Christkindlmarket Chicago 2026: Dates and Hours for Daley Plaza, Wrigleyville, Aurora

All three Christkindlmarket Chicago markets open Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, the market’s 30th anniversary, and are free to visit, according to NBC Chicago and Choose Chicago, the city’s official tourism organization. The open-air German-style market returns to Daley Plaza downtown, to Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville and to RiverEdge Park in Aurora. The Christkindlmarket’s own site was not reachable for us, so the dates here are confirmed by two independent sources that agree.

The three markets keep different calendars. Daley Plaza and the Aurora market both close on Christmas Eve, while the Wrigleyville market stays open through New Year’s Eve. The sections below put the dates, the regular and holiday hours, and the holidays each market is open side by side, and the mug lineup is at the end.

Christkindlmarket Chicago 2026 dates and locations

The market marks its 30th year in 2026, and Daley Plaza downtown is still a location, per NBC Chicago and Choose Chicago. Each market opens on Nov. 20; the closing dates and the vendor counts differ.

Market	Address	2026 dates	Days open	Vendors
Daley Plaza	50 W. Washington St., Chicago	Nov. 20 to Dec. 24	Daily	Not stated
Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way	3635 N. Clark St.	Nov. 20 to Dec. 31	Daily	28
Aurora at RiverEdge Park	360 N. Broadway	Nov. 20 to Dec. 24	Thursdays to Sundays	60-plus

Daley Plaza, Wrigleyville and Aurora hours for 2026

The Aurora hours below are confirmed by NBC Chicago and the Aurora Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville hours are as reported by NBC Chicago; the market’s own site was not reachable for us to confirm.

Market	Regular hours	Holiday and special hours
Daley Plaza	Sun. to Thu. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.	Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) and Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wrigleyville	Mon. to Thu. 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.	Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Dec. 21-23 and Dec. 28-30 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Christmas Day (Dec. 25)
Aurora	Thu. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.	Wed., Nov. 25 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) and Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Mon., Dec. 21 and Wed., Dec. 23 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Which Christkindlmarket is open on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve

Because the three markets end on different days, the holiday most readers ask about splits them. All three open on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, but only Wrigleyville runs past Dec. 24.

Day	Daley Plaza	Wrigleyville	Aurora
Thanksgiving (Thu., Nov. 26)	11 a.m. to 4 p.m.	11 a.m. to 4 p.m.	11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Christmas Eve (Thu., Dec. 24)	11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last day)	11 a.m. to 4 p.m.	11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last day)
Christmas Day (Fri., Dec. 25)	Season ended	Closed	Season ended
Dec. 26 to Dec. 30	Season ended	Open (see hours)	Season ended
New Year’s Eve (Thu., Dec. 31)	Season ended	11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last day)	Season ended

The 2026 Christkindlmarket mugs

Choose Chicago lists four collectible mugs for the 30th year. There is a flute-shaped mug with a pearl finish, a nod to pearl as a traditional 30th-anniversary symbol, and a green Christmas-tree-shaped mug meant for non-alcoholic drinks. A ceramic beer stein carries market scenes and skyline details, and new this year is a mini stein shot cup.

Mugs can be filled with glühwein, hot cocoa, hot cider or chai, per Choose Chicago. The glühwein is imported German hot spiced wine from Original Nürnberger Glühwein. Prices for the 2026 mugs have not been announced; in 2025, each mug was $20 at all locations, per NBC Chicago’s 2025 mug reveal.

Choose Chicago also notes a preview party, “‘Twas the Night Before Christkindlmarket,” that gives early access to a limited group of ticket holders. Its 2026 date and price have not been announced, and neither has the opening-ceremony time.

For more holiday dates, see our November 2026 printable calendar and December 2026 printable calendar, and when Christmas falls this year. Other cities’ markets are in our roundup of U.S. Christmas market opening dates.