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by Airman 1st Class Kaylea Berry
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
The 55th annual Ramstein Bazaar takes place Sept. 12-15 in Hangars 1 and 2 as well as the giant tent on Ramstein’s flightline. The bazaar is an 86th Force Support Squadron event produced by the Ramstein Officers’ Spouses’ Club. Opening hours are Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to visit the bazaar, but only DOD and NATO ID card holders with SOFA status can make purchases. If you’re bringing small children, be advised that Thursday and Friday are stroller days; on Saturday and Sunday, you will be asked to leave your strollers outside. All sales are in U.S. dollars and can be made with cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard.
What began as a community fundraiser in 1964 and has since grown into not only Ramstein’s favorite annual event, but also the world’s largest DOD bazaar. This year’s 122 vendors from 11 different countries bring one-of-a-kind items like pottery, antiques, rugs, furniture, wine, food specialties, and more.
Shoppers can also enjoy a variety of foods from 29 different food vendors. Private organizations and booster clubs from the Kaiserslautern Military Community offer delicious food from lumpia and pancit to street tacos, empanadas, and freshly squeezed lemonade. These vendors will only be accepting cash so bring U.S. dollars to save yourself from standing in line at the ATM.
“The Ramstein Bazaar is truly a world-class event,” said Angelina Iturrian, 2019 Ramstein Bazaar communications director. “We have wonderful relationships with these amazing vendors who go out of their way to make this a fun experience, and at the end of it all we are raising money for our own community.”
All of the net proceeds benefit the KMC in the following calendar year. Beneficiaries of those proceeds include student and spouse scholarship recipients, Boy and Girl Scouts, youth and community programs, local schools, booster clubs, sports’ clubs, and more.
“In 2018, the bazaar raised 310,842 dollars to give back to the community throughout the 2019 calendar year,” said Iturrian.
To learn about how the community is being impacted, volunteer opportunities, how to sign up to be a vendor and more, visit ramsteinbazaar.org.
