Guides · Chicago
Chicago Christmas Markets 2026: Christkindlmarket & More
By Viktorija Dvariskyte · Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager
The main Chicago Christmas market, the Christkindlmarket, opens at all three of its locations on Friday 20 November 2026, its 30th anniversary season. The original market at Daley Plaza in the Loop and the suburban market in Aurora run until Thursday 24 December, while the Wrigleyville market at Gallagher Way stays open until Thursday 31 December, according to the organisers. Entry to the Daley Plaza market is free.
This guide covers the 5 best ways to enjoy Christmas in Chicago: the three Christkindlmarket locations, the Macy's holiday windows on State Street and the city's official Christmas tree in Millennium Park. Each entry has the address, the nearest CTA station and a Pro Tip.
The order starts in the Loop, where Daley Plaza, the Macy's windows on State Street and Millennium Park are all within a few blocks. It then heads north to Wrigleyville and finishes with a trip west to Aurora.
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1Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza - The Original Chicago Christmas Market
The Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza has been the heart of Christmas in the Loop since 1996, and 2026 marks its 30th anniversary. Modelled on the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, it fills the plaza beneath the giant Picasso sculpture with red-and-white wooden huts selling German and international crafts, ornaments and food. The 2026 market runs from 20 November to 24 December.
Food stalls serve bratwurst, potato pancakes, pretzels, roasted nuts and Lebkuchen, and the hot spiced wine comes in a collectible boot-shaped mug that changes design each year. Entry is free.
It is the largest and busiest Chicago Christmas market location, and weekday lunchtimes fill up with office workers from the surrounding Loop towers.
2Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way - Open Until New Year's Eve
The Christkindlmarket at Gallagher Way, the plaza beside Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, is the second city location of the Chicago Christmas market. It opens on 20 November 2026 and has the longest season, running until 31 December, which makes it the best choice for visitors in Chicago between Christmas and New Year.
The setting next to the historic 1914 ballpark gives it a different feel from Daley Plaza, and in recent years it has featured an outdoor ice skating rink alongside the huts selling German food, drinks and gifts.
Wrigleyville's bars and restaurants are right next door, which makes it easy to turn a market visit into an evening out.
3Macy's on State Street - Holiday Windows and the Walnut Room Tree
The holiday windows at Macy's on State Street, in the historic former Marshall Field's building, are one of Chicago's oldest Christmas traditions. Each year the store's State Street windows are decorated with an elaborate festive theme, and they are free to see from the pavement.
Inside, the Walnut Room restaurant, which has served diners since 1907, sets up a giant Christmas tree in the middle of the dining room. Eating under the tree is a much-loved family tradition, and reservations during December are in high demand.
The store is one block from Daley Plaza, so it is easy to combine with the Chicago Christmas market.
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4Chicago Christmas Tree in Millennium Park - The City's Official Tree
The City of Chicago's official Christmas tree stands in Millennium Park each holiday season, and its lighting ceremony in late November is one of the city's big festive events. The tree is set near Cloud Gate, the mirrored sculpture locals call The Bean, which reflects the lights and the skyline.
Millennium Park is free to visit year-round, and in winter it also hosts the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in front of the Bean, one of the most popular places to skate in the city. The exact date of the 2026 tree lighting had not been announced at the time of writing.
The park is a short walk from both Daley Plaza and Maggie Daley Park, so it fits easily into a day in the Loop.
5Christkindlmarket Aurora at RiverEdge Park - The Suburban Market
The third Christkindlmarket location sets up in RiverEdge Park in Aurora, on the banks of the Fox River west of Chicago. This Chicago Christmas market outpost runs on the same dates as Daley Plaza, from 20 November to 24 December 2026, and offers a quieter, more spacious version of the market.
The stalls sell the same mix of German food, mulled wine and holiday gifts, and the riverside setting gives it a calmer, small-town atmosphere. It is especially popular with families from the western suburbs.
Aurora is easy to reach from downtown Chicago on the Metra BNSF commuter line from Union Station, a ride of a little over an hour.
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Chicago Christmas Markets 2026 - FAQ
All three Christkindlmarket locations open on Friday 20 November 2026, the market's 30th anniversary season. Daley Plaza and Aurora run until Thursday 24 December, and Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way stays open until Thursday 31 December.
Yes, entry to the Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza is free. You pay for food, drinks and gifts. Check the official website for entry arrangements at Wrigleyville and Aurora.
Daley Plaza is opposite Washington station on the CTA Blue Line, and a few minutes' walk from several L stops in the Loop. For Wrigleyville, take the Red Line to Addison. Aurora is in the western suburbs and is best reached by Metra or car.
No. Daley Plaza and Aurora close for the season on Christmas Eve, usually with shorter hours that day. Wrigleyville's holiday schedule has not traditionally included Christmas Day, so check its 2026 hours before you go.
Only Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way, which runs until 31 December 2026. In 2025 it opened 11am to 9pm on 30 December and 11am to 4pm on New Year's Eve.
There are three locations: Daley Plaza at 50 W Washington Street in the Loop, Gallagher Way at 3635 N Clark Street next to Wrigley Field, and RiverEdge Park in suburban Aurora, which organisers say is the largest of the three.
Weekday late mornings and early afternoons are the calmest at Daley Plaza, which gets packed with office workers at lunchtime and crowds in the evenings. Opening weekend is especially busy, as it coincides with the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on Saturday 21 November 2026.
Daley Plaza is the original market, running since 1996 beneath the Picasso sculpture. Wrigleyville has an outdoor ice rink and stays open the longest, and Aurora's RiverEdge Park is the largest and most spacious location.
Yes. Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville has its own outdoor ice rink, and in the Loop the Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon is a short walk from Daley Plaza and Millennium Park.
Glühwein and hot chocolate are served in a collectible mug, including the classic boot-shaped mug, with a new design every year. Many visitors keep theirs as a souvenir, and the 30th anniversary season makes the 2026 mug a popular collector's item.
