FARMINGTON — The Rev. Bror Erickson first attended a Christkindlmarket while stationed in northern Italy with the U.S. Air Force.

Now the Zion Lutheran Church pastor has teamed up with artist and church elder Steve Unger to bring the European tradition to Farmington.

A Christkindlmarket is an open-air market that typically takes place during the Advent season leading up to Christmas. Throughout Europe, the market takes on different names, and Erickson debated calling the church's take on the event a Weihnachtsmarkt. He said he decided on Christkindlmarket — a German word that means "Christ child market" —  because it was easier for people unfamiliar with the tradition to understand.

The church will host its first Christkindlmarket on Saturday.

Erickson said the church's market — which unlike European markets will be inside — is a way to reach out to the community. While the market will start small this year, Erickson said he hopes it will eventually expand and take place outside on the church's 10-acre property off of Foothills Drive in east Farmington.

Even in its first year, Erickson said he has been impressed with the response he has gotten from vendors interested in selling at the market.

"It's not even going to be as small as we thought it was going to be," Erickson said.

During the market, vendors will sell handcrafted items. Unger said the church will accept vendors through the morning of a market.

"If you do a great canned pickles, that's good," he said.

Erickson also hopes to sell spice mixtures to make Glühwein, a mulled wine often associated with Christkindlmarket.

"It really kind of warms you up," he said.

Erickson said Christkindlmarkets have been gaining popularity worldwide, in large part because of the commercialization of Christmas. But unlike many pastors, he doesn't see that as necessarily a bad thing.

"It's sort of a perpetual reminder to the culture that Christ is here," he said.

Hannah Grover covers Aztec and Bloomfield, as well as general news, for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652.

If you go

What: Christkindlmarket

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 12

Where: Zion Lutheran Church, 7455 Foothills Drive, Farmington

More info: Go to zionfarmingtonlcms.org.