Chicago's Christkindlmarket

You don’t need to travel to visit a charming European Christmas market because Chicago hosts the most authentic European holiday market outside of Europe. Christkindlmarket brings the sights, scents and sounds of a German holiday market to Chicago, opening on November 17, 2023.

Since 1996, Chicago has welcomed German artisans to the city for the annual Christkindlmarket. Inspired by the 16th-century Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, Christkindlmarket is Chicago’s largest open-air market. This colorful outdoor market features European arts and crafts, homemade gifts, choirs, carolers and German food and beer.

Even if you’re not a shopper, Christkindlmarket is a great place to sample German sausages with sauerkraut, warm pretzels, Stollen, the traditional fruit-filled, Christmas bread and lots of beer.

There are two locations for the market, the expansive Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza, open Sunday-Thursday 11 am- 8 pm and Friday and Saturday 11 am -9 pm, through December 24, 2023. The smaller Christkindlmarket at Gallagher Way is open Monday through Thursday 3-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 11 am- 10 pm and Sunday 11 a.m. -7 p.m., through December 31, 2023.