Travel Guide
Everything you need to know β hours, tickets, tips, and how to make the most of your visit.
Overview
Chicago's beloved German-style Christmas market in Daley Plaza in the Loop, inspired by Nuremberg's, with wooden huts selling ornaments, nutcrackers, bratwurst, potato pancakes, stollen and hot spiced Gluhwein in collectible boot-shaped mugs. A second market sets up at Gallagher Way by Wrigley Field.
Insider Knowledge
Go on a weekday afternoon to avoid evening and weekend crowds.
Nearby
nyc-and-chicago-at-christmasA holiday village in Midtown Manhattan behind the New York Public Library, with an ice rink, a European-style market of more than 100 glass kiosks selling gifts and food, and a cozy rinkside bar. Rink admission is free if you bring your own skates.
nyc-and-chicago-at-christmasChicago's beloved German-style Christmas market in Daley Plaza in the Loop, inspired by Nuremberg's, with wooden huts selling ornaments, nutcrackers, bratwurst, potato pancakes, stollen and hot spiced Gluhwein in collectible boot-shaped mugs. A second market sets up at Gallagher Way by Wrigley Field.
nyc-and-chicago-at-christmasA residential Brooklyn neighborhood where homeowners go all-out with giant inflatable Santas, animated nutcrackers and hundreds of thousands of lights. The densest displays sit roughly between 11th and 13th avenues from 83rd to 86th streets, making it one of New York's most memorable free holiday outings.
nyc-and-chicago-at-christmasA long-running Chicago holiday tradition that fills Lincoln Park Zoo with millions of lights, glowing animal sculptures, ice carving and holiday music. It runs on select nights from late November into early January and makes a festive evening walk for all ages.
nyc-and-chicago-at-christmasChicago's Magnificent Mile, the stretch of North Michigan Avenue from the river to Oak Street, sparkles with more than a million lights on its trees each holiday season. The season kicks off with the Lights Festival parade on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and the lights stay up into January.
nyc-and-chicago-at-christmasNew York's most famous holiday tree, a towering Norway spruce usually 70 to 90 feet tall, topped with a Swarovski star and strung with about 50,000 LED lights above the Rink at Rockefeller Center. It's typically lit the Wednesday after Thanksgiving and stays up into mid-January.
Keep your collectible mug as a souvenir, or return it for the deposit.
Dress in warm layers, because the market is outdoors and the wind off the lake is fierce.
Combine it with the holiday windows and the Great Tree in the Walnut Room at Macy's on State Street.
Common Questions
Usually in mid-November, the week before Thanksgiving, and it runs to Christmas Eve at Daley Plaza.
The market usually closes early on Christmas Eve, and hours vary by day.
Most vendors take cards.
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