{"id":398,"date":"2024-04-09T00:21:13","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T16:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/9-of-the-best-christmas-markets-in-the-usa\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:03","slug":"9-of-the-best-christmas-markets-in-the-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=398","title":{"rendered":"9 of the best Christmas markets in the USA"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nothing feels more like Christmas than wandering through a festive European-style market filled with artist booths, delicious treats and holiday cheer. But a few things can kill the holiday spirit, like flight delays, messy winter storms and jet lag.<\/p>\n

Lucky for US residents, you don\u2019t have to cross the Atlantic for that holiday cheer. From California to Rhode Island, the US is home to several European-style Christmas markets that feel as authentic as the originals that inspired them.<\/p>\n

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So go ahead and wander through a Danish-style holiday market in sunny Southern California. Check out a Dutch-style holiday market in Michigan, or choose from several markets that\u2019ll make you feel like you\u2019ve landed in festive Bavaria. There may be no better gift than the European holiday market experience without the cost and hassle of international flights.<\/p>\n

A sign over a series of wooden stalls that reads \"Willkommen to the Christkindlmarket Chicago\"
Chicago’s German-inspired Christkindlmarket fills the city’s Daley Plaza each year. Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Chicago, Illinois<\/h2>\n

Dates: November 22 to December 24, 2024\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Walking through Chicago\u2019s Christkindlmarket feels like walking through a holiday market in Germany. Stroll wooden booths selling arts and crafts while holiday music and the smell of roasting nuts fill the air. Sip on mulled wine served in a collectible mug, or grab a cozy cup of hot chocolate. Chicago\u2019s outdoor Christmas market is inspired by 16th-century holiday markets in Nuremberg, with mulled wine and beers imported from Germany. Currywurst <\/i>and kebabs taste just like they do in Berlin. There are a few things, however, that are sure to remind you that you\u2019re in Chicago. The market is held in Daley Plaza, home of a Picasso sculpture that\u2019s made appearances in movies including The Blues Brothers <\/i>(1980), The Fugitive <\/i>(1993), and Ferris Bueller\u2019s Day Off <\/i>(1986). There\u2019s also a pierogi booth, a nod to Chicago\u2019s Polish heritage.<\/p>\n

2. Washington, DC\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Dates: November 22 to December 23, 2024\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

This one-of-a-kind holiday market is in the heart of downtown Washington, DC. For 20 years, it\u2019s been popping up just steps from the National Portrait Gallery, a Smithsonian Institution museum that\u2019s free to visit. The open-air Downtown DC Holiday Market features more than 100 vendors and is one of the best holiday shopping destinations in the nation\u2019s capital. Browse for jewelry, candles, gifts and clothing, or eat your way across this market. Sample the local barbecue at Old Blue Barbecue or grab a taco from the Roaming Coyote Taco food truck. If you\u2019re still hungry afterward, stop for dinner at Jaleo, Zaytinya or Carmine\u2019s, all of which are a short walk away. There\u2019s no other holiday market in the US where you can walk among some of the most beloved art pieces in the country.<\/p>\n

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Shop at three different holiday markets in New York City. L. Toshio Kishiyama\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. New York City, New York\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Columbus Circle: December 3 to 31, 2024<\/b>
Union Square: November 14 to December 24, 2024
Bryant Park: October 25, 2024, to January 5, 2025<\/b><\/p>\n

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New York is home to many holiday markets, and there\u2019s no better place to do your Christmas shopping in the Big Apple \u2013 most notably at these three. Cap off a scenic stroll through Central Park with a visit to the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. This market \u2013 at the park\u2019s southwest corner at Central Park West and 59th St \u2013 features more than 100 vendors and lots of tasty treats. There\u2019s a different mix of vendors at the Union Square Holiday Market downtown. Visit both if you can, or choose the one closest to you if you can\u2019t. There\u2019s another holiday market in Midtown, the Winter Village at Bryant Park. This offers yet a different mix of vendors and is anchored by a picturesque outdoor ice-skating rink. Combine a visit to this market with a stop at the Bryant Park location of the New York Public Library.<\/p>\n

4. Providence, Rhode Island\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Dates: December 6 to 8 and December 13 to 15, 2024\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Rhode Island\u2019s capital city is home to the newest European-style holiday market in the US. The city\u2019s inaugural Downcity PVD Holiday Market brings local retailers and artists together to make it easy to shop for locally-made holiday gifts like candles, jewelry, pottery and more. This year\u2019s vendors include artists who make handmade pet accessories and handmade children\u2019s stuffies. Nibble on a Li\u00e8ge-style sweet Belgian waffle while you shop, or stop at the hot chocolate bar and pile on your favorite toppings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A large lit-up sign that reads \"Christmas Village\" next to a red sculpture spelling out the word \"LOVE\"
Philadelphia’s Christmas Village is held in JFK Plaza, aka Love Sq. Khairil Azhar Junos\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Dates: November 23 to December 24, 2024\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Philadelphia may be the most underrated holiday destination in the US. Each winter, the city center transforms into a winter wonderland. JFK Plaza, the Center City park that\u2019s home to Philadelphia\u2019s iconic LOVE <\/i>sculpture, becomes\u00a0Christmas Village in Philadelphia,\u00a0a vibrant open-air holiday market where the smell of bratwurst, waffles and mulled wine fills the air. Shop for even the pickiest person on your holiday list at one of the many artisan booths. This market is easy to get to whether you\u2019re traveling on foot, by public transit or in your own vehicle, at just a 10-minute drive from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a five-minute drive from the Independence Visitor Center, home to the historic Liberty Bell, so plan a perfect day in Philadelphia around a market visit. While you\u2019re at Christmas Village, don\u2019t miss the raclette or the schnitzel. Just follow your nose to find them.<\/p>\n

6. Holland, Michigan\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Dates: November 23 to December 21, 2024<\/b><\/p>\n

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Many US holiday markets take their inspiration from Germany, but this Michigan town \u2013 true to its name \u2013 draws its holiday market inspiration from the Netherlands. Kerstmarkt got its start in 1997 with just 10 booths, but now dozens of vendors set up shops here each year, with local farmers joining them on Saturdays. Like its German-inspired peers, Holland\u2019s Kerstmarkt offers gl\u00fchwein in collectible mugs, and there\u2019s also a hot chocolate bar. Sip on your mulled wine or hot chocolate while watching a dog-sled demo \u2013 something that\u2019s not so easy to find at other holiday markets.<\/p>\n

Individual wooden tree decorations that say \"Solvang\"
Solvang sticks with its roots selling pieces inspired by Danish artists throughout its Julefest celebrations. Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. Solvang, California\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Dates: November 29, 2024, to January 5, 2025<\/b><\/p>\n

There\u2019s only one way to experience a Danish holiday market without the chill of a Danish winter. Head to Solvang in sunny Southern California for Julefest, a monthlong Danish-style holiday celebration. This event includes a tree lighting ceremony, parade and a citywide hunt for a mischievous gnome. Market nights are Wednesdays in December and feature booths from Danish-inspired artists.<\/p>\n

8. Arlington, Texas\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Dates: November 22 to December 23, 2024<\/b><\/p>\n

Some things really are bigger in Texas. The Texas Christkindl Market in Arlington is one of them. This holiday market is the largest open-air holiday market in the Southwest. And if it feels like a taste of Germany, that\u2019s because it is. Texas Christkindl Market is inspired by Arlington\u2019s German sister city, Bad K\u00f6nigshofen, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a fairy-tale Bavarian village. Arlington\u2019s market features artists from around the world, a holiday train and festive collectibles imported from Rothenburg ob der Tauber\u2019s holiday market. Not having to lug your Bavarian holiday gifts around the world may be the best gift you can give yourself.<\/p>\n

People in Victorian costume enter a curtained doorway with a sign that reads \"Victoria and Albert Music Hall\"
For a unique holiday market experience, immerse yourself in San Francisco’s Victorian London-themed Dickens Fair. Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. San Francisco, California\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Dates: weekends from November 23 to December 22, 2024\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco is a rare market because it charges admission, but it\u2019s also much more than just a European-inspired holiday market. Travel back in time at this immersive event and experience a holiday market in author Charles Dickens\u2019 Victorian\u00a0London. Don\u2019t be surprised to run into Ebeneezer Scrooge, Father Christmas and other colorful characters while you\u2019re shopping for art, clothing, jewelry and gifts. There are also events like corset fittings and chances to sample beer, port and chocolate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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