Chicago Christkindlmarket: Food and Tips for Your Visit

The Chicago Christkindlmarket is a German-style Christmas market held every winter. Its main site is Daley Plaza in the Loop, with a second site in Wrigleyville and a smaller market in Aurora. Entry is free, and you pay for food, drinks and gifts. Dates come from the organizers each year, so check the official site.

Go for the warm snacks: bratwurst, pretzels, potato pancakes, gingerbread and mulled wine. Dress in layers and wear shoes with grip.

When is the Chicago Christkindlmarket held?

It is a winter market, open in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Each site sets its own days and hours, and they can change on holidays, so check the official Christkindlmarket site before you plan.

What is the Daley Plaza market like?

Daley Plaza is in the middle of the Loop, surrounded by office towers, and the market fills it with wooden huts, a large Christmas tree and the smell of grilled sausages. It is busiest on weekends and in the evening, and on weekday lunchtimes it is full of office workers. Admission is free.

Arrive earlier in the day for smaller crowds. The market is outdoors, so dress for the weather.

German food at the Chicago holiday market

The food is the main reason to go. Look for bratwurst and other grilled sausages, soft pretzels, potato pancakes, roasted nuts, gingerbread and pastries such as strudel. Warm drinks include mulled wine, called gluhwein, and hot chocolate. Many stalls offer non-alcoholic options as well.

Order small dishes and share them, so you can taste more. Most items are made to be eaten standing up. Start with something savory, such as a bratwurst in a roll with mustard, then move on to sweets. Gingerbread and chocolate-dipped fruit travel well if you want to take something home, and a strudel is best eaten warm. Drink water between mugs of mulled wine, and keep one hand free for the mug and one for the food.

Chicago holiday markets food: what else to try

Other holiday markets in the city and suburbs sell food too, from hot cider and doughnuts to roasted chestnuts and local chocolates. Some are run by neighborhood groups, with stalls for local bakers and makers. Check dates and locations, which change from year to year.

Bring cash for small stalls, and a bag for gifts.

Wrigleyville and Aurora: the other sites

The Wrigleyville market is in the plaza next to Wrigley Field and has a more neighborhood feel, with a skating area, food and drink huts and a longer season. Aurora, west of the city, is smaller and runs on a limited schedule. Both are easy day trips.

Public transit reaches the Wrigleyville site on the Red Line, and Metra trains serve Aurora.

Tips for visiting a winter market

Dress in layers, with warm socks, gloves and a hat. Wear shoes with grip, because paving can be wet or icy. Eat first at the busiest stalls, and leave the souvenirs for the end. Mugs sold with the market's design are popular souvenirs, and mulled wine is often served in them. Ask about any deposit or return rules when you buy a drink.

Visit on a weekday evening for a quieter experience. Weekends and the week before Christmas are the busiest. The market suits children too: there are sweets, hot chocolate and a tree to look at, though strollers are hard to push through crowds, so go early or on a weekday, keep a close eye on young children and agree on a meeting point in case you are separated.

How do you get to Daley Plaza and the other sites?

Several L lines and bus routes stop within a few blocks of Daley Plaza, and the Loop is easy to reach by Metra. The Wrigleyville site is next to the Red Line station at Addison, and Aurora is on a Metra line. Driving is possible, but downtown parking is expensive and busy in December, so transit is the better choice.

Check accessibility notes on the official page if you use a wheelchair or a stroller, and plan for crowds on weekends. If you are traveling with a group, agree a meeting point near the tree or the entrance before you go in, because mobile signal can be patchy in a crowd and the huts all look alike.

What is the history of the market?

The Chicago market is modeled on the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, and it has been running for decades. The market is organized by a non-profit, and its stalls include imported German goods and local artisans. Part of the pleasure is that the huts are small and the offer is seasonal, so a visit is best taken slowly, with a loop of the plaza before you buy anything.

What else should you read?

For a weekend meal in the city, see brunch in Chicago. For a holiday meal elsewhere, read the Thanksgiving dinner out guide, and for autumn food in the Northeast see the New England fall food guide. The whole country is on the US guides page.

Between the sausages, pretzels and mulled wine, the best snack of the evening is easy to forget. In the Mosey app you can rate each one by the dish, add a tag such as Winter Market, and share a list with the family you went with using an invite link. Add it to a winter list you can pull out next November.