When Do Christmas Markets Open in 2026?
Most US Christmas markets open between mid-November and the first weekend of December: 69% of the 560 markets with 2026 dates open from Nov 16 to Dec 6. 198 (35%) open before Thanksgiving (Nov 26), 83 over Thanksgiving weekend, and the busiest week is the week of Nov 30, when 192 open. 35 stay open after Christmas.
These figures are counted from every market on this site with 2026 dates, each read on the organizer's own page, and they update as more organizers announce. For a particular market, its page has the exact days and hours.
Openings Week by Week
| Week | Markets Opening | Among Them |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 5 to 11, 2026 | 1 | Fort Worth Christmas Market |
| Oct 12 to 18, 2026 | 1 | Shaker Holiday Market |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1, 2026 | 2 | Bryant Park Christmas Market and Waco Holiday Market |
| Nov 2 to 8, 2026 | 33 | Koziar's Christmas Village, Boston Seaport Christmas Market and Portland Christmas Market |
| Nov 9 to 15, 2026 | 50 | Union Square Christmas Market, Bethlehem Christmas Market and DC Holiday Market Penn Quarter |
| Nov 16 to 22, 2026 | 109 | Chicago Christmas Market, Seattle Christmas Market and Philadelphia Christmas Market |
| Nov 23 to 29, 2026 Thanksgiving week | 85 | Leavenworth Christmas Village, Grapevine Christmas Village and Cambria Christmas Market |
| Nov 30 to Dec 6, 2026 | 192 | Columbus Circle Holiday Market, Salt Lake City Christmas Market and Georgetown Christmas Market |
| Dec 7 to 13, 2026 | 79 | Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, Franklin TN Christmas Market and Torrington Christmas Village |
| Dec 14 to 20, 2026 | 8 | Last Chance Gift Fest, Brandywine Holiday Festival of the Arts and Minot Christmas Market |
The earliest this year was Fort Worth Christmas Market, on Thursday, October 8, 2026. 24% of markets are held on a single day; many more run for one weekend.
When the Biggest Markets Open
The 15 most searched US Christmas markets, in the order they open.
| Market | Dates | Closed | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant Park Christmas Market New York, NY | Oct 28, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027 | Open every day of its run | Free |
| Koziar's Christmas Village Bernville, PA | Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 2, 2027 | Open every day of its run | Ticket |
| Union Square Christmas Market New York, NY | Nov 12 to Dec 24, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Free |
| Bethlehem Christmas Market Bethlehem, PA | Nov 13 to Dec 20, 2026 | Open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Closed Thu, Nov 19, Thu, Nov 26 | Ticket |
| Chicago Christmas Market Chicago, IL | Nov 20 to Dec 24, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Free |
| Seattle Christmas Market Seattle, WA | Nov 20 to Dec 26, 2026 | Closed Thu, Nov 26, Fri, Dec 25 | Ticket |
| Denver Christmas Market Denver, CO | Nov 20 to Dec 23, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Free |
| Atlanta Christmas Market Lawrenceville, GA | Nov 20 to Dec 24, 2026 | Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Closed Thu, Nov 26 | Free |
| Christkindlmarket Aurora Aurora, IL | Nov 20 to Dec 24, 2026 | Open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only | Free |
| Philadelphia Christmas Market Philadelphia, PA | Nov 21 to Dec 27, 2026 | Closed Mon, Nov 23, Tue, Nov 24, Wed, Nov 25, Fri, Dec 25 | Free |
| Carmel Christmas Market Carmel, IN | Nov 21 to Dec 24, 2026 | Open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Closed Thu, Nov 26 | Free |
| Baltimore Christmas Market Baltimore, MD | Nov 21 to Dec 27, 2026 | Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Closed Wed, Nov 25, Fri, Dec 25 | Free |
| Grapevine Christmas Village Grapevine, TX | Nov 23 to Dec 30, 2026 | Closed Tue, Nov 24, Wed, Nov 25, Thu, Nov 26, Thu, Dec 24, Fri, Dec 25 | |
| Leavenworth Christmas Village Leavenworth, WA | Nov 27 to Dec 24, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Free |
| Cambria Christmas Market Cambria, CA | Nov 27 to Dec 31, 2026 | Open days within these dates not yet published | Ticket |
When Do German Christmas Markets Open?
Christkindlmarkets open a little earlier than most: 30 of the 63 with 2026 dates open before Thanksgiving, and the most common opening day is Friday, November 20 (16 markets). In Germany, markets traditionally open around the start of Advent; many US ones open the weekend before Thanksgiving to make the most of the season. Every German Christmas market in the US.
Are Christmas Markets Open on Thanksgiving?
19 of the markets with 2026 dates are open on Thanksgiving Day itself, Thursday, November 26, 2026, among them Shaker Holiday Market, Bryant Park Christmas Market, Koziar's Christmas Village and Detroit Christmas Market. Many others that are already running close for the day. Check the market's page before you go. Markets open Thanksgiving weekend.
When Do Christmas Markets Close?
79% have finished by Dec 15, and 94% by Christmas Eve, so a trip in the first two weeks of December has the most choice. These 35 stay open after Christmas, the most searched first: Koziar's Christmas Village (through Jan 2), Seattle Christmas Market (through Dec 26), Philadelphia Christmas Market (through Dec 27), Baltimore Christmas Market (through Dec 27), Grapevine Christmas Village (through Dec 30), Cambria Christmas Market (through Dec 31), Bryant Park Christmas Market (through Jan 3) and Oregon Garden Christmas Market (through Dec 31), and 27 more on the dates list.
Opening Next
| Market | Dates | Closed | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Christmas Market Birmingham, AL | Nov 4 to 8, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Ticket |
| OKC Christmas Market Oklahoma City, OK | Nov 5 to 8, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Ticket |
| Christmas in the Country Hamburg Hamburg, NY | Nov 5 to 15, 2026 | Closed Mon, Nov 9, Tue, Nov 10, Wed, Nov 11, Thu, Nov 12 | Ticket |
| Jackson Christmas Market Jackson, MS | Nov 5 to 7, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Ticket |
| Boston Seaport Christmas Market Boston, MA | Nov 6 to Dec 27, 2026 | Closed Thu, Nov 26, Fri, Dec 25 | |
| Portland Christmas Market Portland, OR | Nov 6 to 8, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Ticket |
| NJ Christmas Village Manalapan, NJ | Nov 6 to Dec 30, 2026 | Open days within these dates not yet published | Ticket |
| Greensboro Holiday Market Greensboro, NC | Nov 6 to 8, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Ticket |
| Tuscan Village Christmas Market Salem, NH | Nov 6 to Dec 24, 2026 | Open days within these dates not yet published | Free |
| Germania Society Christkindlmarkt Cincinnati, OH | Nov 6 to 8, 2026 | Open every day of its run | Ticket |
Open now or this weekend: markets open this weekend.
Still to Announce
54 markets we follow haven't published their 2026 dates yet, including Jack Frost Christmas Pop-Up Fulton Market, Boston Holiday Market, Milwaukee Christmas Market, Union Square Holiday Market San Francisco and Austin Christmas Market. We check their pages and add the dates when they appear.
See also: every market's dates in order, markets near a city and the markets closest to your ZIP code. How we check dates.