Best Christmas Markets in the USA
If you can only do one, go to Chicago. Daley Plaza is free, in the middle of downtown, and open November 20 through December 24. The rest of this page is for a city you are already in.
- Chicago opens
- Nov 20
- Chicago, Denver, Philly
- Free
- Bryant Park rink closes
- Feb 28
When are the best Christmas markets in the USA open in 2026?
Chicago’s Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza runs November 20 through December 24, 2026, and admission is free. Bryant Park’s holiday shops run October 28, 2026 through January 3, 2027. The rink stays open until February 28, nearly two months after the shops close. Union Square has not posted 2026 dates.
- One trip
- Chicago, Daley Plaza
- Ticketed
- Bethlehem (free Fri 5–8); Baltimore tent some weekends
- Open past Christmas
- Wrigleyville through Dec 31
- Calendar missing
- Union Square
Daley Plaza is the one to book a flight around: free entry, a short run, and a Loop address at 50 W Washington Street. If you are already in New York, Denver, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Bethlehem, or Aurora, use the dates below and skip the ranking. Food, mugs, and what the stalls feel like stay on the city guides for Chicago, Bryant Park, and Union Square.
Best US Christmas markets at a glance
A market is in the table because the organizer published a 2026 schedule. German-style markets are grouped with Bethlehem because their calendars are short. Bryant Park is a rink season with shops beside it, which is a different afternoon.
| Market | 2026 dates | Entry | Best for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, Daley Plaza | Nov 20–Dec 24 | Free | A downtown German market you can do on a lunch hour | christkindlmarket.com |
| Chicago, Wrigleyville | Nov 20–Dec 31 | Free | The Chicago market that stays open after Christmas | christkindlmarket.com |
| Aurora, RiverEdge Park | Nov 20–Dec 24, mostly Thu–Sun | Free | The suburban Christkindlmarket, if you have a car | christkindlmarket.com |
| Bryant Park shops, New York | Oct 28, 2026–Jan 3, 2027 | No shop fee listed. Rink is free with a reservation. | Skating plus stalls, midtown | bryantpark.org |
| Union Square, New York | Not announced | Not announced | Handmade stalls, once the calendar exists | urbanspacemarkets.com |
| Denver Christkindlmarket | Nov 20–Dec 23 | Free | Evenings on the Auraria campus | christkindlmarketdenver.com |
| Philadelphia Christmas Village | Nov 21–Dec 27 | Free | LOVE Park, closed the three days before Thanksgiving | philachristmas.com |
| Baltimore Christmas Village | Nov 21–Dec 27 | Outdoors free. $5 tent pass some weekends, ages 18+. | A heated tent at the Inner Harbor | baltimore-christmas.com |
| Bethlehem Christkindlmarkt | Fri–Sun in Nov, Thu–Sun in Dec | $14 Thu/Fri, $16.50 Sat/Sun | Ticketed, on the SteelStacks campus rather than a downtown street | artsquest.org |
Hours and the odd holiday close are in the sections. A table that tried to hold all of them would be unreadable.
Chicago Christkindlmarket
Daley Plaza is November 20 through December 24, 2026, at 50 W Washington Street. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thanksgiving, November 26, and Christmas Eve, December 24, run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way, 3635 N Clark Street, is November 20 through December 31. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. December 21–23 and December 28–30 open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve, December 31, is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The organizer’s homepage says all Christkindlmarkets are free to enter. The plan-your-visit page says the same thing. Ticketed extras are separate, and the special-events page said the 2026 event list was not up yet.
What to eat, and the boot mug, are on the Chicago market guide. Daley Plaza is the original site. Wrigleyville is the one still open the week after Christmas.
New York: Bryant Park and Union Square
Bryant Park
Bank of America Winter Village dates the rink from October 28, 2026 through February 28, 2027, daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and to midnight from November 19 through January 3. January 31 is listed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The holiday shops are the shorter season: October 28, 2026 through January 3, 2027, Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. They open at noon on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Hours can run later than the posted range. The 2026 vendor directory was not up yet.
Walking the shops has no fee on the page. Skating admission is free and still requires a reserved time. Bringing your own skates requires the free "Bring Your Own Skates" ticket. A skate-aid rental is $26, including a $1 administrative fee. Helmet rental is free. Socks and a lock are $6.24 each, including a 24-cent fee. Source: bryantpark.org. The Bryant Park guide covers the stalls.
Union Square
Urbanspace’s visitor page says the Union Square Holiday Market will be back in 2026. It does not list opening dates, hours, or an entry fee. The 2026 vendor application tells sellers to expect mid-November through Christmas, with hours still to be set. That note is for vendors. The public calendar is not up. The Union Square guide is where to read what the market usually sells.
A walk that includes the markets
Viator 5637P8, "New York City Christmas Holiday Lights and Markets Walking Tour," is run by Inside Out Tours. For departures December 10–20, 2026, the from-price was $59. The listing says 4 hours, at most 30 people, in English, meeting at Deutsche Bank Center on Columbus Circle and ending at Bryant Park. It includes four holiday markets, Rockefeller Center’s tree and rink, department-store windows, and a stop it calls the Christmas Cottage. It does not name the four markets, so this page does not assign Union Square or the Bryant Park stalls to the route. The end point is Bryant Park. Food is extra. Children are listed from age 5. The operator asks for a moderate fitness level. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
New York City holiday lights and markets walk. The from-price moves with the date.
Other markets with 2026 dates
Denver
Denver Christkindlmarket returns November 20, 2026, at Auraria Campus, Tivoli Quad, 1000 Larimer Street, and runs through December 23. Monday to Thursday, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday to Sunday, and the last week of December 17–23, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Festival Hall stays open until 10 p.m., with vendors closing at 9. Thanksgiving is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Philadelphia
Christmas Village in Philadelphia runs November 21 through December 27, 2026, at LOVE Park and City Hall, 1500 Arch Street. Sunday to Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Thanksgiving, November 26, is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Christmas Eve is noon to 5 p.m. Closed November 23–25 and Christmas Day. Admission is free. Food, drink, shopping, and rides are pay as you go. The parking code printed for the Love Park garage is still "Christmas2025." SEPTA is the named transit partner: Regional Rail to Suburban Station, the B, L, or T to 15th Street/City Hall, or buses 2, 17, 33, 38, 44, 48, 124, and 125.
Baltimore
Christmas Village in Baltimore runs November 21 through December 27, 2026, at West Shore Park, Inner Harbor, 501 Light Street. Sunday to Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Closed most Mondays and Tuesdays, plus November 25 and December 25. December 21 and 22, a Monday and a Tuesday, are open noon to 8 p.m. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve are noon to 5 p.m.
The outdoor area around the Glühwein pyramid is free. Weekdays, and the preview weekend of November 21 and 22, are free including the heated tent. On other weekend days a $5 season pass is required for guests 18 and older to enter that tent. Under 18 is free. The pass is unlimited re-entry for the rest of the 2026 season. The organizer says "select weekend days" and does not list which ones. Most vendors are inside the tent, which is the practical difference from Daley Plaza. The market can close early in heavy rain or snow, and it can close for the day when the forecast is bad all day.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
ArtsQuest lists Christkindlmarkt at PNC Plaza, SteelStacks, 645 East First Street, Bethlehem. The open dates are November 13–15, November 20–22, November 27–29, December 3–6, December 10–13, and December 17–20, 2026. November’s blocks are Friday to Sunday. Each December block runs Thursday to Sunday. Hours on the FAQ: Thursday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This one charges admission. The tickets page lists $14 all-in on Thursday and Friday, and $16.50 all-in on Saturday and Sunday, including fees. The weekend price also includes the City of Bethlehem amusement tax. Children 5 and under are free. On Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m., fees are waived and entry is free. ArtsQuest members at Silver and above are free. The bronze price is on that same table. Parking is free in the lots next to the market, per the FAQ. Dates: artsquest.org/christkindlmarkt.
Aurora, Illinois
Christkindlmarket Aurora is at RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway, November 20 through December 24, 2026. It is open Thursday to Sunday, plus a few extra days. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 25, is 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. December 21–23, Monday through Wednesday, are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free, same as Chicago. A Monday in early December is a wasted drive.
German-style vs holiday-market style
Chicago, Aurora, Denver, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Bethlehem describe themselves as German or German-inspired: wooden stalls, glühwein, a short run that ends on or just after Christmas. Philadelphia and Baltimore share the November 21–December 27 window and close on different days. Bethlehem sells a ticket at the gate.
Bryant Park’s rink stays open through February 28, 2027, nearly two months after the shops close on January 3. It is a skating season with shops beside the ice. Union Square’s visitor page describes maker stalls. For the boot mug and the mulled wine, go to a German-style market. For skating and a gift without leaving midtown, go to Bryant Park.
Planning tips
Weekdays are the usable visits where the market is actually open. Chicago’s Daley Plaza market runs every day of its season, with shorter hours on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Philadelphia shuts November 23, 24, and 25, then opens Thanksgiving at 9 a.m. Baltimore shuts most Mondays and Tuesdays, and the tent pass applies on some weekends, while weekdays include the tent. Bethlehem is closed on Tuesdays. Aurora is mostly Thursday to Sunday.
Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, and the Bryant Park shops do not sell a general-admission ticket. Bethlehem does. Budget the $5 Baltimore tent pass if you are going on a non-preview weekend and you want to be inside. Bryant Park skating still needs a reservation even though admission is free. The shops’ 2026 vendor list was not posted.
Dress for standing outside. Baltimore keeps most vendors in the heated tent, stays open in almost any weather, and still closes early on heavy rain or snow. Philadelphia is rain or shine under most conditions, closes early on heavy rain or snow, and closes for the day when the forecast is bad throughout. Denver’s Festival Hall stays open until 10 p.m. while the vendors close at 9. If the forecast is bad, check the organizer that morning.
Last verified October 15, 2026. The New York walking tour is an affiliate link. Affiliate disclosure.