People enjoy the Kaiserslautern Christmas Market in 2023. This year’s market stars today and runs to Dec. 23. (Stars and Stripes)

Get the holiday spirit a week before Thanksgiving at the Kaiserslautern Christmas Market, starting today at noon.

The market traditionally begins the day after Totensonntag, or Sunday of the Dead, when people remember departed family and friends. But because last year’s market season was wet and rainy, city officials moved up the opening by a few days, giving vendors a little longer to sell their glühwein, bratwurst and crafts.

The market takes place downtown in the shadow of the Stiftskirche on Stiftsplatz, Stiftsstrasse, Marktstrasse, Schillerplatz and Schillerstrasse.

After today’s opening, the hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on most Sundays. It will be closed this Sunday for the holiday. The Christmas market runs until Dec. 23.

There will be more going on in Kaiserslautern through Advent, leading up to Christmas, so stay tuned. The city’s complete program for the holidays can be found here.