Best Christmas Markets in the US: 2026 Dates

Wooden huts, mulled wine in a souvenir mug, bratwurst and roasted nuts, a tree that turns the square gold after dark — America's Christmas markets borrow almost everything from the German and Austrian originals. What changes from city to city is the backdrop. Bethlehem fills heated tents beneath the rusted blast furnaces of an old steel plant. Chicago sets up in the shadow of the Picasso sculpture on Daley Plaza. Bryant Park opens before Halloween and puts a free ice rink in the middle of Midtown.

All seven markets in this guide have posted their 2026 dates, and most are free to enter.

The dates need planning. Bethlehem runs only on set weekends, Carmel closes most Mondays and Tuesdays, and Bryant Park's shops are gone by early January. A market seen on a Saturday night is a different place from the same market on a Tuesday afternoon.

The markets also cluster well for a road trip. Chicago and Carmel sit about three hours apart by car. New York, Bethlehem and Philadelphia form a tight triangle that a long weekend can cover, and Washington is an easy train ride south. Denver stands alone, but it pairs naturally with a ski trip.

This guide covers what each market does best, when to go in 2026 and how to get there, with the official pages, local reporting and creator videos in the bundle below.

Carmel Christkindlmarkt, Indiana

Carmel, a suburb about 20 miles north of downtown Indianapolis, is an unlikely champion. In less than a decade it has built a German market that now outpolls far bigger cities. The Christkindlmarkt opened in 2017 on Carter Green, between the Palladium concert hall and the Tarkington theater, and it topped the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice vote for best holiday market in 2025. Admission is free, and so is parking — the rarer perk. A free weekend shuttle runs from a lot on College Drive, or you can walk in from the downtown garages along the lit-up Monon Trail.

The 2026 season runs Nov. 21 through Dec. 24, closed on Thanksgiving. The schedule is the thing you plan around: the market is closed most Mondays and Tuesdays and opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, then at noon Friday through Sunday. The week before Christmas it stays open every day. The food leans German and Swiss — raclette sandwiches, Käsekuchen, Handbrot and pretzels from a local bakery — and Glühwein comes from a 33-foot wooden pyramid at the center of the green. The collectible boot-shaped mug changes every year. This year's is purple.

On YouTube, The Traveling Librarian takes an unhurried walk through the market and puts the huts and food to the authenticity test. Where to Next with Steve and Crystal cover the 2025 tree lighting and the food lines.

When is Carmel Christkindlmarkt open in 2026? Carmel Christkindlmarkt runs Nov. 21 to Dec. 24, 2026. It's closed most Mondays and Tuesdays and on Thanksgiving, opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and at noon Friday through Sunday.

Does Carmel Christkindlmarkt charge admission? No. Carmel Christkindlmarkt is free to enter, and parking in the city's downtown garages is free too. The only ticketed events are ice skating on Carter Green and the adults-only Wundernacht preview on Nov. 19.

What are the best Christmas markets in the US? Carmel Christkindlmarkt won the 2025 USA Today reader vote for best holiday market. Christkindlmarket Chicago, Bethlehem, Philadelphia, Bryant Park, the DowntownDC Holiday Market and Denver are the others worth a 2026 trip.

Christkindlmarket Chicago

Chicago's market is among the oldest on this list. It opened in 1996 with a handful of vendors at Pioneer Court, moved to Daley Plaza the next year and has modeled itself ever since on the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg. The 2026 season marks its 30th anniversary, and it now runs in three places. The original stays on Daley Plaza in the Loop, a smaller market sets up at Gallagher Way beside Wrigley Field, and the largest of the three fills RiverEdge Park in Aurora — about 40 miles west of downtown.

All three open Nov. 20, 2026. Daley Plaza and Aurora close Dec. 24, and Wrigleyville keeps going through New Year's Eve. Daley Plaza opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, while Aurora runs Thursday through Sunday only. Entry is free everywhere. The crowds are not: weekday lunchtimes in the Loop are packed with office workers, and Saturday nights draw lines for the mug counter. If you can, go right at the 11 a.m. opening on a weekday, or after 6 p.m. midweek, when the tree and huts are lit.

The souvenir mug is the market's signature — a new design comes out every year, and most people carry theirs home. Larger steins hold German beer as well as Glühwein. The food goes well past bratwurst and pretzels, into schnitzel and German chocolate territory. For the rest of the trip, the guide to things to do in Chicago covers the city around the market, and the best bars in Chicago picks up where the Glühwein leaves off.

When does Christkindlmarket Chicago open in 2026? Christkindlmarket Chicago opens Nov. 20, 2026, at all three locations. Daley Plaza and Aurora close Dec. 24; the Wrigleyville market stays open through Dec. 31.

Is Christkindlmarket Chicago free? Yes. Christkindlmarket Chicago is free at Daley Plaza, Wrigleyville and Aurora. Plan on spending money on the mug, food and drinks, and bring some cash, since a few vendors don't take cards. That goes for most markets on this list.

Which Christkindlmarket Chicago location is best? For a first visit, the best Christkindlmarket Chicago location is Daley Plaza, the original downtown. Go to Aurora for space on a Thursday, and to Wrigleyville if you're in town after Christmas.

Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Moravian settlers named Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1741, and the town has called itself Christmas City since 1937, when a lit star went up on South Mountain. The Christkindlmarkt adds an industrial twist. It runs in heated tents on PNC Plaza at SteelStacks — the arts campus built around the idle blast furnaces of the old Bethlehem Steel plant. The tents sit beneath furnace towers that are lit red and blue at night — not a view you'll find in Nuremberg.

This is the one market on the list that charges admission and keeps a strict calendar. In 2026 it opens Friday through Sunday on the weekends of Nov. 13, Nov. 20 and Nov. 27, then Thursday through Sunday from Dec. 3 to Dec. 20. Tickets run $14 on Thursday and Friday and $16.50 on weekends, children 5 and under get in free, and everyone gets in free on Friday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. Parking next to the plaza is free. Leave the cash at home — admission and most vendors are cashless. Shoppers come for German ornaments and nutcrackers, and stay for strudel and potato pancakes.

On YouTube, Krystal and Eric compare Bethlehem with the markets they've visited in Europe, and the guide to Europe's best Christmas markets has the originals. Kenny and Nell spend as much time in the historic district as in the tents. Give it equal time — the Moravian buildings on Main Street, the carriage rides and the Hotel Bethlehem's decorations are half the trip.

How much are Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem tickets in 2026? Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem tickets cost $14 on Thursday and Friday and $16.50 on Saturday and Sunday in 2026. Children 5 and under are free, and so is everyone on Friday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m.

What dates is Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem open? Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem runs Nov. 13 to Dec. 20, 2026, on set days only: Friday through Sunday in November and Thursday through Sunday in December. Check the calendar before booking a hotel.

How far is Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem from New York? Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem is about 80 miles west of New York City, roughly a two-hour drive. Buses from Manhattan take about the same time, and Philadelphia is about 50 miles south.

Christmas Village in Philadelphia

Philadelphia's market spreads across two of the city's most photographed squares. Christmas Village fills LOVE Park and the courtyard and north apron of City Hall with more than 120 vendors in wooden huts. It also adds things few American markets have — a Ferris wheel and a double-decker carousel in the City Hall courtyard. The German beer garden keeps it local: Philadelphia breweries brew the bock and kölsch it pours for the market. A 30-foot Christmas pyramid strung with 3,000 lights went up for the 2025 season.

The 2026 market runs Nov. 21 to Dec. 27. It closes for three days just after opening, Nov. 23 to Nov. 25, and again on Christmas Day, then reopens for a last weekend after the holiday — useful if you're traveling between Christmas and New Year's. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Entry is free. The food covers bratwurst, raclette, gingerbread and mulled wine, with honey mead for the curious and hot cocoa for anyone skipping the alcohol.

The YouTube channel Travel with NJ Steve and Sue has a walking tour that shows how the huts connect from LOVE Park to City Hall, which helps on a first visit. From New York, this is the easiest market to reach by train: Amtrak from Penn Station to 30th Street takes 60 to 90 minutes, and SEPTA's L, the Market-Frankford Line, runs to City Hall from there.

When is Christmas Village in Philadelphia open in 2026? Christmas Village in Philadelphia runs Nov. 21 to Dec. 27, 2026. It's closed Nov. 23 to Nov. 25 and on Christmas Day, and opens at noon most days.

Is Christmas Village in Philadelphia free? Yes. Christmas Village in Philadelphia charges no admission. Food, drinks, the Ferris wheel and the carousel are paid as you go, and there are no ATMs inside the market.

How do you get to Christmas Village in Philadelphia from New York? To reach Christmas Village in Philadelphia, take Amtrak from Penn Station to 30th Street in 60 to 90 minutes. Driving the roughly 95 miles takes about two hours.

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park

New York's best-known market opens earlier and stays later than any other on this list. The Winter Village, which began in 2002, opens its Holiday Shops on Oct. 28, 2026, and keeps them going until Jan. 3, 2027, with more than 180 vendors in glass-walled kiosks laid out around the park. The centerpiece is the 17,000-square-foot rink, where admission is free. Skate rental is extra, and the rink and The Lodge, a heated food hall with two bars that looks over the ice, stay open through Feb. 28, 2027.

Crowds come with the address. This is Midtown — between Fifth and Sixth avenues by the New York Public Library — and lunchtime and early evening are the worst. Weekday mornings are calmer for skating; shop hours vary through the season and are posted on the park's site. Food is the real draw: dumplings, mini pancakes, chimney cake and, new for 2026, Serendipity3's frozen hot chocolate. On YouTube, CityXP tours dozens of stalls with menus and prices on screen, the quickest way to budget a grazing lunch. The NYC Walking Show's opening-day walk shows the layout.

And if one market isn't enough, Manhattan has two more close by. Grand Central's holiday fair fills Vanderbilt Hall a few minutes' walk east of the park, and the Union Square Holiday Market sets up about a mile and a half south, a short subway ride away.

When does Bryant Park Winter Village open in 2026? The Winter Village at Bryant Park opens its Holiday Shops on Oct. 28, 2026, and they close Jan. 3, 2027. The free ice rink and The Lodge stay open through Feb. 28.

Is skating at Bryant Park Winter Village free? Admission to the rink at Bryant Park Winter Village is free if you bring your own skates. Skate rental costs extra, and weekday mornings are when the ice is quietest.

What else is near Bryant Park Winter Village? Grand Central's holiday fair is a few minutes' walk east of Bryant Park Winter Village, and the Union Square Holiday Market is about a mile and a half south — both easy to add on foot or by subway.

DowntownDC Holiday Market, Washington

Washington's market lines F Street NW between Seventh and Ninth streets in Penn Quarter, right in front of the building shared by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. That's the best thing about it — both museums are free, open until 7 p.m. and steps from the huts, so a cold afternoon at the market can end in a warm gallery. The market has run since 2005, and the 2026 edition lasts about six weeks, from Nov. 13 to Dec. 23, closed on Thanksgiving.

More than 115 vendors take part — mostly local makers and artists — with live music through the season. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. It's free, dogs are welcome, and the food runs from raclette and crepes to barbecue and German sausages. One point of confusion: since 2024, when the downtown market changed operators, the former operator has run a separate holiday market in Dupont Circle, so check which one a listing means.

Getting there is the easy part. The Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station puts you at the market's door. From there, the National Christmas Tree in President's Park is about a 20-minute walk west, and ZooLights at the National Zoo is a short ride on the Red Line.

When is the DowntownDC Holiday Market in 2026? The DowntownDC Holiday Market runs Nov. 13 to Dec. 23, 2026, closed on Thanksgiving. It opens at noon Monday through Thursday and at 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday.

How do you get to the DowntownDC Holiday Market? Take the Metro to Gallery Place-Chinatown on the Red, Green or Yellow lines. The DowntownDC Holiday Market is at the station's exits on F Street, between Seventh and Ninth streets.

Is the DowntownDC Holiday Market free? Yes. The DowntownDC Holiday Market is free to enter, and so are the two Smithsonian museums beside it. Both museums stay open until 7 p.m., a warm stop between stalls.

Denver Christkindlmarket

Denver's market has moved more than any other on this list. It began about 25 years ago at Denver Pavilions, spent years in Skyline Park and Civic Center Park, and in 2025 moved to the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus, where the brick Tivoli brewery building gives it a backdrop that suits a German market. It's run by the Colorado chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce, and it ranked ninth in the 2025 USA Today 10Best reader vote.

The 2026 market runs Nov. 20 to Dec. 23. Daily hours for 2026 go up on the market's site closer to opening. Admission is free. More than 40 vendors fill the quad, and this year adds a restored carousel and glass-ornament workshops. The heated festival hall stays open an hour after the vendors close, and tables there can be reserved ahead, which is worth doing on a weekend. The snacks to hunt down are pretzels and Schmalzkuchen — small German doughnuts dusted with sugar.

Parking around the campus is pricey, which settles it: take transit. The A Line runs from Denver International Airport to Union Station, about a 15-minute walk from the quad, and the ski towns along Interstate 70 are a couple of hours west. For longer drives once the markets close, see the road trips worth a week in the US.

When is the Denver Christkindlmarket in 2026? The Denver Christkindlmarket runs Nov. 20 to Dec. 23, 2026, on the Tivoli Quad at the Auraria Campus. Daily hours are posted on the market's site closer to opening.

Where is the Denver Christkindlmarket now? The Denver Christkindlmarket moved from Civic Center Park to the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus, near downtown. The 2026 season is its second there.

How do you get to the Denver Christkindlmarket from the airport? Take the A Line train from Denver International Airport to Union Station, then walk about 15 minutes to the Denver Christkindlmarket. Driving takes about half an hour, but campus parking is pricey.

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