Christkindlmarket Chicago 2020: Everything you need to know
The holiday tradition has been canceled for 2020, moving its festive wares online
You'll have to make hot spiced wine and schnitzel at home this year, as Christkindlmarket Chicago has been canceled for the 2020 season. Instead, organizers are transforming the yuletide event into a virtual shopping experience beginning November 1 and running through December 31.
“This year, people from all around the nation will be able to enjoy the beloved tradition from the comfort and safety of their homes through the first-ever virtual Christkindlmarket 'Home for the Holidays,' featuring an online marketplace, family-friendly events, and fun interactive activities,” organizers announced in October.
Keep an eye on the Christkindlmarket website for more information about this year's festivities, including shoppable wares from around the world, festive eats and at-home activities for the whole family.
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When is Christkindlmarket Chicago?
The beloved event typically kicks off the holiday season in the Loop and Wrigleyville in mid-November. In lieu of in-person programming for 2020, Christkindlmarket Chicago will offer a virtual marketplace starting on November 1 and running through December 31.
Where is Christkindlmarket Chicago?
Daley Plaza won't get the Christkindlmarket treatment this year. All of the festivities will be hosted online via the Christkindlmarket website, which will offer a virtual shopping bazaar, family-friendly events and more—all of which can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home.
How much does Christkindlmarket Chicago cost?
The virtual programming is free to check out online, but you'll need to pull out a credit card if you're planning to shop twinkling ornaments, beer cheese dip, handmade winter accessories and festive glassware.
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Things to do around Christkindlmarket
The annual open-air, German-flavored holiday market in Daley Plaza is a top seasonal attraction. Whether it’s tourists, parents with kids on the weekend or Loop workers after 5pm, Christkindlmarket swarms with people seeking out this year’s souvenir mug or getting their fill of sauerkraut and potato pancakes. But once you’ve stocked up on ornaments and warmed up with Glühwein, it can be hard to know what to do next. Check out these other events and venues worth visiting within a few blocks. RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to Christmas in Chicago
Christkindlmarket reveals its 2016 mug
We're counting down the days (14) until Christkindlmarket opens and with the signature wooden houses popping up in Daley Plaza this week we could practically start to taste all of our favorite German food and drinks. The big question on everyone's mind: What would this year's Christkindlmarket mug look like? For over a decade a collectible boot was the signature drinkware of Christkindlmarket before the switch to a more traditional mug in 2012. The boot made its triumphant return last year to celebrate Christkindlmarket's 20th anniversary, but it looks like we'll be drinking our glühwein out of a regular mug again this year. The city's largest open-air holiday market opens November 18 and runs through December 24, with tons of free events, musical performances and the best food, drinks and shopping. This year suburbanites can join in on the festivities with a new market in Naperville that opens November 20. Enjoy all the celebrations at Christkindlmarket through December 24, and check out the full schedule of events here. Sure, we'll miss the boot, but the good news is glühwein tastes just as delicious in a regular mug. Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.
Only one month until Christkindlmarket opens
While today's toasty temperatures might not make you feel like it, we're only one month away from our favorite holiday market setting up shop in Daley Plaza. Christkindlmarket returns on November 18 and we're counting down the days until we can eat and shop for all of our Christkindlmarket favorites. The massive open-air market is always a must during the holidays in Chicago, with great food, drinks and gifts—including handcrafted ornaments, wooden clocks, nutcrackers and more—from Germany and beyond. And there's good news for suburbanites, as Christkindlmarket launches in Naperville this holiday season. You'll have to wait an extra week though; the new market doesn't open until November 25. Until November 18, we'll just be over here dreaming about boots full of Glühwein and a sweet plate of Germknödel. Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.
Christkindlmarket will come to Naperville this year
July is right around the corner and we all know what that means. We're halfway to Christmas season. It will only be a few more months until Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" mysteriously dominates the playlist in every department store, coffee shop and iPhone. To make sure you haven't forgotten about the joys of the holiday season, Christkindlmarket has just announced a new location in Naperville. The beloved Christmas market will bring more than 40 wooden stalls filled with glittery ornaments, warm strudel and handmade gifts to the suburb, beginning on November 25. There will be heated structures where visitors can enjoy German beers or glühwein in adorable collectable mugs (hopefully in the shape of a boot). Guests can also look forward to live musical performances and a visit from the Christkind herself every Sunday. Naperville residents won’t have to make the trek all the way to Daley Plaza in order to experience one of the largest and most authentic German markets outside of Europe. Just like the Loop-based market, Christkindlmarket will be free and open to the public Thursdays through Sundays with special extended hours leading up to Christmas Eve from November 25 to December 24.