Dublin's first European-style Christmas market cleared its final city hurdle Monday when Dublin City Council unanimously approved a lease allowing Friends of Christkindlmarkt Dublin Inc. to host the event at Riverside Crossing Park this winter.
All seven members voted yes.
The 7-0 vote on Resolution 32-26 was one of three major actions at the Aug. 24 meeting, according to the council action summary. Present were Jane Fox Alutto, Mayor Amorose Groomes, Vice Mayor De Rosa, Johnson, Keeler, Kramb and Dr. Lam. Council received a special presentation on the Christkindlmarkt before voting on the lease.
The market runs Nov. 21 through Dec. 24 with free admission, according to the city's event listing. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 4–9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon–9 p.m., and Sunday from noon–8 p.m. The market will be closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Thanksgiving Day, and will operate noon–4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Vendors will offer handcrafted gifts, seasonal food and drinks, and holiday entertainment.
The agenda memo for the lease was titled "Alcohol Sales at the 2026 Christmas Market Dublin," indicating the agreement also covers alcohol sales at the market. Full lease terms have not been published.
Rec center renovation moves forward
Council also voted 7-0 to accept the lowest bid for the Dublin Community Recreation Center Phase II Renovation Project under Resolution 33-26. The contractor's name and bid amount were not included in the published action summary; the city's full agenda packet was not available online as of Wednesday, Aug. 26.
The DCRC, which opened in 1996, has been the subject of a master renovation plan since 2023. In 2022, council directed $3.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward improvements at the center, according to CityScene Columbus. Whether the Phase II bid draws from that same funding has not been confirmed.
Riverside Drive path land acquired
In a single consolidated vote, council passed Ordinances 37-26 through 42-26, finalizing land acquisitions from six properties along Riverside Drive and May Apple Court for the Riverside Drive Shared Use Path, Water Main and Sanitary Sewer Extensions project. The ordinances had received their first reading at the Aug. 10 meeting.
The parcels acquired range from 0.039 acres to 0.511 acres and include warranty deeds, permanent utility easements and temporary construction easements from property owners including Samuel N. Lillard and Monica M. Szonn-Lillard (7720 Riverside Drive), John Dawson (7726 Riverside Drive), Anita C. Plew and Charles W. Hess (7730 Riverside Drive), Sarah Strasser, trustee (7778 Riverside Drive), Rebecca J. Hamilton and Wesley N. Hamilton (7836 Riverside Drive), and Wilbert W. Harvey and Barbara Wieser-Harvey (4410 May Apple Court). All acquired land will be open to the public without charge.
A seventh acquisition, Ordinance 46-26 covering a 0.032-acre easement from John A. Cocumelli and Shelly L. Cocumelli at 4405 May Apple Court, received its first reading Aug. 24 and is scheduled for a second reading and public hearing Sept. 14.
