The Midwest's Most Festive And Fun Christmas Markets That Feel Like Europe

Whoever wrote the song, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," must have had European Christmas markets in mind. The open-air events transform locations around Europe into magical destinations where each sight and heartwarming experience brings joy. Every holiday, visitors flock to the fairy-tale locales to enjoy shopping in hundreds of booths bathed in twinkling lights and experience iconic holiday sights like red-robed Santas, Christmas trees, and elves. Travelers also appreciate the immersion in European culture through regional traditions, locally-crafted gifts, and local foods served at many of the best Christmas markets around Europe.

The markets are so popular that they've become destinations in themselves, bringing millions of travelers to their locations every year. But they aren't reserved for Europe alone. Festive European-style holiday markets have become part of America's holiday celebrations in regions like the Midwest, where Germanic and Scandinavian roots run deep. From quirkily-themed occasions to festive, big-city events, our research found that the region has many options for those yearning to enjoy a Christmas market experience that mimics Europe's best.

Taking a page from great European Christmas markets like Ravenna Gorge in Germany and the highly-rated Advent Basilica Christmas Market in Hungary, Merry Market focuses on showcasing the best locally-crafted goods around the Kansas City area. These exquisite gifts find a home in open-air booths draped in festive decor alongside other fun Christmas touches, including special appearances from holiday icons — like Santa and the Grinch, who surprised visitors at the 2024 market.

Artisan finds ranging from custom jewelry to handcrafted pottery make the market a perfect place to find special gifts for loved ones. But it serves up more than gifts. While shopping, visitors can stop for a quick bite at any of the numerous booths from local restaurants offering delicious eats and drinks. For sippers who love seasonal delights, there are cocktails crafted especially for the holidays, ciders, and delicious hot cocoa.

Like Hungary's Advent Basilica Christmas Market, where live music is common, Merry Market fills the air with musical notes from its on-site stage. Visitors can expect everything from local choirs and dance groups to street performers. Held over the weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the holiday market is a truly magical affair of food, music, and festive cheer. One Merry Market visitor had this to say on Reddit, "The River Market weekend holiday market is always really fun – beyond the artisan vendors there's always great music and food/drink stands."

Voted the top holiday market in USA Today's Readers' Choice Awards for 2024 and a contender in the 2025 awards, the beloved Old World Christmas Market has all the cheer visitors expect from an authentic market in Europe — except the open-air location. Instead, European and local craftsmen display their goods in festive stalls beneath a heated tent at the Osthoff Resort and Spa in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where the market is held. Inside the gigantic tent, the atmosphere is fully European. Like Vienna's famous Christmas market, the air is scented with roasted nuts, with wafts of savory German bratwurst joining in. And like all great European German markets, there's warm glühwein to add a bit of spice.

These aromas weave a magical spell as visitors hop from shop to shop, where gifts from all over Europe make buying for loved ones easy. For the kids, matryoshka dolls from Russia are perfect for training tiny hands in the fine motor skills nesting dolls tend to teach. Hand-made nutcrackers and painted Santas delight older kids who still believe in Saint Nicholas, and fine chocolates make a great gift for any age. Other options like gorgeous handblown glass pieces from the Czech Republic, green wreaths, and woodwork of all types make good presents for a home.

Visitors who decide to indulge at the award-winning Christkindlmarkt in Carmel, Indiana (via Visit Hamilton County Indiana), should prepare to immerse themselves in a market that's truly European. As its centerpiece, the market has a Weihnachtspyramide, a traditional tower-like German holiday decoration with layers telling different holiday-themed stories. It also has a fan at its top. From there, visitors can go in any direction to explore wooden huts displaying German goods ranging from schwibbogens (gorgeous German candle arches) to  German-made winter accessories. Some huts are more interactive, with German craftsmen demonstrating their pieces live.

If Carmel's Christkindlmarkt didn't have so many stalls selling gifts, it could easily be mistaken for a German food festival. More than 60 of the festive huts scattered around the market serve German cuisine. The most traditional ones offer glühwein, the popular mulled wine served hot and spicy, and a permanent fixture at Christmas markets around Europe. Other popular foods like bratwursts, gigantic salty pretzels, and schnitzels are everywhere. Adventurers looking for an exceptional experience will want to head to huts serving foods like savory Kartoffelpuffer or cheesy käsespätzle, treats not commonly found in the U.S.

From its authentic German merchants to its food, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt is truly a destination where visitors can experience authentic European culture without leaving America Visitors echo these sentiments. One traveler on Reddit left this review: "The market is really special. I go on a market trip to Europe every December, and I'm always struck by how many of the tiny little details Carmel gets right. They really know their stuff. I also love how they bring guest artist over to sell their goods and do demonstrations ... There's a reason Carmel's market regularly wins awards."

When a market is both the oldest and largest European-style Christmas market in the U.S., visitors expect great things. Add to these accolades the fact that Chicago's renowned Christkindlmarket was actually modeled after the great Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, and the pressure to deliver is on. And deliver it does. With almost 60 festively-decorated booths offering everything from German lebkuchen to glass ornaments, and holiday cheer in every corner, visitors to Christkindlmarket Chicago can expect to feel like they've woken up in a cheerful German Christmas market.

Travelers looking to complete their Christmas lists will find traditional German items, such as cuckoo clocks from Germany's Black Forest, a region renowned for cuckoo clocks; quirky candles crafted to resemble famous German buildings; lace table coverings from the Plauen region in Germany; and so much more. After that list is complete, follow the aromas wafting in the air to authentic German food, from mulled wine, with its cinnamon and apple fragrances, to other delicious fare, like pretzels stuffed with cheese, Austrian strudels, bratwursts, and more European eats.

All this happens while magical Christmas scenes — like the mythical Krampus from European lore getting up to trouble at the market's Haus Krampus — along with Christmas caroling and live music performances from Phenix Trio unfold around the market. One visitor on Reddit had this to say: "Chicago is one of the best in the states and was good enough to convince me to go to the actual markets in Europe this year."

Visitors across Reddit and travel forums agreed that this sister of the gigantic Christkindlmarket in Chicago is the one to visit for fewer crowds and more space. One Reddit visitor explained the difference between the two markets: "Chicagoland has at least 2 that I know of, used to be 3 before Naperville's went away. The downtown is insanely packed but convenient to train in and out since it's right there at the Daley Center. The one out in Aurora is nice and spread out." 

Aurora is a riverside suburb of Chicago just over 40 minutes from the city, making it an easy drive for visitors who want to deal with less people while they enjoy the festivities. Though in a different location, travelers who choose Aurora's Christkindlmarket will have just as much fun. In fact, Aurora's market has a few additional festivities not found at Chicago's. For wine enthusiasts, a wine tasting with Austrian and German varieties is offered three times during the market. For the more creative, fun glass-blowing events provide the chance to enjoy a creative experience that ends in a beautiful glass ornament to give as a gift or hang on the tree at home. There are also memorable children's activities, like a festive daily parade for families looking for fun.

Like Chicago's, Aurora's Christkindlmarket is heavy on Germanic goodies, but unlike the "Windy City" market, the more spacious one at Aurora has many more booths serving food from the rest of Europe.  Lovers of Polish and French cuisine will enjoy the eats at spots like Pierogies Factory, Polish Bistro – Zapiekanka, and Jour Des Crepes. There are also options like Irish Sister Imports and Hungarian Olive Oil and Vinegar Bottles that sell Irish and Hungarian gifts not found at Chicago's market.

It isn't strange that a town known as "Michigan's Little Bavaria" would have a German-inspired Christmas market. Like the villages surrounding famous European Christmas markets, the town of Frankenmuth, Michigan, drips with holiday cheer. Homes covered in fairy lights, a 40-foot-tall Christmas tree in the town square, and dozens of holiday attractions make this the perfect destination for travelers seeking to spend the holidays in one of the most picturesque and magical Christmas towns in America. This all-encompassing festivity pays homage to award-winning markets like Croatia's Advent in Zagreb and Lithuania's Christmas Town, where the markets are part of a larger holiday tradition that drapes the surrounding city in Christmas cheer.

With the mood already set to mimic Europe at Christmastime, Frankenmuth's open-air Christkindlmarket is just the icing on the cake. Visitors can shop for handmade gifts, Christmas decorations, and traditional food from Germany. The fare is mostly Bavarian, thanks to unexpected historical reasons that link Christmas markets with Germany. But the market does focus on supporting local shops and farmers, so you can be sure many of the items and foods are made in the region.

Visitors to the increasingly popular Christkindlmarket held in Des Moines' Principal Park may very well believe they time-traveled back into Old World Germany when they see the offerings around the festive area. Reminiscent of the organic, handcrafted gifts in more traditional European markets, booths dripping with lights display heritage-crafted, Old World goods you would expect to find in the Europe of yesterday. Some of the more useful items include handmade knives, tin and copper ornaments, hand-carved wooden objects, and hand-knitted cold-weather accessories.

One visitor on Reddit highly recommended the craftsmanship of the gifts in the market: "I'd go to the Christkindl Market. It's going for two weekends this year at Principal Park. I love this little festival because they work to make sure all of the kiosks are those with good, handmade items. You can get ornaments made by a tinsmith, board games and cutting boards made by a woodworker, spatulas and such made by someone who carves/whittles wood, homespun wool, etc. For food, they have a lot of European stalls and food trucks."

The entertainment will also remind visitors of times past. On stage, bell ringers make music using an ancient art that has been designated an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO, while polka dancers perform dances with a history dating back to the 1800s. There is also a local flute choir, a brass band, and Schuhplattler Gruppe Edelweiss, a traditional Bavarian dance troupe formed in 1961. Even the opening ceremony is traditional. Des Moines keeps to the roots of the Christkindlmarket and opens with a speech from the market's Christkindl, the angelic gift-giver from German lore that is historically associated with Christkindlmarkets.

Christmas markets in Europe can trace their history back to medieval times. As an ode to the past, some European markets — France's Ribeauvillé Christmas Market and Munich's Advent Spectacle and Medieval Christmas Market — take the quirky road and go all out to celebrate Christmas the medieval way. Instead of Santa costumes, shopkeepers dressed in medieval-period garb run the stalls. The food also hails back to the era with wild boar grilling on a spit, and Drachenglut, a wine associated with medieval times, being served in some booths at Munich's Medieval Market. If all this sounds like fun, a trip to Europe isn't necessary.

Visitors can experience an unusual, medieval-themed Christmas market right in the U.S. at Yuletide Village in Renaissance Park, Ohio. Both the medieval and Renaissance periods of Europe's history come alive in the shops, where a selection of medieval clothing and Viking gear from the medieval period will charm visitors. Interesting shops include Silver Sword and Stone, where real swords are on offer, Ye Olde World Trendz, where travelers looking for period dress can find goddess gowns, and Armoury Games with its games from Renaissance and medieval times. Hungry bellies will find casseroles, cobblers, and ratatouille, along with many pubs serving ales.

Visitors can go all out and wear period costumes, including swords, if they want to have a truly medieval experience. In fact, one Reddit visitor praised the market for just that: "I love it! It's my chance to wear cold weather garb, see the grounds decked in lights, and check out some shops. Definitely worth it in my opinion, especially if you love Faire and/or the holidays." Those looking for traditional Christmas festivities will find a few spots to indulge. For the kids, there's a Santa Village complete with the smell of gingerbread and festive lights. There's also caroling and storytelling on the market's streets.

The European Christmas Market in St. Paul is one of the busiest and most popular, according to the visitors in our research. The award-winning market, which was intentionally created to mimic markets in Austria and Germany, kept showing up across the board, thanks mostly to its charming decor and European foods. German pretzels, strudels, Danish potato balls, spaetzle, pierogies, and German bratwurst are just a few of the treats on sale in the festive booths. Visitors particularly liked the German food, with one on Reddit saying: "I look forward to it all year. The only time I can get a decent bratwurst and spaetzle around here. I could care less about the rest of the market I'm just in it for the food."

While glühwein, the hot, spicy wine traditional in German Christmas markets, was beloved, it was the collectible mugs that many reviewers raved about. Another Redditor went as far as to try to get one on the platform: "Went to the European Christmas Market at Union Depot today and they were sold out of their mugs for glühwein. Little blue and white boots I think. Anybody have an extra one ... I'd be happy to pay like $10 per mug. I'd like to have at least one as a memento. Please PM me."

The decor and festivities around the market make a perfect backdrop for the illuminated wooden huts with their displays of locally-crafted items. The calendar for November and December, when the market is held, includes live music, Santa, real reindeer, folk dances from European dancers, a holiday train, and much more. In the tradition of Germany's most spectacular Christmas markets, the popular event is as Christmassy as it gets, so visitors are in for a treat.

To compile this list, we first researched all the things that make Christmas markets around Europe magical destinations. We concluded that the markets that made the cut had to be open-air, focus on locally-crafted or European goods, have festive decor, and serve delicious eats common in all good European markets.

Once we had our criteria, we surveyed Reddit, travel forums, blogs, and Tripadvisor to see which Christmas markets in the Midwestern states got the highest reviews and recommendations. From that list, we took only the best ones that fulfilled the requirement to be considered European-inspired. This final lineup contains only those Midwestern holiday markets that mimic the experience you would expect to enjoy if you visited a market in Europe.