Christmas events in Minneapolis–St. Paul start in November 2026, and the two free outdoor Christmas markets, the European Christmas Market at Union Depot in St. Paul and the Minneapolis Christkindl Market on North Loop Green, open on Friday, November 20 and run five weekends to December 20.
Light shows open from November 19 (GLOW in St. Paul) to November 21 (Bentleyville in Duluth).
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival comes to Orchestra Hall on December 4 and 5.
Checked October 30, 2026. Not announced yet: the 2026–27 Winterapolis program that replaced Holidazzle, the times and cost of St. Paul's tree lightings, ticket prices for the St. Olaf Christmas Festival and Messiah, and when the outdoor rinks open.
Christmas events in Minneapolis–St. Paul 2026 at a glance
| Event | Where | Dates 2026 | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Christmas Market | Union Depot, St. Paul | Fridays to Sundays, November 20 – December 20 | Free entry |
| Minneapolis Christkindl Market | North Loop Green, Minneapolis | Fridays to Sundays, November 20 – December 20 | Free entry |
| Tree of Lights tree lighting | Rice Park, St. Paul | Saturday, November 14 | Not announced |
| Winter Lighting Celebration | Mears Park, St. Paul | Thursday, November 19 | Not announced |
| GLOW Holiday Festival | CHS Field, St. Paul | Select nights, November 19 – January 3 | $22.75; ages 3–12 $12.75; plus fees |
| Northern Lights | Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska | Evenings, November 20 – January 3 | $35; members $25; ages 15 and under free |
| Magic of Lights (drive-through) | Viking Lakes, Eagan | November 20 – January 2 | From $21.99 per car |
| Bentleyville Tour of Lights | Bayfront Festival Park, Duluth | November 21 – December 26 | Free; parking $12 |
| Holiday Flower Show | Como Conservatory, St. Paul | December 4 – January 3 | Free; donation welcome |
| St. Olaf Christmas Festival | Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis | December 4–5 | Not published; on sale to all November 2 |
| Welcome Christmas, VocalEssence | Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis | December 11–12 | $45 (Dec. 11); free–$25 (Dec. 12, noon) |
| Messiah, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra | Ordway Concert Hall, St. Paul | December 17–20 | Not on the SPCO's page |
| Messiah, Minnesota Orchestra | Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis | December 18–19 | Not on the orchestra's page |
| A Christmas Carol | Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis | November 11 – December 27 | $36–$161 |
Evenitto's pages: Christmas concerts in Minneapolis–St. Paul and holiday shows.
Christmas markets in Minneapolis and St. Paul 2026
The Twin Cities have two big European-style outdoor Christmas markets in 2026, one in each city, open on the same five weekends: November 20–22, November 27–29, December 4–6, December 11–13 and December 18–20.
Entry to both markets is free; you pay for food, drinks and gifts. Both have warming tents. The St. Paul market at Union Depot opens earlier on Fridays and closes earlier on Sundays; the Minneapolis market on North Loop Green opens at 4 p.m. on Fridays and stays open until 7 p.m. on Sundays.
European Christmas Market at Union Depot, St. Paul
The European Christmas Market fills the East Plaza of Union Depot, 240 East Kellogg Boulevard in St. Paul. Its FAQ gives the hours: Fridays 3–9 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.–6 p.m., with longer hours on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27 (1–9 p.m.).
On Friday and Saturday nights the market's heated tents stay open for a last drink until 10 p.m. It is an open-air market with three large tents, and it may close for bad weather, which it announces on social media.
- Parking: Union Depot lots C and D cost $10 to $14 on market days. The plan your visit page lists transit and rideshare options and notes that the Kellogg–3rd Street bridge is closed.
- Dogs: not allowed, except service dogs.
Minneapolis Christkindl Market, North Loop
The Minneapolis Christkindl Market, a German-style Christmas market, is on North Loop Green, 350 North 5th Street in Minneapolis. It started in 2024, according to the North Loop Neighborhood Association. The market's site gives the hours: Fridays 4–9 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
The Christkindl Market FAQ says entry is free and suggests Ramp C or the North Loop Green ramp for parking. Children get Santa visits, crafts and a scavenger hunt. Dogs can come to North Loop Green, but the market advises against walking them through the crowd.
More holiday markets in the Twin Cities
- Departments at Dayton's Holiday Market, at The Dayton's Project on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis: November 12 – December 24, Monday to Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m., according to Meet Minneapolis.
- Julmarknad, the American Swedish Institute's handcraft market and festival at 2600 Park Avenue in Minneapolis, December 4–6: a Friday preview night 5:30–8 p.m. ($40), then Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., $24 in advance ($26 at the door), ages 6–17 $12, 5 and under free.
- Gingerbread Wonderland: more than 200 gingerbread houses at Norway House, 913 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, from November 21, 2026 to January 7, 2027 (closed on Thanksgiving, December 24 and 25 and New Year's Day). It is open noon–5 p.m., from 10 a.m. Wednesday to Saturday, and until 8 p.m. on Thursdays and every day from December 21 to 31. You book a 15-minute slot on Norway House's ticket page: $12, ages 6–17 $7, 5 and under free.
- Gingerbread Wonderland Holiday Market, also at Norway House: November 20–22, Friday 3–8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- MN Christmas Market, a one-day pop-up market of Minnesota makers: Saturday, November 21 at Union Depot in St. Paul, $1 at the door. The MN Christmas Market is a different event from the European Christmas Market, also at Union Depot.
Is Holidazzle happening in 2026?
Holidazzle no longer runs: in October 2025 the Minneapolis Downtown Council, which managed the festival, replaced it with Winterapolis, a winter-long program of events, CBS Minnesota reported on October 13, 2025.
The first Winterapolis season opened with a Light Up & Winter Kickoff in the IDS Center on November 28, 2025, according to Meet Minneapolis. The Winterapolis page had not announced its 2026–27 events on October 30, 2026.
Christmas lights near Minneapolis 2026
Christmas light displays near Minneapolis in 2026 include GLOW at CHS Field in St. Paul (from November 19), Northern Lights at the Arboretum in Chaska and the Magic of Lights drive-through in Eagan (both from November 20) and, farther away, the free Bentleyville Tour of Lights in Duluth (from November 21). Every display's dates, hours and prices, walk-through and drive-thru, free and ticketed, are in Christmas lights in Minnesota 2026.
Holiday Flower Show at Como Conservatory
The Holiday Flower Show at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul fills the Sunken Garden with poinsettias in the colors of the northern lights from December 4, 2026 to January 3, 2027. The conservatory is open Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; admission is free, with a voluntary donation of $8 for adults and $5 for children.
Tree lightings in St. Paul 2026
St. Paul lights two downtown trees in November 2026, according to the city's downtown parks calendar:
- Tree of Lights tree lighting, Rice Park: Saturday, November 14.
- Winter Lighting Celebration, Mears Park: Thursday, November 19, the night GLOW opens at CHS Field.
The city has not published the times or whether they are free yet (checked October 30).
Messiah and Christmas concerts in Minneapolis 2026
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival leaves the St. Olaf campus in Northfield for Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, in 2026 only: Friday, December 4 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, December 5 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In 2027 the festival returns to campus.
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival lasts 1½ to 2 hours with no intermission, and children 10 and older are welcome. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, November 2, through the Orchestra Hall box office; they can't be refunded, only exchanged.
Two orchestras play Handel's Messiah in December 2026:
- The Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Chorale, led by Jane Glover, play Messiah at Orchestra Hall on Friday, December 18 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, December 19 at 7 p.m. It lasts about 2½ hours with an intermission.
- The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra plays Messiah at the Ordway Concert Hall in downtown St. Paul with conductor John Butt and the choir The Singers: Thursday, December 17, Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, December 20 at 2 p.m.
More Christmas concerts:
- VocalEssence's Welcome Christmas, an interactive concert of holiday songs from around the world, is at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis: Friday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. ($45), Saturday, December 12 at noon, an hour-long kid-friendly concert (free to $25), and Saturday at 3 p.m.
- Christmas with Cantus: Lessons and Carols, the vocal ensemble Cantus's Christmas program, runs December 12–22.
- On the Minnesota Orchestra's holiday calendar: the Preservation Hall Jazz Band's Creole Christmas (Tuesday, December 1), A Charlie Brown Christmas Live (December 8–9), Home Alone in Concert with the Minnesota Orchestra (December 11–13) and Merry & Bright with Charles Lazarus (Sunday, December 20).
Evenitto's page for Christmas concerts: Christmas concerts in Minneapolis–St. Paul.
Christmas shows: A Christmas Carol and the Nutcracker
The Guthrie Theater's A Christmas Carol runs from November 11 to December 27, 2026, its 52nd production, with Andrew May as Scrooge. The Guthrie's page puts tickets at $36 to $161, fees included; the previews of November 11–13 are the cheapest. The Guthrie recommends it for ages 8 and up, and it lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! runs from November 3, 2026 to January 3, 2027 at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis.
The Nutcracker has 13 productions in the Twin Cities in December 2026, from the State Theatre to Northrop, Bloomington and Eden Prairie. Our Nutcracker guide has their dates, venues and prices; see also Evenitto's holiday shows page.
Ice skating in Minneapolis
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board floods outdoor rinks in parks across the city once winter sets in. They are natural ice, so they open only after about ten days of below-freezing weather; the 2026–27 opening date is not announced (checked October 30).
Minneapolis rinks are lit daily from 4:30 to 9 p.m., and the park board's online map shows which are open. Warming rooms keep holiday hours: noon to 4 p.m. on December 24 and 31, closed on December 25 and January 1.
For snow tubing hills, prices and their winter break hours, see our snow tubing guide.
New Year's Eve 2026 in Minneapolis–St. Paul
New Year's Eve 2026 falls on a Thursday, and two of the Twin Cities' stages have published their plans:
- Minnesota Orchestra: Boléro: A New Year's Celebration at Orchestra Hall, Thursday, December 31, 2026 at 8:30 p.m. and Friday, January 1, 2027 at 2 p.m.
- Chanhassen Dinner Theatres: New Year's Eve shows on December 31: matinees, or evening shows with a New Year's Eve menu and a glass of champagne.
For concerts on the night, see live music in Minneapolis–St. Paul.
Free Christmas events in and near the Twin Cities
Free Christmas events in Minneapolis–St. Paul in 2026 include the two big Christmas markets, the CPKC Holiday Train and the Como flower show; each is described above, except the train:
- CPKC Holiday Train: a half-hour concert with Allen Stone at Union Depot in St. Paul on Sunday, December 13 at 7 p.m., and at 37th Avenue and Stinson Boulevard in Minneapolis on Monday, December 14 at 8:15 p.m. CPKC asks for a cash or food donation for the local food bank.
- The European Christmas Market in St. Paul and the Minneapolis Christkindl Market.
- Como Conservatory's Holiday Flower Show (a donation is welcome).
- Bentleyville in Duluth (you pay for parking).
Quick answers
When do the Christmas markets open in Minneapolis and St. Paul in 2026? The European Christmas Market in St. Paul and the Minneapolis Christkindl Market both open on Friday, November 20, 2026, and run Fridays to Sundays until December 20.
Is the European Christmas Market in St. Paul free? Yes. Entry to the European Christmas Market at Union Depot is free; parking in Union Depot lots C and D costs $10 to $14 on market days.
Is Holidazzle happening in 2026? No. Holidazzle no longer runs: in October 2025 the Minneapolis Downtown Council replaced it with the winter-long Winterapolis program, whose 2026–27 events were not announced on October 30, 2026.
What are the best Christmas lights near Minneapolis? Christmas light displays near Minneapolis in 2026 include GLOW at CHS Field in St. Paul, Northern Lights at the Arboretum in Chaska, the Magic of Lights drive-through in Eagan and, farther away, the free Bentleyville Tour of Lights in Duluth; Christmas lights in Minnesota 2026 compares them with the others.
When is the St. Olaf Christmas Festival in 2026? The St. Olaf Christmas Festival is at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on Friday, December 4 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, December 5 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; the public sale opens Monday, November 2.
Cover photo: the Christmas tree at Union Depot in St. Paul, December 2017, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; archive photo.