21 Best Christmas Markets in the USA for a Festive Winter
Want to experience a slice of Europe in the States? Look no further than these handpicked best Christmas markets in the USA, which will transport you to European Christkindlmarkt in a heartbeat. So get ready to enjoy mulled wine, hot chocolate, festive lights, glass ornaments, wooden toys, schnitzels, and more!
21 Best Christmas Markets in the USA
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Note: The dates listed here are tentative, please check the individual event listings before you head to Christmas markets or related festive events, and follow local guidelines for safety.
1. Great Dickens Christmas Fair – San Francisco, California
- Dates: November 18 to December 17, 2023 (five weekends)
- Accommodation in San Francisco: InterContinental Mark Hopkins | Omni San Francisco
Great Dickens Christmas Fair is one of the popular Christmas markets in San Francisco California, held at the Cow Palace Exhibition Halls. The fair brings forth Victorian-style celebrations, where many costumed performers present stories of the festive season.
There are beautifully lit music halls, dance floors, and Christmas shops to enjoy. Everything is like a reminisce of a twilight evening in Charles Dickens’ London Town. And it will take you to a land of colorful characters – of history and literature.
The Dickens Christmas Fair has been a tradition since 1970.
Check current Christmas Fair dates here
2. Texas Christkindl Market in Arlington
- Dates: November 24 to December 23, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
Arlington, Texas is a great place to visit during the holidays and the Christkindl Market is one of the reasons why. Rooted in the German tradition, the Christkindl Market is the perfect place to celebrate Christmas.
From the moment you step into the market, you will be transported to a magical place where the sights and smells of Christmas come alive. There is nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world. It is complete with delicious food and drinks. You can enjoy mulled wine, hot chocolate, festive lights, glass ornaments, wooden toys, schnitzels, and more!
Plus the collectibles and gift items cannot be ignored.
Market hours are from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM from November 25th to December 23rd, 2022.
If you are looking for a festive market to visit during the holidays, be sure to add the Christkindl Market in Arlington, Texas to your list!
More details on the opening hours and dates here
3. Savannah Christmas Market
By Erin from Savannah First Timer
- Dates: November 16 2023 to January 1, 2024
- Search for accommodation here
Visit Savannah for its European-themed Christmas market.
If you’re in need of some holiday cheer with a dash of Southern hospitality, look no further than the Savannah Christmas Market. It’s a popular annual event held in Savannah’s Plant Riverside District.
The market is a traditional German-style Christmas market that includes a collection of vendors selling local gifts and holiday decorations. Many of the booths feature sweet treats and festive drinks that you can enjoy while strolling along the riverfront. (It’s fun to sit on a bench and watch the cargo ships sail into port!)
The Savannah Christmas Market begins the week of Thanksgiving and carries over into the first couple of days of the New Year. You’ll find daily events in the area, including photo opportunities with Santa, live music, and plenty of fun activities for the kids. It’s a very family-friendly event.
Savannah’s weather during December is typically mild, so you shouldn’t need a heavy winter coat. Just pack some layers and maybe toss a pair of gloves into your suitcase in case the temperatures dip. Keep in mind that it gets breezier along the riverfront than it does throughout the rest of the city.
So if you’re looking for a festive way to celebrate the holidays, Savannah Christmas Market at Plant Riverside District is where you need to go! And while you are there, don’t miss the free annual event – Savannah Harbor Boat Parade of Lights (held at the end of November). This is a one day event that takes place at the Eastern Wharf Dock in the evenings.
More details on the opening hours and dates here
4. Christkindlmarkt in Leavenworth, Washington
- Dates: November 22 – 24, 2023 (tentative)
- Search accommodation here
Leavenworth, located in the state of Washington is home to a Bavarian-style Christkindlmarket. You can experience festive lights, gatherings, and events at the downtown holiday market (city park), and soak in pretty views from anywhere in the city.
Leavenworth is a perfect place to enjoy the European style Christmas Lights ceremony and spend a festive weekend with friends and family. There are opportunities to indulge in winter activities like dog sledding rides, skiing, and skating.
Don’t forget to shop! Shopping for souvenirs is a dream here!
Leavenworth is like a fairytale Christmas movie, with twinkling lights, festive music, Bavarian cuisine, and shopping kiosks.
View current Christmas Market dates here
5. Christmas Village in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
By Corinne from Reverberations
- Dates: November 18 to December 24, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
For more than a decade, Philadelphians have gotten a taste of the charm and magic of a true European Christmas market without having to hop on a plane and leave the continent.
The Christmas Village in Philadelphia has transformed the City of Brotherly Love into a traditional German Christmas market. A maze of dozens of wooden huts selling goods and foods cover LOVE Park, surrounding Robert Indiana’s famous sculpture.
As people shop, visitors to the market can indulge in German food and some mulled wine, all by local restaurants and wineries of course. There is also entertainment for the whole family by way of music and dance performances.
The Christmas Village is so German that the iconic Christkind from Nuremberg even makes an appearance on the opening weekend. But you can be sure that you will be able to see Santa Claus, too!
The Christmas market is so popular, in fact, that it flows across the street. Dilworth Plaza, the square surrounding Philadelphia’s City Hall, is home to the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market where you can find locally handmade and artisan items.
There are also carnival rides, like a Ferris wheel and carousel, and a popup ice skating rink! There’s even an indoor chalet if you just want to get cozy and catch up with friends during the holiday season.
Click to check the current dates for the Christmas Village here
6. Union Square Holiday Market & Christmas Celebrations, New York City
By James from Travel Collecting
- Dates: November 16 to December 24, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
The holiday markets are one of the highlights of visiting New York City at Christmas time. There are several markets throughout the city, but the most popular is in Union Square.
The plaza is crammed with dozens of stalls set up along narrow lanes. This is a great place to buy New York City-themed gifts handcrafted by New York artisans.
Brooklyn is the original home of hipsters, and many of them make and sell crafts that make great presents. Jewelry, bags, ties, lanterns, tree ornaments, candles, and more are on offer.
There are also stands selling hot cider, hot chocolate, and handmade donuts and cookies, which are the perfect remedy for a chilly December day or night.
There are other Christmas markets in NYC like Columbus Circle Holiday Market and inside Grand Central Terminal, which is smaller, but indoors half of the market is dedicated to food stands, so this is a great place to take a break from all your shopping.
When you have been to all the markets, there are plenty of other things to do in New York for the holidays.
Take a walking tour of the department stores’ elaborately decorated holiday windows; visit Macy’s Santaland, and travel around the city to see the many enormous Christmas Trees.
Highlights include the biggest at Rockefeller Center, (topped with an enormous crystal star); the bluest at Bryant Park; the most historic inside the Met (decorated with angels and surrounded by an antique crèche); and the quirkiest at the Museum of Natural History (covered in origami animals).
The Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony is held on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving – highly recommend it!
There is also ice skating, taking in the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, and seeing the crazily decorated houses in Dyker Heights.
View current dates and opening hours of the NYC Union Square Market here
READ: All the wonderful winter destinations to visit in the US
7. Pittsburg People’s Gas Holiday Market, Pennsylvania
- Dates: 2023 dates TBD
- Search for accommodation here
Pittsburgh is home to the People’s Gas Holiday Market, one of the most beautiful Christmas events in the USA. This market is set up in the Downtown Pittsburgh area, and the entire square is illuminated with festive decorations, unique souvenirs, and food and gifts.
The winter market is stocked with amazing goodies – from decorations for your home to outfits for family pictures. There are plenty of ways to infuse some Christmas cheer into your life this holiday season.
From gift items and shopping, let’s look at all the amazing food options that you will find at the Gas Holiday Market. You can fill your belly with German delicacies like bratwurst, and old favorites like apple cider, hot cocoa, and apple strudels.
If you are looking to visit just one Christmas Market this year, then let it be this. Peoples Gas Holiday Market was voted the #1 holiday market in the United States by USA Today in 2020.
Click to view dates for this year
8. Bethlehem Christkindlmarkt, Pennsylvania
By Lori from travlinmad
- Dates: November 17-19, 24-26, December 1-3, 7-10, 14-17, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
Considering that the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania is home to the Christmas City of Bethlehem, it’s not surprising you’ll find some of the best Christmas markets in the United States here.
Located an hour north of Philadelphia and close to the New York/New Jersey metro area as well, a visit here could easily be a day trip from either Manhattan or Philly.
The holiday festivities begin on weekends between November 22 and December 22, when visitors can explore the Christmas Huts on Main, an outdoor shopping experience along Main Street in Bethlehem inspired by the German Weihnachtsmarkt.
Bethlehem also has a magical Live Advent Calendar in December, believed to be the only one of its kind in the country, where holiday revelers can participate in nightly activities, which may include anything from musical performances, storytelling, or even a tasty treat!
But the most highly-anticipated event in Christmas City is surely Christkindlmarkt, which Travel & Leisure magazine consistently rates as one of the best holiday markets in the country.
From the end of November until the week before Christmas, this Christmas market is a great place to do your holiday shopping, sneak a visit with Santa before the big day, and of course nosh on some of the local specialties.
You’ll find lots of hearty and traditional Dutch food in this part of Pennsylvania. One bite of a fried donut or tasty skiffle will remind you why Pennsylvania is among the best US destinations for food – and the Bethlehem Christkindlmarkt is the perfect time of year to enjoy it!
Click to view the current dates and opening hours for Bethlehem Christmas Market here
READ: East Coast weekend destinations
9. Kerstmarkt Holiday Market at the Dutch Village of Holland, Michigan
- Dates: November 18 to December 16, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
Holland, Michigan is home to a Dutch-inspired village and that’s where you can find the annual Kerstmarkt Holiday Market. This charming market has all the classic Christmas market goodies, including handcrafted ornaments, wooden toys, nutcrackers, and sweet treats like lebkuchen, stollen, and pfeffernusse.
The market features live music and entertainment as well as delicious Dutch foods like poffertjes (mini pancakes), oliebollen (doughnuts), and more! Admission is free, so don’t forget to bring your wallet to buy some special holiday gifts.
This market is located at 8th Street Marketplace, in the heart of Holland, so it’s a great opportunity to explore this quaint Dutch town. Be sure to check out Dutch Village while you’re in town – it’s a recreation of an authentic Dutch village complete with windmills and other Dutch-style buildings.
And don’t forget to stop by Windmill Island Gardens, home to the world’s only authentic working Dutch windmill!
10. Salt Lake City Christmas Market, Utah
- Dates: 2023 dates TBD
- Search for accommodation here
From various light events to Christmas stalls, SLC is a must-visit on your winter trip to the USA.
The Salt Lake City Christmas Market is a festive, family-friendly event that features the best of what Utah has to offer in terms of local food, art, and entertainment.
Held annually in historic downtown Salt Lake City, the market features more than 90 vendors selling everything from handmade gifts and holiday decorations to delicious food and drinks.
Live music and dance performances add to the festive atmosphere, and there is also a kids’ zone with face painting, balloon animals, and other fun activities.
With its unique mix of local flavor and European traditions, the Salt Lake City Christmas Market is the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit. So be sure to add it to your list of things to do in Salt Lake City this winter!
More info on the Christmas market here
11. Christkindlmarket in Chicago, Illinois
By Sydney from A World In A Reach
- Dates: November 17 to December 24, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
Visiting Chicago during Christmastime is a magical experience – the city is lit up with sparkling lights, the storefronts along Michigan Avenue are cheerfully decorated, and Daley Plaza is converted to a German Christmas wonderland for the annual Christkindlmarkt, a Christmas market inspired by the Christkindlesmarket in Nuremberg, Germany.
When visiting Chicago’s Christkindlmarket, you’ll feel as if you were transported to Germany. There are plenty of stalls selling crafts, ornaments, and other trinkets perfect for gift-giving.
And you can’t visit a Christmas market without sampling the delicious treats and glühwein (served in a souvenir mug, of course).
There are actually two Christkindlmarkets in the Chicago area: the main one is the Chicago Loop Christkindlmarket, which is located in the center of the city at Daley Plaza, close to most of the city’s major attractions including Millennium Park and Michigan Avenue.
If you’re looking for the best place to stay in Chicago, consider a stay at the Swissotel Chicago, perfectly located near the Chicago River and less than a 20-minute walk from the Chicago Loop Christkindlmarket.
Admission to the Christkindlmarket is free, but bring along some cash to grab a souvenir ornament and a mug of glühwein!
The second Christkindlmarket is located in Wrigleyville, next to the famous Wrigley Field.
Click to view this year’s dates and operating hours here
12. Georgetown Christmas Market, Colorado
- Dates: First and second weekends of December
- Search for accommodation here
The holiday season is in full swing and the excitement around the holidays has taken over in the state of Colorado, particularly in Georgetown.
The Georgetown Christmas Market rings in the festivities with all sorts of food, drinks, and gifts for your family, and friends. This event starts in December (unlike most of the other Christmas markets that open in November), and turns the entire place into a snowy fairytale of sorts.
You can wander through the sting of lights, festive cheer, and carols, and the aroma of cinnamon, pine, and peppermint just fills up the air.
During your time at the Georgetown Christmas Market, you can go shopping for gifts, hop on horse drawn wagon rides, and sing and enjoy performances as St. Nicholas drops by for a visit.
This market event has been a tradition for Georgetown for generations, so don’t miss this opportunity to participate.
Check this year’s dates and hours for the Georgetown Christmas Market here
13. Faneuil Hall – Boston Christmas Events
By Sally from our3kidsvtheworld
- Dates: November 11 to December 11, 2023 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
- Search for accommodation here
Faneuil Hall marketplace was built in 1742 by Peter Faneuil and is a top tourist attraction and popular food stall in Boston during Christmas.
Faneuil Hall marketplace consists of 4 structures, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, North Market, and South Market which are festively decorated during the Christmas season.
Street performers and Christmas carollers perform outside Faneuil Hall in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Faneuil Hall Marketplace is home to an enormous Christmas tree, last year the tree was 65 feet tall and was imported from Norway, and was completely decorated in multi-colored Christmas lights.
Each hour on the hour Christmas carols are played and people gather around the tree for the spectacular ‘Blink’ Christmas light and sound show.
Boston Common in the centre of Boston lights up at Christmas with the Frog Pond icing over and creating an ice skating rink. Surrounded by Christmas lights and a light covering of snow, the area couldn’t be more festive.
We were there in 2017 and Boston got 4 inches of snow on Christmas Day it was the most magical experience walking through the park at night.
Rug up and explore the Freedom Trail covering 2.5 miles and 16 nationally historic significant sites through downtown Boston. You can download the map and explore independently or you can take a tour with a guide providing a history lesson about each site.
Walking through downtown Boston you’ll see the festive street decorations and you can drop into some of the shops along the way.
Check opening dates and hours for Christmas events here
14. Christmas Village & Christkindlmarket in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
By Paulina from Paulina On the Road
- Dates: TBD
- Search for accommodation here
Spiked with colorful ornaments, amazing performances, and spiced wine served in collective mugs, visitors can experience all this at the Christkindlmarket in Milwaukee. It is certainly not as big as it is in Chicago but it is still worth a trip.
It is a magical market in the heart of the city that offers a cultural touch of many flavors. It is complete with delicious food and drinks. The collectibles and gift items cannot be ignored.
Rooted in the German tradition the Christkindlmarket is the entertainment plaza outside a five-star forum into a picturesque colony featuring wondrous and traditional candy canes tied to ropes and hooks.
From November to December, admission to the German-style outdoor market is free and open to the public. Market hours are from 11 in the morning to 8 in the evening from Sunday to Thursday and from 11 in the morning to 9 at night on Fridays and Saturdays.
Visitors are delighted at life entertainments, German folklore, and family collective activities. If you ever make a list of things to do in Milwaukee in winter, including the Christkindlmarket is a must. Throughout the event is a magical atmosphere that creates holiday memories to remain throughout a lifetime.
More details on the event here
15. Old World Christmas Market in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin
- Dates: December 1 to 10, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
The Old World Christmas Market is held at the Osthoff Resort in Wisconsin.
The market reminisces and brings Nuremberg’s Christmas market flare to the USA. Here you can wander the lanes and aisles of the mega-heated tent, and enjoy food, shopping, and European Christmassy nuances.
The food court offers delicacies from Germany like the Nuremberg bratwurst, dumplings, schnitzel, potato pancakes, and strudel.
For Christmas souvenirs, shop for an array of items like Russian nesting dolls and painted Santas, Czech glass ornaments, Estonian woolens, Turkish scarves, and many popular picks – woodwork, chocolates, silver jewelry, glasswork, etc.
The market was voted the #1 Best Holiday Market in the USA by Today’s Readers’ Choice in 2018.
Click to view this year’s programs and hours here
16. Atlanta Christkindl Market, Georgia
- Dates: November 17 to 19, November 24 to December 24, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
Celebrate Christmas in the city of Atlantic where 700-year-old authentic German traditions come alive.
Inspired by German Christkindlmarkt and run by the German American Cultural Foundations, these celebrations will transport to Europe in no time. Festivities are even more joyous as entry is free for all visitors.
Tons of products and German culinary delights are showcased at the Atlanta Christkindlmarkt.
Ensure you carry an extra shopping bag to collect souvenirs and Christmas decorative items, mostly handmade wooden toys, wood carvings, and other novelties. Lacework, and table clothes, and glass ornaments are very popular too at the Atlanta Christkindl Market.
Not shopping? Wear baggy pants, as you pig out at the food stalls, offering pretzels, schnitzel, bratwursts, currywurst, candied nuts, and yummy quarkballchen, plus herbs and spices.
17. Germania Society’s Annual Christkindlmarkt, Cincinnati Ohio
- Dates: 2023 dates TBD
- Search for accommodation here
Germania Society’s annual Christmas market is the region’s oldest and most authentic German Christkindlmarkt.
Featuring more than 30 vendors selling traditional German foods, handcrafted gifts, and Christmas decorations, the market is a must-visit for anyone looking to get a taste of Europe in the States.
And the BEST part is it happens under enclosed heated tents.
You can also rejoice in German music, and Biergarten, and kids can take part in a lantern parade, petting zoo, caroling children’s groups, and carriage rides. There is also traditional German food, Glühwein (hot mulled wine), German pastries, cookies, and gifts.
With live music, dance performances, and traditional German food and drink available, the market is the perfect place to get into the Christmas spirit. So make sure to add it to your list of things to do in Cincinnati this winter!
Note that the Germania Society Christkindlmarkt event is not free, and takes place in November only. More information here
You can browse hotel deals on Booking.com
18. Downtown Holiday Market in Penn Quarter, Washington DC
- Dates: The First Half of the show (Friday, November 17 to Sunday, December 3), the Second Half of the show (Tuesday, December 5 to Saturday, December 23)
- Search for accommodation here
Washington celebrates Christmas in grand style. The festive holiday market is set up in front of the National Portrait Gallery wherein 150 artisans and shops come in with their wares.
These shops look mesmerizing as they are decorated in their own unique ‘festive’ style. Take some time to browse through these stalls and aisles.
Food is an integral part of Christmas celebrations, and Washington, DC is no different. Each year vendors bring in their culinary delicacies. You can also enjoy dinner and cocktails at restaurants and bars located in the Penn Quarter and Chinatown.
Click to view this year’s dates and hours here
19. Denver Christkindlmarket
- Dates: November 17 to December 23, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
Another cute German Christkindlmarkt inspired market is located in Denver. Denver Christmas Market which takes place at the Civic Center Park is filled with amazing food stalls offering Glühwein, Hot Chocolate, German beer, and other cuisines.
The entire ambiance of the market is wonderful with lively music, lights, and festive decorations.
The Artisans Marketplace is where you can shop ornaments, and cool souvenirs and gifts back home.
Denver Christkindl Market is open this year check here
20. German Christmas Market in Baltimore at West Shore Park
- Dates: November 18 to December 24, 2023
- Search for accommodation here
The authentic German Christmas Market set up at West Shore Park is a great way to experience the festive spirit of Christmas. The market offers a traditional German Christmas atmosphere with vendors selling handmade goods, unique gifts, and artisan crafts.
You can also enjoy food specialties from Germany such as bratwursts, schnitzels, strudels, pretzels, and more. Plus there are also plenty of activities for the whole family, including carnival rides, live music and entertainment, crafting workshops, and even a visit from Santa!
The market also features an original Christmas Village which is lovely to wander about. You can stroll through the outdoor area surrounding the Walter Sondheim Fountain and along the Inner Harbor Promenade, where traditional German-style wooden huts await.
When hungry, delight yourself to a glass of mulled wine and dishes from the food court, and enjoy the magic of the holiday season!
21. San Antonio Christmas Celebrations
Not essentially a Christmas Market, but San Antonio is amazing in December wherein they ring in the festive season with thousands of twinkling lights, Santa Parade, Holiday River Parade, shopping, and more.
Check San Antonio Riverwalk Christmas events here
So there you have it, these are some of the amazing Christmas markets in the USA to experience a slice of Europe close to home!
As always, check out individual event listings before you head to Christmas markets or related festive events. Ensure you follow local guidelines for your safety as well as the safety of others.
Book your stay: You can browse hotel deals on Booking.com
More USA travel resources:
- USA Bucket list – List of all the stunning places to visit in the US
- Warm Winter Getaways – Best warm winter vacations in the US
- Romantic Weekend Getaways in the USA – Get the ultimate of destinations
- Hotels Guide to Las Vegas – Where to stay in Las Vegas the USA
- Couples things to do in Las Vegas – Romantic Things to do in Las Vegas
- Grand Canyon National Park – which rim to visit?
- Grand Canyon Day tours – Top 5 Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Day tours
- Grand Canyon – Where to stay in Grand Canyon Airbnbs
- Itinerary for Grand Canyon – One day Grand Canyon itinerary
- Yellowstone – Yellowstone National Park Bucket list
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