Christkindlmarket Chicago 2026

2026 at a glance

All three close at 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving (November 26) and on Christmas Eve.

Daley Plaza

The original market, in the middle of the Loop at 50 W. Washington St. It has been on Daley Plaza since 1997, with wooden stalls, ornaments, German food and mulled wine.

Dates

Friday, November 20, to Thursday, December 24, 2026.

Hours

Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Getting there

The CTA Blue Line’s Washington station is right under the plaza, and Clark/Lake, served by most “L” lines, is two blocks north.

Official page

christkindlmarket.com/daleyplaza

Wrigleyville

A smaller market at Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St., next to Wrigley Field, as part of the Winterland at Gallagher Way. It’s the only one of the three that stays open after Christmas.

Dates

Friday, November 20, to Thursday, December 31, 2026, closed on Christmas Day.

Hours

Monday to Thursday 3 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. December 21 to 23 and 28 to 30: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Getting there

The CTA Red Line stops at Addison, next to the ballpark.

Official page

christkindlmarket.com/wrigleyville

Aurora

West of the city at RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway, Aurora, on the Fox River. Open Thursday to Sunday only, with a few extra days around the holidays.

Dates

Friday, November 20, to Thursday, December 24, 2026, Thursday to Sunday, plus Wednesday, November 25, and Monday to Wednesday, December 21 to 23.

Hours

Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The extra weekdays: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Getting there

Metra’s BNSF line ends in Aurora, a short walk from the park.

Official page

christkindlmarket.com/aurora

The nativity on Daley Plaza

The market doesn’t include a nativity scene, but the plaza usually does. Every year since 1985, a group of volunteers has set up a life-size nativity scene on Daley Plaza. It goes up on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and comes down on the Saturday after Christmas: November 29 to December 27 in 2025. If the pattern holds, that’s November 28 to December 26, 2026; the 2026 dates hadn’t been posted when we checked. It’s run by the volunteers, not by the market. Chicago Nativity Scene.

So in late November and December you can see the stalls and the manger on the same plaza. For other nativity scenes and living nativities around the country, see where to see nativity scenes in the US and the nativity events calendar.

A little history

Chicago’s Christkindlmarket was first held in 1996 on Pioneer Court and moved to Daley Plaza in 1997, modeled on the famous market in Nuremberg. It celebrates its thirtieth season in 2026. The name means “Christ Child market”: in southern Germany and Austria, it’s the Christ Child, the Christkind, who brings the presents. To see where these markets come from, read Christmas markets in France and Christmas markets around the world. For the other German-style markets in the country, see Christmas markets in the United States.

Frequently asked questions