How to Do Chicago’s Christkindlmarket Right

Twinkling lights, Christmas carols drifting above the crowd, and the smell of something delicious and sweet curling through the air as soon as you step off the El train — it can only mean one thing: Christkindlmarket season is here again in Chicagoland. Yes, winter is already settling in and the crowds will be out in full force. But few things cut through the Chicago chill like a hot mug of glühwein and a fresh, flaky strudel.

The annual holiday market returns in 2025 to all three locations in Chicago’s Daley Plaza, Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville, and RiverEdge Park in suburban Aurora. Each market features the staples fans have come to know from the beloved annual Christmas tradition, including stacks of potato pancakes, gooey raclette, chai, and rich hot cocoa.

The Daley Plaza and Aurora markets kicked off on Friday, November 21, and will run through Christmas Eve. The Daley Plaza market is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The Aurora market is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The market at Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville opens on Sunday, November 23, and will run through Christmas Eve. The location is open 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

And whether you’re braving Daley Plaza for the first time or returning for your annual mug, here’s how to make the most of it — and actually enjoy yourself — this year.

Before you don your big winter coat, there’s a few things you’ll want to keep in mind to make the most out of your Christkindlmarket experience.

Show up early: The first — and most important — is that the market can get more crowded than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. (The Daley Plaza location is easily the most popular of the three.) Early weekday hours before 6 p.m. are your best times to avoid the crush.

Bundle up: If you head there on the weekend, expect long lines for all your food and drinks — so wear comfy shoes and plenty of warm clothes.

Bring cash: A few of the food and drink vendors are cash-only, so be sure to hit up an ATM..

Consider the special events: While each location is free to enter, there are a number of new and returning paid events to help get you in the holiday spirit. They also happen to be a great way to avoid the crowds. On Sunday, December 14, guests can brave the Haus of Krampus, a 75-minute experience at the Daley Plaza location where you can meet the legendary Krampus in his spooky lair. Tickets include a beverage voucher, a warm Bavarian pretzel, and a souvenir photo with the holiday ghoul himself. The experience costs $35 per guest.

Also returning is the Culture & Cheer Tours, which gives visitors an exclusive look at the Daley Plaza market led by a German-speaking guide before it opens to the public every weekend from 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. Visitors receive a goodie bag that includes vendor treats, a coupon for a free hot chocolate, and a sought-after trinket — the official 2025 souvenir mug; along with a behind-the-scenes look into the different vendors and even a German language lesson of essential phrases like “Frohe Weihnachten” (Merry Christmas) and “Bitte, ein bier” (One beer, please).

Red or white glühwein in souvenir mugs

It wouldn’t be a Christkindlmarket without a steaming hot mug of Original Sternthaler Glühwein from Nuremberg, Germany. The sweet and toasty mulled wine will warm your body and soul during a few hours of shopping and listening to carolers.

And don’t just take it from us: The big man himself tells Eater — in an exclusive interview at the festival — that he enjoys a nice warm mug himself from time to time. “As soon as I walked in the market, I could just smell the glühwein,” Santa says, with a twinkle in his eye. “If you’re old enough, you might like some of that. But otherwise, I would say a nice pretzel and a brat is great!”

So feel free to indulge a little. Santa says it won’t put you on the naughty list.

Along with the classic red, the market also offers an apple cinnamon white-wine based glühwein. Both cost $13 and come with a souvenir mug, or $12 for refills. There’s an alcohol-free Kinderpunsch for the kids and adults that also comes with its own gingerbread-themed souvenir mug for the same price.

All mugs cost $10 on their own. 2025’s Christkindlmarket mug is heart-shaped and makes for a perfect date-night souvenir.

German beer in souvenir steins

If glühwein isn’t your cup of tea — er, wine — grab a freshly poured pint of German beer; the market serves Bitburger, Kostritzer, Erdinger Brauhaus Helles, and Erdinger Weissbrau. Ranging from lagers to pilsners, the brews are clean, crisp, and malty like a good German beer should be. The suds pair very nicely with a hot pretzel and the oom-pahs from the traditional polka band.

The beer costs $13 on its own. Beer with a 20-ounce Christkindlmarket souvenir stein is $25, with $15 refills. The stein is available to purchase for $20 on its own.

The market also features excellent hot chocolate at multiple locations. Eater Chicago highly recommends heading over to the Bob’s Belgian Hot Chocolate stand at the Daley Plaza location where you can get a piping cup of cocoa with homemade whipped cream and a gingerbread cookie. It’s tastier and less expensive than the Kinderpunsch, and you get a lot more too. The hot chocolate costs just $10, or $18 with a souvenir mug.

However, Mrs. Claus gave Eater Chicago an exclusive scoop on what she prefers on cold winter nights. “The chai here is beautiful,” Mrs. Claus said. “It’s what I’d recommend.”

So be sure to head over to Chiya Chai at the Daley Plaza market to grab a steaming mug of ginger cardamom or masala chai for just $5, or $12 with a mug. Mrs. Claus’s orders.

If you showed up to the Christkindlmarket hungry (and you should), you’ll definitely want to try out some traditional German offerings like bratwurst, sausages, and fried potatoes — all piled high with tangy and crunchy sauerkraut.

There are plenty of vendors throughout each market but those at the Daley Plaza location will want to hustle to the German Brothers before the line gets too long for entrees like currywurst ($14), a traditional Berlin-born street food made up of grilled pork sausages smothered in tangy-sweet curry sauce; leberkaese ($12), a baked Bavarian meatloaf served in a bread roll; or a steaming pile of potato pancakes ($11 to $15), served with optional sour cream, apple sauce, and sauerkraut.

For guests with braver palettes, we recommend heading to the Rollmops booth in Daley Plaza where you’ll find a variety of bread rolls with fish, including salted and sour pickled herring, salmon, and even fish dogs — hot dogs with, you guessed it, fish.

For a delicious and head-turning meal, Eater Chicago highly recommends the Kilometer, a smoky and spicy Hungarian pork sausage served on a roll with plenty of sauerkraut for $15.

The pretzels at the Christkindlmarket deserve their own category; they’re both tasty and filling, and a relative bargain. This year, market-goers can choose from six distinct styles, including the classic Bavarian, grilled cheese-, and cheesecake-style pretzels. No matter which you choose, they’re all easy to enjoy as you meander around the market. Don’t forget to ask for spicy, savory German-style mustard for dipping, either. Prices for pretzels vary across the market. However, the main pretzel booth offers plain Bavarian salted pretzels for $6 and flavored varieties, such as pizza and cheesecake, for $8.

The Sweet Castle is the perfect place to warm your hands while taking stock of all sorts of imported candies. Schulte wafers, Milka chocolate bars, Ritter Sport chocolates, and Kinder “Happy Hippo” cream-filled hippos abound, but the real treats are upfront at the counter. There, peruse the extensive selection of boozy truffles, in addition to roasted pecans, roasted cashews, cinnamon-roasted almonds, flavored popcorn, and more.

Eater recommends the chocolate-covered fruit starting at just $4, and the chocolate-covered marshmallows for $6.

A quintessential central European dessert, strudel is believed to have originated in Austria. Luckily, Chicagoans don’t have to venture that far to try sticky-sweet fillings of cherry, apple, and cheese, plus apricot and almond tucked into a flaky pastry dough. Biting into one of these hefty handheld desserts is sure to be a spectacular mess of buttery flakes cascading down your overcoat, but it’s one best embraced with seasonal cheer.

(Be warned: This reporter experienced a very burned tongue after biting into his cherry strudel a bit too soon after receiving it.)

The strudels cost $22 for a box and $14 for an individual strudel. If you don’t know which to choose, go with a classic cheese or apple strudel. You won’t be disappointed.

For some of the heartiest and most delicious options at Christkindlmarket, head to the southeast corner of Daley Plaza and follow the smell of stinky cheese. Hop in line for some gooey raclette sandwiches, from a traditional raclette on crunchy French bread with spring onions, baby gherkins, and dijon mustard that’s vegetarian to boot, to the Alpine, which is just like the traditional but with a brat in the middle. Don’t be dissuaded by the smell of the cheese — it’s amazingly mild on the sandwich.

Costs vary between $18 and $20 for a raclette sandwich. The Instagrammable cheese-scraping process, however, is priceless.

Doughnuts, brownies, and other treats

If you have a soft spot for chocolate, don’t miss the dessert booth filled with chocolate-covered doughnuts, brownies, cookies, and all sorts of chocolate confections. Easy to carry throughout the market or take home as stocking stuffers, these treats are made with care and make every bite more delicious than the last.

Let’s be honest, though: You smelled the roasted nuts as soon as you stepped off the El train. Be sure to grab a bag of sugary sweet pecans or caramel cashews to munch on while you peruse the vendors. Roasted nuts cost $11 to $28, depending on the size you want.