Throughout Europe, Christmas Markets are a joyful, festive experience with hot mulled wine; sweet and savory snacks; and artisan-made crafts, ornaments and holiday décor.
In recent years, this tradition that began in Nüremberg, Germany has been exported to Wisconsin, including in the Milwaukee area. This means you don’t have to leave Wisconsin to step into a storybook scene that’s common in Europe this time of year. Or, if you’re itching for a day trip, travel to another destination within our state to visit a Christmas market in that community.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
1. Door County Christmas Market
NOV. 29-DEC. 1, DEC. 6-8 AND DEC. 13-15 | SISTER BAY
Spanning three weekends, this market’s local vendors sell alpaca apparel, quilts, candles, moccasins, baskets, lavenders and chocolates in a pop-up location at Corner of the Past Museum, with a shuttle available from the (former) Shopko Hometown and Stella Maris parking lots. On Dec. 7 and Dec. 14 there will be live music. Mulled wine is available whenever the market’s open, in the drinks hut, with a different artist each year designing the souvenir mugs.
2. Tosa Holiday Christkindl Market
DEC. 4-22 | WAUWATOSA
Open daily, this market’s food offerings include sausages and baked pretzels, along with mulled wine and hot chocolate. Local bands such as The Squeezettes (Dec. 12) and The Love Monkeys (Dec. 22), along with the Florentine Opera (Dec. 11), add festive sounds. While you can fill a glass stein with German beer on any market night, the Stein-Holding Contest Friday and Saturday nights is a hoot to watch, where contestants see who can hold the stein the longest. Vendors will sell gifts and winter-holiday décor.
3. Christkindlmarkt
DEC. 6-7 | WEST ALLIS
In its seventh year, the market will be on Friday evening and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Order food from food trucks and sip local breweries’ craft beer as you shop wares from 50 vendors, including crafters and artists. There will also be live music.
4. Christkindl Market Paoli
DEC. 13-15 | PAOLI
In this artsy town 20 minutes south of Madison, the market is hosted at Seven Acre Dairy Co., a hotel and restaurant on the site of a former creamery and along the Sugar River. Eggnog, hot buttered rum and mulled wine are among the beverages served. Candied nuts and Bavarian-style pretzels are also available, as well as a curated winter-y lodge stocked with Christkindl Market merchandise as well as gifts made by local artists and creators, such as chocolates, baked goods, dog treats and pottery.
5. Old World Christmas Market
DEC. 6-15 | ELKHART LAKE
Hosted at The Osthoff Resort, this 10-day festival celebrates its 26th year this winter. Gifts for sale include Russian nesting dolls, Czech hand-blown glass ornaments, German nutcrackers and fresh green wreaths for decorating at home. Cuisine skews German, such as hot mulled wine, potato pancakes, apple strudel and red cabbage. For kids, there’s cookie decorating and ornament making, plus horse-drawn carriage rides for the whole family.
6. Oconomowoc German Christmas Market
NOV. 27-DEC. 1 | OCONOMOWOC
Kicking off the day before Thanksgiving and lasting through the weekend, this market features live polka music, pictures with Santa and German-style food (chicken schnitzel, sausage, kraut and strudel) from Weissgerber Restaurants, mulled wine and nuts roasted per a Bavarian family’s recipe. Crepes and BBQ are also served. Vendors represent local companies as well as imported goods like those from Al Johnson’s Swedish Boutique, German Club and Mystic Ireland Gifts, along with locally made honey, chocolates, pottery, goat’s-milk soaps and apparel made from alpaca fibers.
7. Menomonee Falls Christkindl Market
DEC. 14 | MENOMONEE FALLS
This town’s third-annual Christkindl Market is in Centennial Plaza and the surrounding downtown area. In addition to shopping vendors – both inside and outside – there will be German bands playing music as well as brats and stolen served. Kids can take pictures with Santa or visit live reindeer, and all ages are welcome to climb into a horse-drawn carriage ride for a festive stroll. Gluhwein is poured into a commemorative mug and steins of beer are also on tap.
8. Villa Belleza Christmas Market
NOV. 16-DEC. 22 | PEPIN
Hosted at this Italian-themed winery in Western Wisconsin, the market is held in the winery’s outdoor piazza as well as indoor buildings. With brick sidewalks and Mediterranean-style roofing, the buildings look like they could be in Venice, Rome or Florence. Vendors sell everything from cozy winter apparel to seasonal greenery (such as wreaths). Sip mulled wine in the piazza or pop into the tasting room to try this winery’s wines. Pastries are sold on site, for either gift-giving or enjoying on that day. Santa arrives daily at 1 p.m. during the market.
9. Sparta Kristkindl Market
Nov. 29 and Fridays/Saturdays through the end of December | SPARTA
Pick up wreathes to decorate at home and listen to carolers and other live-music acts at this Kriskindlmarkt where there are 33 vendor huts, as well as visits from Santa and horse-drawn carriage rides. Food options are traditional German style, such as brats, baked pretzels and roasted nuts, plus hot mulled wine, of course.
