Women’s club holds annual Pfennig Bazaar March 7 to 9

A flea market of a special kind will take place March 7 to 9 in the event hall of the Kaiserslautern Gartenschau.

The 53rd annual Pfennig Bazaar, sponsored by the German-American and International Women’s Club Kaiserslautern, under the patronage of Kaiserslautern’s Lord Mayor Dr. Klaus Weichel, is a special flea market where patrons can find true treasures at bargain prices.

The Pfennig Bazaar is known as the biggest flea market in West Palatinate. Its name originates from the former German currency — the Deutsch Mark and Pfennigs, today euro and cents. Sale items include well-preserved clothing and linen, hats, children’s toys, antiques and collectibles, as well as small and tested electrical appliances, books in English and German, and much more.

The bazaar is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 7, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 8 and 9. During the bazaar, GAIWC club members will sell homemade cakes, waffles, refreshments and other small dishes, such as soup and sausages.

The Pfennig Bazaar will be held in the event hall of the Kaiserslautern Gartenschau, found just beyond the Gartenschau main entrance at Lauterstraße, 67659 Kaiserslautern. This is the same location where the skating rink was held. Visitors should bring a few extra euro for parking, which can also be found near the Gartenschau Brauhaus restaurant at Forellenstraße 6, 67659 Kaiserslautern.

A registered German non-profit organization, GAIWC of Kaiserslautern, was established in 1956 to foster German-American friendship and promote cultural understanding. Since then, other nationalities have been welcomed into the club, and the name started carrying the word “international,” as well.

The Pfennig Bazaar is the club’s biggest fundraising event each year. Proceeds are donated to regional welfare projects and charitable organizations supporting the local community. As a member of the Federation of German-American Clubs, GAIWC also sponsors German-American youth activities and university-level student exchange programs.

“In addition to contributions toward social programs in the local German community, we were able to support many American organizations in the KMC last year, including the Landstuhl Fisher Houses, American Red Cross, and Kaiserslautern USO Warrior Center and CASF,” said Katie Pelletier, former American president of GAIWC.

For a successful Pfennig Bazaar each year, GAIWC depends on the assistance of the citizens of Kaiserslautern and surrounding communities. Though donations of goods were collected from the public throughout the year, GAIWC offers a final opportunity to contribute items for this year’s Pfennig Bazaar. From 9 a.m. to noon, items will be accepted at the drop-off location on Hackstrasse 4 to 6 in Kaiserslautern. Items accepted include clean clothing, linens, hats, dress shoes, dishes, toys, books, antiques and collectibles, and small 220 volt household appliances. Items not accepted include large furniture, mattresses, skis, ski boots, luggage, running shoes and curtains.

For more information or to volunteer, contact the Pfennig Bazaar chairwoman Martina Anctil at  vizepraesidentin2@daifc.de or 01577-3408463. More information can also be found online at www.gaiwc.com.

Other programs sponsored by GAIWC include a German-American Day event each fall with the Atlantic Academy Rhineland-Palatinate to celebrate German-American relations, and a ceremony each May with the Kaiserslautern Kindergraves Memorial Foundation to honor the memory of 451 American children buried in Kaiserslautern between 1952 and 1971. GAIWC members meet monthly in conversation and literature groups, cultural and family outings, traditional dinners and other gatherings.

For more information or to get involved, contact Ulrike Naeumann at vizepraesidentin1@daifc.de or 06353-936896, or visit www.gaiwc.com.