Christmas 2026, two cities, dates checked against the organizers
Christmas in New York.
Christmas in Chicago.
People plan Christmas by city, so these pages are built by city. Each one carries the same kit: the markets decoded with their real 2026 dates and hours, the lights, skating priced by what you actually pay at the window, and itineraries that are being written now for the season. Every date on this site is checked against the organizer and a second source, and stamped with the month we checked it.
Dates verified October 2026
Pilot city one
New York
Six plus markets with different end dates, a tree lighting on December 2, ticketed skating with real price spreads, and a lights neighborhood in Brooklyn that no organizer runs. The full New York hub is live now; the guide launches Friday, November 6.
Guide launches Fri Nov 6, 2026Christmas in New York
Pilot city two
Chicago
Three Christkindlmarkets with three different sets of rules, an opening weekend where everything lands at once, and a zoo lights show with its own ticketing logic. The Chicago hub is live now; the weekend guide launches Friday, November 13.
Guide launches Fri Nov 13, 2026Christmas in Chicago
The free tools
Christmas market dates and hours finder
Every verified market in both pilot cities, plus Boston, Washington DC and Philadelphia rows that start aging for 2027. Filter by city, search by name, or ask the only question that matters: what is open on my day?
Open the finderChristmas trip budget calculator
One template, both cities. Hotel, skating at total cost, show tickets, ticketed lights, tours, market spending. The math is on the page, line by line, so you can check it with a pencil.
Run your numbersBooking windows for 2027
Most 2026 windows are already open. The tracker's real job is next season: when rink tickets, show tickets and market dates go on sale for Christmas 2027, and how to hear about it in August instead of November.
See the trackerHow these pages pay for themselves
Plainly, because you should not have to guess. Our own guides sit first on every page that has one. Underneath them, some pages carry booking links for tours, hotels and experiences we do not sell ourselves. If you book through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That layer exists to pay for the free tools, and it never outranks the guide.
Placement held for hotel booking links for New York and Chicago December stays. Links go live when the affiliate accounts are approved.
Placement held for experience and ticket links (lights tours, holiday shows, observation decks). Links go live when the affiliate accounts are approved.
Coming in 2027
Washington DC and Boston join as full cities next season, in that order. Their market rows are already in the finder, aging. Philadelphia data is in the finder too, with one honest note attached: its Wanamaker Light Show is paused for 2026 and 2027, whatever older guides still tell you.