At 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, the stalls at Daley Plaza open for the 30th season of Christkindlmarket. The same morning, skaters get onto the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park. By 4:30 p.m. the lights are on at Lincoln Park Zoo, and at 6 p.m. the city's Christmas Tree Lighting starts at Michigan Avenue and Washington Street.
All of those openings fall on one Friday. The closing dates are spread out much more. One event lasts three days. Another runs into February. A few of the best-value pieces depend on booking windows that open a week before you can use them. If you live here, the openings take care of themselves. The ending dates and the booking windows take some planning.
Same Start, Very Different Finish Lines
| Event | Where | Opens | Last day | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millennium Park Holiday Market | Chase Promenade North | Nov. 20 | Nov. 22 | Free |
| Christkindlmarket Daley Plaza | Loop | Nov. 20 | Dec. 24 | Free |
| Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville | Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St. | Nov. 20 | Dec. 31 | Free |
| ZooLights | Lincoln Park Zoo | Nov. 20 | Jan. 3, 2027 | $7 to $20, plus free Mondays |
| McCormick Tribune Ice Rink | Millennium Park | Nov. 20 | February 2027, weather permitting | Free |
All five open on the same day and close weeks or months apart. A holiday weekend you put off until mid-December still gets you the rink, both Christkindlmarket locations and ZooLights. It won't get you the Millennium Park Holiday Market.
The Three-Day Market Inside a Six-Week Season
The Millennium Park Holiday Market is timed to open with the 113th annual tree lighting. It runs Friday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 22. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, but only noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. That gives it 21 hours in total. The city's Oct. 1 announcement says more than 40 vendors will set up on the North Promenade.
The vendor list is still open, which matters if you make things. Applications close Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m., and the city says there's no fee to vend. The city is also still looking for the tree. Submissions are open through Friday, Oct. 23, for trees at least 45 feet tall, located within 50 miles of the Loop. Trees within 15 miles of the city get preference. The city prefers a Norway spruce or a fir, and pines aren't eligible because they aren't sturdy enough.
The rink next to the market lasts much longer. Admission is free, it's open daily from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Momentum Coffee and Millennium Hall sell snacks and hot drinks beside the ice. The city also offers free weekend lessons from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with beginner, intermediate and hockey-skills levels. Space is limited, and the city encourages signing up in advance.
ZooLights Charges by the Calendar
ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo runs from 4:30 to 9 p.m. on scheduled nights between Nov. 20 and Jan. 3, 2027. It's closed on some dates, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so check the zoo's calendar before you go. The price depends on when you buy. Fixed-date tickets bought in advance cost $7 to $12 depending on the night. The same ticket bought on the day costs $20, and so does a flexible ticket good for any night of the season. Booking ahead costs between 35 and 60 percent of the walk-up price, depending on the night.
The free Mondays work the same way, just more strictly. The zoo's 2026 announcement lists Nov. 23 and 30 and Dec. 7 and 14 as free nights. Everyone needs a ticket, including infants. The free tickets are released one week ahead at 11 a.m. Central, and Dec. 21 and Dec. 28 aren't free. That means the last free Monday is Dec. 14, 11 days before Christmas.
A few special nights are worth adding to the calendar now:
- Tuesday, Nov. 24: Sensory-Friendly Night, with softened, static or slowed lights and music at reduced volume. Guests who prefer silence can bring noise-reduction headphones. Admission is $7 per person.
- Sunday, Dec. 6: the Chris White Trio plays a tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
- Thursday, Dec. 10: Adults Night Out, "Sugar and Spice."
- Thursday, Dec. 31: New Year's Eve at ZooLights.
Christkindlmarket's 30th Season Has Two Closing Dates
Both Chicago Christkindlmarket locations open Nov. 20, but they don't close together. Daley Plaza closes on Christmas Eve. The Wrigleyville market, part of Winterland at Gallagher Way, stays open through New Year's Eve. The suburban market at RiverEdge Park in Aurora also runs through Dec. 24. If you're planning a market visit for the week between Christmas and New Year's, go to Wrigleyville.
The hours vary too. Daley Plaza is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. On Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve it closes at 4 p.m. Wrigleyville opens at 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and closes at 9 p.m. on those days. It's open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. If your free time is a weekday lunch, Daley Plaza is the one that's open.
The night before opening, Nov. 19, German American Events is holding a ticketed preview called "The Night Before Christkindlmarket." Leila Schmidt, the organizer's senior marketing manager, told Block Club Chicago that "our preview party will be extra special this year." In August, Block Club reported that tickets would go on sale within a few weeks. The sources we reviewed didn't list a price. The daily "Culture and Cheer" behind-the-scenes tours, held before the market opens to the public each day, are also back.
The Loop market includes some familiar local names. Avondale's Dungeons and Dragons-themed bar DMen Tap will sell German-style döner kebabs from a booth decorated with Krampus imagery. Block Club also named the Nepalese cafe Chiya Chai as a Daley Plaza vendor. Wrigleyville will have 28 vendors.
The mug collectors already have their answer. The 2026 merchandise announcement describes a pearl-white, flute-inspired 200 ml mug for the anniversary, plus a green Christmas Tree Mug decorated with miniature versions of past annual ornaments. Both start at $10 empty. The half-liter anniversary beer stein is $20, and the limited-edition anniversary ornament is $42.
Gallagher Way has confirmed that Winterland is coming back, but it hasn't posted 2026 hours, prices or activities yet, and it hasn't said whether there will be a rink. Its event page says more details are coming. The prices still on its FAQ page are from the 2025 season, so they may change.
Saturday Belongs to Michigan Avenue
The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival returns for its 35th year on Saturday, Nov. 21, the day after the tree lighting. The 5:30 p.m. parade starts at Oak Street and Michigan Avenue and heads south on Michigan to Wacker Drive, with Mickey and Minnie Mouse leading. Lights Festival Lane runs earlier, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Ave. It offers free Santa photos and cheesecake decorating.
For people who live or work nearby, the closures matter more than the floats. The organizer's festival guide expects these closures:
- 3 to 7:30 p.m.: Oak Street from State to Michigan, North Michigan Avenue from Oak to Wacker, and Upper Wacker from Michigan to the east turnaround.
- 5 to 7:30 p.m.: Upper Columbus from Wacker to Randolph.
- 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Oak from Clark to State, Dearborn from Delaware to Maple, Walton from State to Clark, plus curb lanes on Clark and Delaware.
- As early as 3 p.m.: the DuSable Bridge may close to pedestrians, and Michigan and Wacker to vehicles.
The organizer's pages disagree on when the fireworks over the river start. The event page says 7:30 p.m., and the guide says about 7:15 p.m. Plan on 7:15 p.m. to be safe.
The Season's Real Calendar, Counted From Today
The dates that matter most are the deadlines and booking windows. The openings and the long closing runs don't take much planning.
- Sunday, Oct. 18, 5 p.m.: applications close for Millennium Park Holiday Market vendors.
- Friday, Oct. 23: last day to submit a tree for the 2026 Christmas Tree.
- Thursday, Nov. 19: Christkindlmarket preview night. Tickets required.
- Friday, Nov. 20: the five events in the table open. The tree lighting starts at 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Lights Festival, with closures starting at 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 22, 5 p.m.: the Millennium Park Holiday Market closes for the season.
- Mondays Nov. 16, 23 and 30, and Dec. 7, at 11 a.m.: free ZooLights tickets are released for the following Monday. The last free night is Dec. 14.
- Thursday, Dec. 24, 4 p.m.: Daley Plaza closes. Wrigleyville stays open through Dec. 31, and ZooLights runs through Jan. 3, 2027.
At The NextGEN Group, we keep track of Chicago's calendar the same way we track its market, from the Daley Plaza mugs to the Michigan Avenue closures. If you've ever hosted holiday guests and caught yourself wondering about a place closer to the lights, we'd be glad to talk it through with you. Work with Us.
