Best 16 Christmas Markets in the US
Christmas markets are one of the best ways to get into the holiday spirit while finding unique gifts for friends and family. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Many markets in the United States are true to Germany’s authentic Christkindlmark, some even featuring visits from Nuremberg’s own Christkindl Angel.
Others, inspired by their European roots, incorporate elements of traditions from other countries, including Czech, Polish, Austrian and Russian influences.
Still celebrate the nostalgic atmosphere of Charles Dickens’s London, and some adopt their local mix of cultures to create an entirely new tradition of community holiday celebration.
From coast to coast, north to south, find the perfect market for your holiday using our list of the best Christmas markets in the United States.
- Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital has one of the largest and most diverse Christmas markets, offering more than 75 vendors who represent dozens of international and local cultural groups.
Among them are many members of the Made in D.C. program, which includes small local businesses owned by minorities.
In addition to many crafts and unique gifts, market-goers will find various food vendors, including traditional German baked goods, Southern BBQ, Indian food, and South American specialties.
The market is held in the Chinatown neighborhood near the National Portrait Gallery, beginning Thanksgiving weekend and ending on December 23rd from noon to 8 p.m. The market also offers live entertainment featuring live holiday music from around the world.
While in the area, be sure to head a few blocks south to admire the Christmas decorations on the National Mall and nearby White House decorations.
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Chicago, Illinois
Chicago’s Christkindlemarket is most famous for its bratwurst—the iconic German-style sausage that’s the perfect on-the-go meal to keep your energy up while watching the plethora of vendors at this classic open-air Christmas market.
Buyers will find an authentic European feel here, filled with German cuckoo clocks, handmade Christmas tree ornaments, hand-carved wooden crafts, and many other traditional gifts inspired by Munich’s Glockenspiel.
Thanks to Kinder Club, a program that includes scavenger hunts and DIY crafts, kids will have just as much fun in this market as adults.
There are also other tasty treats such as German baked goods, traditional Christmas gifts, hot cocoa, and other hot beverages to keep hands warm. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: https://www.christkindlmarket.com/
- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Nicknamed the “Christmas City,” Bethlehem plays host to not one but two excellent Christmas markets.
The open-air Christmas City Village downtown offers the most authentic experience, featuring vendors in wooden manger-like structures reminiscent of a European market.
Buyers can find international crafts, gifts, locally made handicrafts, hot drinks, and gifts. This market operates on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in December.
Another famous Bethlehem event is the Christkindmark, an indoor market with a wide array of vendors.
This Christmas market is open from Friday to Sunday during the last two weeks of November and from Thursday to Sunday in December until Christmas; Shoppers should be aware that this event has an entrance fee. (Christmas Markets in the US)
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Arlington, Texas
Arlington’s Christkindle Market puts a southwest spin on the traditional European Christmas market, incorporating cultural elements from Central and South America while honoring traditions of German roots.
Shoppers will find various handcrafted and imported gifts, including hard-to-find Cathay Wohlfahrt Christmas decorations and plenty of food vendors serving holiday treats.
It’s the perfect family event, including visits from Santa and the Christkindle Angel, a petting zoo, a puppet show, and a children’s craft station.
The whole family will enjoy the live music and the beautiful lantern parade. The market is open from mid-November to the first weekend of January, allowing even late visitors to enjoy the festivities. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: www.txchristkindlmarket.com
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A big draw is irresistible European foods, from delicious specialties like Berlin Döner kebabs, flammkuchen, raclette, and Belgian fries to traditional sweets like classic gingerbread, fluffy waffles, and pastries.
Children’s activities include Nuremberg’s Christkind, a Christmas Angel, a kiddie train, a Ferris wheel, children’s craft activities, and a two-story carousel. The festivities begin the weekend after Thanksgiving and last until Christmas Eve, open daily. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: www.philachristmas.com
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New York City, New York
It’s no surprise that New York City has many excellent Christmas markets, so it’s hard to pick just one from the seemingly limitless options. In addition to these top picks, the iconic tree in Rockefeller Square is a must-see for holiday visitors.
Tourists will also want to admire the Christmas decorations in Central Park, and a good starting point is the Christmas Market at Columbus Circle, where shoppers will find gifts and holiday food in abundance.
The Union Square Holiday Market hosts over 150 vendors yearly in a festive outdoor atmosphere. Shoppers can find various gifts, certified fair trade, recycled and recycled creations, organic and locally made by artisans and craftsmen.
Items include artwork, decorations, jewelry, toys, clothing, unique home items, and more. Visitors will also find a variety of food vendors, live entertainment, and many children’s activities.
Manhattan’s Bryant Park is home to many holiday shops and the Bank of America Winter Village, a European-style market with custom-made, themed kiosks and a plethora of vendors.
Shoppers will find plenty of goodies here, from handcrafted gifts to unique imports and foodies. In the center of the village is a 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink, which is open and accessible to the public.
Skate rentals are available on-site, and the rink also showcases ice-skating performances that wow the crowd. (Christmas Markets in the US)
- San Francisco, California
Charles Dickens was known for his love of the Christmas season. Every year from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the Cow Palace Exhibition Hall becomes a re-creation of Victorian London in celebration of the author and the characters he brought to life.
The Dickens Christmas Fair comes complete with replicas of the streets of London, which are lit with lamps and lined by vendors and shops, as well as themed tearooms and restaurants.
Buyers and visitors often embrace the spirit and participate in costume, which is fitted with a variety of costumed actors who roam the streets in character. Visitors can also watch live theater shows and enjoy live music. (Christmas Markets in the US)
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Denver, Colorado
From mid-November through Christmas Eve, the Denver Christkindle Market features a variety of craftspeople and food vendors stationed in wooden kiosks for that old-world ambiance.
The market also hosts theme nights and a wide variety of entertainment for the whole family, including German polkas, choral performances, and even performances from the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra.
Shoppers will find not only traditional German Christmas items, such as blown glass ornaments and wooden toys, but also handcrafted items from several Eastern European countries, including Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Lithuania.
The food variety is just as wide, including Viennese strudel, German nodal; Polish pier; french cheeses; and blinchiki, a Russian-style crepe. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: www.christkindlmarketdenver.com
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Atlanta, Georgia
The Atlanta Christkindle Market takes place in the sprawling Centennial Olympic Park, which kicks off each holiday season with a trip to Christkind from Nuremberg, Germany, on the first weekend of December.
After performing the traditional ceremony, she accompanies the children for selfies and shares German Christmas folktales with eager market-goers while enjoying the festive atmosphere and cheerful live music.
Shoppers will find a great selection of German crafts and items, including hand-carved wooden toys and trinkets, delicate Christmas tree ornaments, and fine lace.
There is also plenty of excellent traditional food, not just sweet treats – visitors can enjoy hearty German dishes such as currywurst, bratwurst, and leberkasse, among many others. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: www.christkindlmarket.org
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Leavenworth, Washington
The city of Leavenworth doesn’t just acknowledge its European heritage at Christmas – it’s a year-round Bavarian town nestled in the northwest mountains.
Like a living snow globe, this beautiful community treats Christmas like no other, with month-long festivities with caroling, lighting ceremonies, and special events for all ages.
Leavenworth’s Christkindmark has been a significant event for over two decades, held indoors and outdoors at Front Street Park at Leavenworth Fest, allowing shoppers to shop in any season.
The market opens the weekend after Thanksgiving with a lantern parade and continues until Christmas Eve. In addition to lavish gifts and goodies, the market has live music and children’s craft activities. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: www.christkindlmarktleavenworth.com
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Georgetown, Colorado
The first two weekends of December every year, this small Colorado mountain village transforms into a vibrant Victorian town, with costumed performers and horse-drawn carriages.
The Christmas Market features many craft vendors, local artisans, and makers, offering decorative items, handmade clothing, Christmas decorations, and other unique gifts.
Buyers can enjoy caroling and dancers, the presence of St. Nicholas, and the Santa Lucia Children’s Procession every day at noon. Plenty of food vendors offer traditional goodies such as hot cocoa and freshly roasted roast. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: www.historic Georgetown.org/christmas-events
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Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Held at the Osthoff Resort, this Christkindsmarkt is stored in a spacious heated tent overlooking Lake Elkhart to provide buyers with an authentic outdoor environment while staying comfortable.
Each vendor sells wares from beautiful wooden kiosks surrounded by evergreens and lights, offering a range of traditional German handicrafts and Eastern European items.
There is also plenty of food to be found, from German sausages to the sweet strudel offered at the food court. The market is open every year from Thanksgiving weekend until mid-December. (Christmas Markets in the US)
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Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is home to two great markets, thanks to a vibrant German community and plenty of Christmas spirit. The Germania Society Christkindmark operates as part of the society’s efforts to expose people to the culture and traditions of Germany.
This outdoor market is held over the three-day weekend just before Thanksgiving and features vendors selling traditional crafts, items, and lots of authentic German food.
Kid and family activities include a petting zoo, horse-drawn carriage rides, a children’s parade, and live music.
Cincidutsch Christkindlmarkt is held in Fountain Square, marking the beginning of the weekend after Thanksgiving.
This European-style market has vendors selling German food and gifts in wooden shelters, as well as holiday decorations and locally made gifts. There is also a skating rink in the square, and each year is started with fireworks and tree lighting. (Christmas Markets in the US)
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Baltimore, Maryland
Christmas Village in Baltimore offers over 50 vendors in an authentic outdoor setting, with wooden stalls and a heated tent for chilly evenings.
The space’s centerpiece is the “Pyramid,” a large wooden Christmas tower with a fan-like topper custom-made for the event by a German woodworker.
The Bicentennial Plaza also has festive rides for kids and young people with a beautiful vintage carousel and a brightly lit Ferris wheel. The market operates daily from late November until Christmas, located in West Shore Park in the Inner Harbor. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: www.baltimore-christmas.com
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Frankenmuth, Michigan
Run by the Frankenmuth Farmers Market, Christkindle Market is open from Friday to Sunday on the last weekend of November, throughout December, and the first weekend of January.
In the spirit of a traditional German market, vendors sell locally sourced and made items made by local artisans.
Shoppers will find vendors selling food products such as local honey and maple syrup, several bakeries, specialty herbs, homemade dog confections, canned goods, hand-knit items, and much more. (Christmas Markets in the US)
Official Site: www.frankenmuthfarmersmarket.org/christkindlmarkt
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Boston, Massachusetts
Although Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace isn’t a traditional Christmas market, it deserves a spot on this list because it serves as an iconic Christmas shopping destination for the greater Boston area and beyond.
From Thanksgiving through the New Year, the historic Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market are filled with lights, garlands, and festive music to welcome shoppers and spectators.
Outside, visitors will find live entertainment (both formal and informal) and several photogenic spots for perfect holiday selfies.
Inside, shoppers will discover vending carts and shops ranging from knickknacks to handcrafted cards and clothing, as well as numerous food vendors representing all corners of the earth.
Official Site: faneuilhallmarketplace.com
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