The 10 Best Christmas Markets In America, According To Visitors

Christmas is the season for giving gifts, eating good food, and enjoying festive, twinkling sights. All of these things take effort. The food needs menus, chopping, and cooking before friends and family can gather. Before the gift-giving, there are shopping trips, a duty that can feel like trying to find multiple needles in haystacks, from big-box stores to online merchants. And the elaborate lights can cost thousands if they are installed at home.

What if you could find these things in one destination? That is where magical Christmas markets come in. Dripping with lights and fairy-tale décor, these marketplaces offer more than just shopping. The dozens (sometimes hundreds) of stalls certainly make it easy to get all your gifts in one place. But it's the delicious food and heartwarming festivities that make them yearly rituals for many. The popular European-style ones serve German delicacies like bratwurst, schnitzel, and mulled wine. Others offer traditional American fare along with international cuisine. What they all have in common are magical settings where cheery décor and the homey traditions associated with Christmas and winter take center place.

Many Christmas markets offer experiences with Santa, sing-along choirs, and Krampus, a legendary holiday figure celebrated in European culture. Some add fun winter activities like ice skating and ice sculpting. With all this excitement, it's no surprise that some of the biggest U.S. holiday markets attract over 1 million visitors. And they can be found all around the country. We searched through every region and uncovered the best Christmas markets where visitors can enjoy a truly magical Christmas.

New York City's Winter Village could be easily described as a Christmas fairy tale come to life as a winter wonderland. Over 190 shops decorated with lights and selling a wide range of gifts sit adjacent to a festive Christmas tree in picturesque Bryant Park. The tree overshadows a popular rink where free ice skating is offered every winter for visitors with their own skates (or you can rent your own). Visitors who don't want to skate can ride bumper cars on ice or rent cute igloos that offer dining inside the warmth of the dome-like structures.

Shoppers will find a variety of beloved gifts to choose from. In 2025, common gift items like jewelry, toys, and clothing will be on sale. There are also niche options like chakra singing bowls from a shop called Tibet Tree of Life, gifts for golfers, and home décor items made from upcycled chopsticks in a shop called Chopstick Art. 

Visitors who get hungry while shopping can hop over to The Lodge, a popular eatery offering romantic views of the skating rink. Delicious delights can also be found in the tiny shops. One I highly recommend for families is Cheese Wheel Pasta. When I lived in New York City, my family loved watching the shop make the pasta live before digging in. There is also typical American fare like burgers, cheesesteaks, and pizza. The delicious food, varied shopping, and winter-wonderland setting make the market one of the best for visitors up north.

If Victorian-period costumes and immersive experiences in the worlds of Charles Dickens' literary masterpieces seem like a great way to celebrate Christmas, visitors in California will love this Victorian-themed Christmas market. Holiday Handcraft Marketplace is set in the fictional streets of London within the highly-rated Great Dickens Christmas Fair (via USA Today Readers' Choice Awards 2018). The destination is a top-rated Christmas market for its unique shopping, interesting eats, and unusual attractions. True to its theme, visitors can shop for period pieces like corsets, ornate feather hats, tailcoats, and more.

While shopping, streets designed to resemble what London would have looked like during Christmas in Victorian times will delight visitors. Instead of traditional lights, the streets and shops are lit by lamplight with carolers and characters from Dickens' classic Christmas novels mingling with visitors. Attendees may bump into Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts of Christmas from "A Christmas Carol." There's also Father Christmas and other characters like David Copperfield from the novel of the same name.

The attractions around the market are also decidedly literary, although Christmas-themed. Fezziwig's Dance Party may not completely mimic the Christmas parties the Fezziwigs threw for Scrooge and their other employees in "A Christmas Carol," but it's a lively experience, complete with dancers on a stage and dancing partners ready to teach the dances to visitors while they mingle. There's also a puppet show and carol sing-along with Father Christmas for the kids, and a very British cast of literary greats hard at work in Dickens' study. Additionally, there's very British food around the market. Fish and chips, the English staple, is on the menu, as are meat pies and rum cakes.

Visitors won't mind that the gigantic Christmas Village, held at the Tennessee Fairgrounds, is pay-to-enter when they realize that proceeds from the Christmas market benefit children's health organizations and an arts program. With around 200 booths in 2025, the market is also Tennessee's largest. So, like this Reddit visitor, shoppers will likely find the market worth the fee: "I had never done it and went Friday. It was so worth it. I had very low expectations but they had so much to see at the shops and some really great stuff. And you're shopping small business!"

Since it usually happens in November, Christmas Village is perfect for Tennessee visitors looking to get an early start on their Christmas shopping while surrounded by cheery décor. The volunteer workers wear festive costumes. The Santa station, where kids can get their photos taken with the big, jolly guy, has Christmas characters and festive balloons for a backdrop. And the shops sparkle in reds and whites.

Christmas Village mostly attracts vendors local to Tennessee and the U.S., with only one shop being international in the 2025 market. All the usual items — clothing, home goods, toys — can be found. But visitors looking to surprise loved ones with some Southern flair will find lots to love. Southern City Flavors is the go-to for cobbler kits and Tennessee-made barbecue sauces. Shoppers seeking gifts for fans of the University of Tennessee Volunteers will love the cheeky, orange-and-white women's fashions at Give Her Six. And if you're buying for a local Tennessee guy, he may like one of the special edition, Tennessee-orange knives at Tennessee Cutlery Company.

There's a reason why a majority of the Christmas markets on best-of-the-best lists are European style. Visitors flock to them, excited to explore the fairy-tale villages of festively-decorated booths and the ever-present aromas of spicy wine and other delicious European foods. These explorations can include shopping for handcrafted gifts, standing around a bonfire with mulled wine, or joining a chorus in Christmas carol sing-alongs. Chicago's Christkindlmarket brings all this charm to three destinations around the "Windy City" and is one of the best Christmas markets in the Midwest.

Thanks to its sheer size, visitors can shop in dozens of festive huts selling handcrafted goods straight from Europe, with German goods being prevalent. While shopping, attendees can stop for German foods like raclette, the popular cheesy bread from Germany, and fragrant mulled wine spiced with cinnamon and other flavors. There are also festive holiday-focused booths like Käthe Wohlfahrt of America, a mainstay at the market for handmade German Christmas decorations and ornaments.

Shopping and delicious cuisine take up the majority of the real estate around the markets, but for added magic, each destination offers special events that make it unforgettable. The market in Chicago has Haus of Krampus, where visitors can meet the Christmas devil from German legend in his festively-decorated house, and a children's lantern parade for families. The market in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago, has a cheery children's parade, wine tastings, and daily glass-blowing classes. As of this writing, Wrigleyville had no extra events. All in all, the beloved Christmas market is the one to visit for travelers around the Chicago area.

For visitors spending the holidays in Florida, Merry Market is the tropical antidote to cold Christmas markets. Palm trees sway gently in the air while visitors stroll through the shops. As they peruse, a Christmas tree set up by a lake reflecting the lights and images from the surrounding buildings bathes Lake Eola Park — where the market is held — in cheer. Visitors can snag finds ranging from soap to jewelry from any of the local shops scattered around the park. But it's the surrounding festivities and elaborate lights in the park that make the market magical every December.

On weekends, the whole area transforms into a snowy wonderland from the man-made snow that descends at different times, starting at 6 p.m. Kids can meet Santa Fridays through Sundays at Eola House. And the famous neighborhood lights of Clemwood Street have a permanent home in the park. Visitors universally agree that the lights are special, with one reviewer on Reddit saying, "Lots of different food stands and random homemade gifts. For me the best part was the lights around the lake and fake snow machine. There were also old school carolers when I went!"

One of the U.S.'s most famous Christmas markets and the winner of the USA Today Readers' Choice Awards from 2021 to 2023, Carmel Christkindlmarkt is a delightful holiday destination with a variety of festivities. But it's the high-quality German gifts and foods that shoppers flock to the market to enjoy. Carmel Christkindlmarkt arranges dozens of wooden huts lit by fairy lights around Carter Green's outdoor space in Carmel, Indiana, where it's held. Inside these huts, shoppers will find authentic handmade gifts straight from Germany.

Hand-painted ceramic ornaments, beer steins, and pewter kitchenware make finding a gift for the more artistic easy. Handcrafted cuckoo clocks from Germany's Black Forest region, where they are legendary, and hand-knitted hats and scarves make sturdy gifts for those who appreciate high quality. The market is also home to famous names like Villeroy & Boch, the premium brand known for its porcelain tableware, and Perlkönig, a name synonymous with high-quality jewelry.

Nestled among the booths selling gifts are food spots that send aromas into the air. The one with the smell of wine tinged with spices is glühwein, where you can get Germany's famous mulled wine, served hot and spicy. There'll also be savory smells from huts serving favorites like schnitzel and bratwurst. One hut, Raclette Chalet, may smell like stinky cheese, but join the line anyway; the cheese-filled bread tastes much better than it smells.

Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, held in Austin, Texas, every December, was highly regarded in our research for more than shopping. Visitors raved about the live music and drinks around the bazaar, with one Reddit attendee saying: "Armadillo Bazaar is a great way to burn a few hours in the Xmas spirit. There's live music schedule, cash bar, and a bunch of booths with various gifts/crafts." That review is not surprising, given that Austin is the 'live music capital of the world.' The city also ranks among the U.S.'s top 2% for arts (via SMU Data Arts) — which is probably why it's home to a Christmas market focused solely on artisanal treasures.

From fine art to artistic jewelry, many of the over 200 shops showcase the creativity Austin is known for. In 2025, visitors can shop vibrant bead jewelry from Artistic Beadwear; eclectic pieces from shops like Cassandra Elaine, Heather Harris Art, and Ryan Doolittle Glass; and a whole range of fine art and artsy clothing. Genuine art lovers may find it difficult to tear themselves away from the artsy shops, but if they can, the rest of the bazaar is filled with delights.

Live music acts take the stage at three different times each day, guaranteeing music throughout. While the market doesn't have as many food stalls as some other holiday markets, there is an on-site Mediterranean restaurant serving regional staples like falafel and gyros, and a café for more casual eats. Drinks get served the Western way at a honky-tonk big on Texan charm. There are also full bars on the grounds.

Thanks to its location at the Seattle Center, the Seattle Christmas Market comes with a full calendar of things to do in the larger center. But visitors could lose themselves in the market for a whole day and never feel like leaving.

The most obvious enchantment is the fantastic light displays everywhere. Wishing Forest, a grove of trees lit with twinkling lights, invites visitors to make a holiday wish. A gorgeous carousel adorned with golden lights awaits families with kids. And other magical sights, like a lighted mistletoe stand where lovers can steal kisses and a Santa sleigh covered completely with lights, make the market a dreamy destination.

Visitors who only want to buy can lose themselves in 65 festive shops selling everything from pearl jewelry to Ukraine-made toys. The food stalls will also arrest hungry visitors, especially those who've never tried German food. Das Bratwurst Haus serves bratwurst sandwiches the traditional way, with sauerkraut and mustard. There's also delicious raclette, schnitzel, and roasted nuts.

Everything, from its exciting opening ceremony in November to its festive events, made the highly-anticipated Denver Christkindlmarket in the mountain state of Colorado one of the most beloved by visitors in our research. Attendees can enjoy festivities like the opening ceremony, when the market's Christkindl makes a speech with live music following. 

Greenery accented by lights that twinkle every second and a unique, conical Christmas tree that's taller than the famous Rockefeller tree in New York City lend joy to the atmosphere. Under the tree, there's live music for visitors to sing along to. Above, there's a drone show that sprays the sky with festive lights every night, starting at 7 p.m. In this cheery setting, visitors can shop at huts selling artisan gifts like locally-made honey, handmade winter accessories from Nepal, hand-painted German ornaments, and more.

Although visitors appreciated the shopping, it was the food huts that were the biggest hit. Denver Christkindlmarket offers traditional European fare like mulled wine and pierogies. But travelers will also find American classics like s'mores, which an attendee raved about on Reddit: "They have a vendor that you can buy ingredients for s'mores and roast over the fire pits."

The Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was another of the most highly-recommended Christmas markets in our research. Visitors gushed about it, with the food and festive décor in both the market and the town itself getting high reviews. Like festive Branson, Missouri, known as "Christmas Tree City," Bethlehem is a perfect day-trip idea for travelers looking for a fairy-tale holiday town up north. A poster on Reddit echoed these sentiments: "I'm planning a day trip up to Bethlehem for the Christkindlmarket, but also want to check out downtown Bethlehem since that is supposedly out of a Hallmark movie."

Every December, the town gets draped in lights and magical holiday scenes worthy of its "Christmas Capital" reputation. This cheery décor carries over to the European-style Christkindlmarkt, where every inch is decorated to warm the heart. Although European markets are typically open-air, Bethlehem bucks the trend and houses its shops under a tent decorated with reds and greens. The shops themselves are flanked by lights, with greenery lining their tops. Inside them, visitors can shop for artisan goods from hundreds of sellers, both local to the Pennsylvania area and from around the world.

Outside the tents, the market has a whole host of seasonal activities. Ice sculptors turn blocks of ice into art while visitors watch. Glassblowing experts demonstrate their art. And holiday craft workshops invite visitors to make favorite seasonal items like wooden Advent calendars they get to take home. For kids, there are Crayola workshops, visits with Santa, and live music. When it's time to eat, the market fully delivers. German foods are well represented with traditional items like mulled wine, strudels, German mac and cheese, and more. There are also American classics like pizza and hot dogs.

We began our research by first defining what could be called a Christmas market. In the preliminary stages, we found that winter markets labeled as holiday markets were common, but some focused on snow and winter activities with few Christmas elements. We also found that events with names that included "fair" and "bazaar" contained lots of Christmas shops and festivities that, in fact, made them Christmas markets. The criteria we used were any events with numerous shops, décor, and festivities usually associated with Christmas.

After determining our parameters, we searched markets through travel blogs, Reddit, and numerous travel platforms to find the most recommended and positively-reviewed events that met our definition.