Chicago, Illinois

The bratwurst, an iconic German-style sausage that is the ideal walk-around snack to keep up your energy while shopping the plethora of vendors at this traditional open-air Christmas market, is what makes Chicago's Christkindlmarket so well-known.

Customers will enjoy a true European experience here, complete with handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments, hand-carved wooden crafts, and many more traditional gifts, as well as German cuckoo clocks fashioned after Munich's Glockenspiel. The smell of roasted nuts, fresh pretzels, bratwurst and hot spiced wine, the sound of festive music, and the glimmer of sparkling Christmas ornaments, all in a cozy atmosphere – a visit to the market takes all your senses on a journey! The Kinder Club, a program that includes a scavenger hunt and DIY crafts, will ensure that children enjoy themselves at this market just as much as adults do. There is a lot of hot cocoa and other warm drinks, as well as other delicious snacks like German-baked pastries and traditional Christmas goodies, to keep hands warm.