to and from the event.
On January 18, Beelaert, who was still trying to wrap her head around the club’s decision, said the future of the German Christmas Market is now on hold, the Herald reported. The board, she said, is expected to meet soon to discuss the market’s future and if it will relocate.
In its statement, the Lake Mohawk CC Board of Trustees said that if the German Market Board decides to hold the event at another location, “we will assist in the transition,” adding that they wish the Market’s Board “continued growth and success.”
While the 2019 event ended just over a month ago, vendors have already signed up to take part in the 2020 market. Beelaert said vendor packets were expected to be mailed out on February 1, the Herald reported.
With the future of the market unknown, the Market’s Board, in its statement, thanked those who have volunteered, sponsored and/or supported their efforts over the years, the Herald reported.
“Without you, it would not have been possible,” the statement said.
The market, which depends on sponsorships and donations to run, was started by a group of four women of German heritage, with the help of community residents, the Herald reported. The event has grown over the years with local food, wood carvers, crafters, entertainment, home accessories, a beer garden and petting zoo.
The Lake Mohawk Country Club serves as the homeowners association encompassing approximately 2,500 homes and membership lots, the Herald reported, which includes businesses, within the boundaries of the Lake Mohawk Reservation.
In October, the LMCC Board of Trustees held its annual meeting to conduct business and elect trustees and club members, the Herald reported. Three members departed the trustees—former president Bob Atkinson, Ernie Hofer and Eleanor Young—and the board welcomed new members Christina Repka, Brian Foley, Bryan Matsinger and Doug Vance. Repka now serves as president.
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