Christkindlmarket Returns To Loop And Wrigleyville Nov. 20 For The Holiday Season

DOWNTOWN — It’s never too early to feel holiday cheer, as Christkindlmarket announced a return date of Nov. 20 for its 30th anniversary Thursday. 

The popular German-style holiday market will run at its Loop location through Christmas Eve, Nov. 20-Dec. 24, while the Wrigleyville market will remain open through New Year’s Eve, Nov. 20-Dec. 31. The market in suburban Aurora at RiverEdge Park will also run Nov. 20-Dec. 24.

Visitors to the free market can buy their holiday gifts from Christkindlmarket’s local and international vendors and sip a cup of hot chocolate or glühwein out of the market’s special-edition 30th-anniversary mugs. 

“We are super-excited to celebrate 30 years at Daley Plaza this year,” Leila Schmidt, senior marketing manager with German American Events, told Block Club. “Our preview party will be extra special this year.” 

This year’s “preview party,” dubbed “The Night Before Christkindlmarket,” will take place on Nov 19. The ticketed event will give attendees an opportunity to explore the market, chat with vendors and enjoy live holiday-themed entertainment ahead of its official opening, Schmidt said. 

“It’s just a very festive environment the night before it opens to the public,” she added. 

Tickets for the event go on sale in a few weeks.

Christkindlmarket will release special merchandise for the 30th anniversary, said Schmidt. While the look of the mug is being kept under wraps for now, said Schmidt, she promised a “really unique design and shape” set to be unveiled next month. 

The market will also bring back events from prior years — like “Culture and Cheer” tours, behind-the-scenes tours of the market each day before it opens to the public.

The Wrigleyville market will feature 28 vendors as part of “Winterland at Gallagher Way,” the annual winter-themed festival that in past years has featured carnival rides and an outdoor ice rink. 

Schmidt said organizers will also be announcing other entertainment “within the next couple of weeks.”

The Loop market will feature local vendors like DMen Tap. The Avondale-based Dungeons and Dragons-themed bar will sell German-style Döner Kababs from a booth covered in Krampus-inspired decor. 

“I think people really love to go there because it’s like the dark side of Christmas,” said Schmidt. 

Nepalese cafe Chiya Chai, with locations on the Riverwalk and in the Loop, will sell food, beverages and gifts from Nepal. 

Christkindlmarket fans need not wait until November to get in on the holiday cheer. On Aug. 24, the market will launch a giveaway series on its Instagram with prizes sponsored by Chicago-area businesses like Hotel Zachary.

The Loop Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St., will be open 11 a.m-8 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The Wrigleyville Christkindlmarket, 3610 N. Clark St., will be open 3-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays.

Out-of-town visitors can find hotel specials from Christkindlmarket partners by visiting the “Plan Your Visit” on the market’s website. For more information on each market location, visit the Christkindlmarket website here.