There are already around 60 events listed on makeradvent.de across more than 20 locations, from Zwickau through the Ore Mountains to Freiberg and even Dippoldiswalde. More hands-on activities are being added every day.
In Grünhainichen, the Wendt & Kühn workshop is opening its woodturning and painting workshops for Advent open days. In Schneeberg, visitors can try their hand at woodturning and carving, whilst in Reichstädt, wool from the local flock is spun on a spinning wheel. At the Chemnitz Industrial Museum, families can mould incense cones from dough supplied by the long-established firm Knox and create their very own ‘Raachermannel’ to go with them.
Alongside this are the latest technological innovations: at the Vectorlab in Chemnitz, everyone designs their own ‘Schwibbogen’ on a computer, after which a milling machine and laser cut out the
motif. At the Lehngericht in Augustusburg, tea towels are printed using a plotter and transfer press; for the Männelmarkt, laser cutters and
3D printers run alongside the textile workshop. There’s also Ukrainian Petrykivka painting on Christmas baubles, the Turkish water marbling technique Ebru, a senf and cheese-making workshop, stollen baking at the youth hostel, and Christmas markets at Chemnitz University of Technology and in the Art Collections.
For anyone wishing to take part, www.makeradvent.de is the central point of contact: you can filter by location, category and age to find suitable events, and many activities can be booked directly via the system. Browsing the site allows you to discover new places and activities right on your doorstep. For the first time, Maker e. V. is organising the initiative, which was developed during the Capital of Culture year under the umbrella of Makers, Business & Arts and was awarded the German Tourism Prize in 2025
.
The platform is also new: providers enter their workshops themselves and manage them independently.
This initiative is co-funded by tax revenue based on the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.