America's Best Christmas Markets

European markets date back to the Middle Ages around the observance of Advent. Children were presented with Holy Christkind, an angel clad in white who came bearing gifts as the patron of Christmas markets—and unlikely predecessor to modern-day Kris Kringle.

While Santa does make appearances at some of our favorite American Christmas markets, you’ll find a whole lot more to keep you jolly this shopping season.

Roughly 1 million shoppers—New Yorkers and visitors alike—browse annually at this market, a Union Square staple since 1994. More than 150 vendors sell artisanal foods, holiday ornaments, handmade jewelry, and children’s toys under iconic red and white tents.

Selling Point: A “Little Brooklyn” section features the best handmade goods of the borough, among them, sock puppets from Martystuff and do-it-yourself beer kits from Brooklyn Brew Shop.

From ice cream made with liquid nitrogen to piping-hot donuts, this annual market goes beyond European food traditions, taking the kind of worldly approach you’d expect in D.C. Located on F Street in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, this festive market counts more than 150 artists and crafters selling handmade goods like pottery, paintings, photo prints, and textiles.

What to Try: Spice up your Christmas outing with a savory Peruvian-style empanada from Alexa’s, and finish it off with hot cinnamon-dusted, cream-filled churros.

Christened “Bethlehem” on Christmas Eve 1741, this tradition-steeped town holds one of the most authentic Christmas markets, featuring artisans and glassblowers making glass ornaments on site. Beyond sweet-smelling candied almonds, you’ll also find home-style kettle corn, stuffed pretzels, dipped fruits like caramel apples, and a slew of barbecue options. In addition to sitting on Santa’s knee for the quintessential photo op, kids can also share breakfast with St. Nick.

What to Try: Blowing your own intricately decorated glass ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree.

Weißwurst, Frankfurter, Nürnberg, Thüringer, Landjäger, and currywurst: just a few sausages among the 70-plus types of food you can sample at this Christmas market. And they aren’t the only authentic German items for sale. Cuckoo clocks from the Black Forest region, lace from Plauen, glass ornaments from Lauschaer, and wood carvings from the Erzgebirge are examples cited by Maren Biester, vice president of German American Services, Inc., which has organized the market for roughly two decades.

What to Buy: Christkindlmarket Chicago’s Annual Mug, which bears the current year and a special design, cup color, and shape.

Journey back in time to Victorian London at this fair, where more than 120,000 square feet of space is converted into a miniature London Town with winding lanes, actors dressed in silk brocades, vests, and top hats, street vendors hawking roasted chestnuts, and lamplit shops selling pewter jewelry and Christmas ornaments.

Selling Point: Inspired by A Christmas Carol and other notable works by the 19th-century English writer Charles Dickens, the fair immerses you in his books and stories brought to life through characters like Ebenezer Scrooge, theater plays, and other staged activities. Tickets provide access to all entertainment. Check out the fair’s stage schedule for showtimes.

Donning sparkling lights and decorative greenery, historic Georgetown has been running its Christmas market for more than 50 years, with carolers in Victorian costumes, horse-drawn wagon rides, pre-Christmas appearances by St. Nicholas, and a Nordic-inspired Saint Lucia Children’s Procession. Alongside roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, you’ll find locally produced Colorado wine and Victorian antiques for sale.

Selling Pint: The Christmas Market Crawl held every Saturday during the market’s run. This festive take on a pub crawl will have you sampling traditional wassail, glühwein, local wines, and other hot drinks from various vendors.

The Christkindl spirit heads south to Arlington, TX, where vendors sell Austrian and Polish pottery, handmade soaps, and winter clothes made from alpaca wool. The market’s puppet theater variety show features a magical toy shop where the toys come to life, acrobatic elves, a dancing snowman, and a teddy bear juggling candy canes.

Selling Point: Kid-focused activities like a Bavarian-themed petting zoo, vibrant lantern parades, a marionette stage theater, Santa’s Haus, and a free puppet-building workshop.

Transforming Philadelphia’s LOVE Park into a vibrant market with thousands of twinkling lights, the Christmas Village showcases 60-plus vendors selling seasonal gifts alongside edible classics like waffles and bratwurst—washed down with mulled wine, of course. “We really follow the authentic German approach,” says Thomas Bauer, the market’s director. “We partner with the City of Nuremberg and even bring the Nuremberg Christkind to our market.”

What to Buy: A German pickle ornament for your Christmas tree. “This is a popular tradition all kids will love: the first kid to find the pickle on your tree gets an extra treat,” explains Bauer.

Wooden Santas, amber jewelry, and lacquer boxes from Ukraine; German beer steins; silk scarves from Kyrgyzstan; and pottery from Poland are just a few handcrafted items you’ll find at Denver’s German-inspired Christkindl Market.

What to Try: Order a Wiener schnitzel from Austrian chef Walter Neuhold’s Styria food stall, grab a German beer, and head over to the miniature tented beer garden, where performers in lederhosen, dirndls, and Tyrolean hats with white feathers will keep you entertained.

Located in midtown New York in the shadow of the Empire State Building, the Winter Village offers everything from winter apparel and jewelry to decorations and seasonal foods in more than 125 boutique shops dotting Bryant Park’s tree-lined paths.

Selling Point: A central ice-skating rink offers free admission (though rental skates will cost you) and special skating shows, transforming the park into a winter wonderland.

Whether it’s skating on the Fountain Square ice rink or Santa and his elves rappelling down the side of Macy’s department store during the annual lighting of the holiday tree, the Cincideutsch market in Cincinnati infuses fun activities throughout its seasonal run. Its traditional cross-timbered booths are decorated with glittering lights and filled with artisans selling handcrafted gifts.

What to Try: Spicy glühwein made from scratch. “It’s less about finding the best discount and more about enjoying the company of others during the holiday season by coming together for a cup of glühwein or hot chocolate,” notes Linda McAlister, vice president of Cincideutsch, a group of German-speaking area residents.

Swap out Old Bay seafood spice for the sweet smells of waffles and spicy gingerbread at Baltimore’s Christmas Village. The village is modeled after Nuremberg’s classic Christkindlesmarkt and held at West Shore Park in the Inner Harbor. Traditional German-style timber-wood huts line its outdoor area, and vendors sell ornaments, jewelry, and other Christmas arts and crafts.

Selling Point: A heated 60-by-180-foot festival tent that includes an outpost of world-famous German ornament design shop Käthe Wohlfahrt.