Chicago Christmas Walk: Magnificent Mile Lights to the Christkindlmarket
Nine stops from the John Hancock Center to Cloud Gate, with the 1869 Water Tower, Marshall Field's windows and the Christkindlmarket.
Christmas guide
Christmas in Chicago 2026: the market, the lights and a walk between them
Chicago's Christmas runs along one line: the lights on the Magnificent Mile, the tree in the Walnut Room on State Street, and the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. Here are this year's dates, the afternoon we'd plan, and a self-guided audio walk that joins them up.
2 walks for this trip
Stop 1 of each is free, no sign-up. The whole walk is $4.99, on up to 4 phones.
Chicago Loop Architecture Walking Tour
Eight stops from the Chicago Board of Trade to the DuSable Bridge, including the Rookery, whose lobby Frank Lloyd Wright remodeled.
Christmas in Chicago: this year's dates
| What | When | Where, and what it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Magnificent Mile Lights Festival | Sat, Nov 21. Lights Festival Lane 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., parade 5:30 p.m., fireworks about 7:30 p.m. | The parade runs south on Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to Wacker Drive; Festival Lane is at Pioneer Court. Free. A million lights on 200 trees. |
| Christkindlmarket, Daley Plaza | Nov 20 to Dec 24. Sun to Thu 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fri and Sat 11 to 9. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve 11 to 4. | 50 W. Washington Street. Free to walk in. |
| Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville | Nov 20 to Dec 31. Mon to Thu 3 to 9 p.m., Fri and Sat 11 to 9, Sun 11 to 7. | Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark Street. Check the market's site for holiday hours. |
| Great Tree in the Walnut Room | Nov 7 to Jan 17. | Macy's on State, 7th floor. Reservations only, on OpenTable, with a 90-minute limit. There's a selfie spot outside the room. |
Checked November 2026. Dates and hours change: check the official sites before you go.
The afternoon we'd plan
- About 3 p.m., the top of the Magnificent Mile
Stop 1 of the Chicago Christmas walk plays free at the Hancock. Head south past Fourth Presbyterian and the Water Tower while there's still light.
- Dusk, over the river
The sun sets around 4:20 in December, so Michigan Avenue's trees should be lit by the time you reach Tribune Tower, the Wrigley Building and the DuSable Bridge.
- State Street
Turn onto State for the old Marshall Field's and its clock and windows. If you booked the Walnut Room, this is your moment.
- Daley Plaza, mug in hand
The market closes at 8 most nights and 9 on Fridays and Saturdays, so don't linger on the way. Each year's mug is different, and 2026's marks the market's 30th anniversary. The walk ends a few blocks on at Millennium Park: 2.7 miles and about 90 minutes in all.
Chicago in December is properly cold and the river is windy. Keep the phone in your pocket and one earbud in, and take the gloves. The lights and the market are free with or without a Stories walk.
Where the walks stop
Where the Chicago Christmas Walk stops: The John Hancock Center, Fourth Presbyterian Church, The Chicago Water Tower, Tribune Tower, The Wrigley Building, Marshall Field's Windows, Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza and Millennium Park and Cloud Gate.
Where the Chicago Loop Architecture Walking Tour stops: Chicago Board of Trade Building, The Rookery, Monadnock Building, Marquette Building, Reliance Building, Carson, Pirie, Scott Building, Chicago Cultural Center and DuSable Bridge.
Christmas in Chicago: questions people ask
What is there to do in Chicago at Christmas?
Walk the Magnificent Mile under the lights, see the Great Tree in the Walnut Room at Macy's on State, and drink something hot at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. The lights and the market are free to see.
When is Christkindlmarket Chicago in 2026?
November 20 to December 24 in Daley Plaza. It opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 4 p.m. close on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
When is the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in 2026?
Saturday, November 21. The parade steps off from Oak Street at 5:30 p.m. and heads south on Michigan Avenue, with fireworks over the river at about 7:30 p.m. It is free.
Do you need a reservation for the Walnut Room?
Yes, to go in: only guests with a reservation can enter, and you book on OpenTable. There is a selfie spot with the tree outside the room, and a few walk-in seats at the Wine Bar.
What does the walk cost?
Stop 1 is free, no sign-up. The whole walk is $4.99 for your group, on up to 4 phones, and it plays in your browser or the Stories app.