Christmas markets · Kitchener
Christmas markets in Kitchener
Kitchener — Berlin, Ontario until 1916 — keeps its German Christmas market at City Hall, two weekends in December.
3 markets · checked September 2026
- Christkindl Market2026: December 3–6 and 10–13, 2026Free
- Cambridge Holiday Market2026: November 27–29, 2026Free
- Elora Christmas Market2026: November and December 2026 (dates to come)Free to walk around; food and shops at their own prices
🧒 With kids
- Christkindl Market · Kitchener
- Cambridge Holiday Market · Cambridge
- Elora Christmas Market · Elora
✨ Date night
- Christkindl Market · Kitchener
- Elora Christmas Market · Elora
🎉 With friends
- Christkindl Market · Kitchener
- Cambridge Holiday Market · Cambridge
German market
📷 Julius177 · CC BY-SA 4.0
German market · Kitchener
Christkindl Market
Kitchener's German Christmas market, modelled on the medieval markets of Germany, at City Hall — a nod to the city's German roots (it was called Berlin until 1916).
🧒 With kids✨ Date night🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Outdoor huts plus a heated main tent and the City Hall Rotunda
- Mulled wine and German food
- Skating rink, ice sculptures and a petting zoo with miniature horses
- Kidskindl programme with Santa
- Blacksmith demonstrations and live music
What visitors say
Locals call it one of Kitchener's best events and like that it's completely free; their main advice is to take the ION rather than fight for downtown parking.
Ontario's most authentic German Christmas market and free — worth a trip from Toronto. In 2026 it doubles to two weekends for its 30th anniversary; Saturday night (open until 11 pm) has the best atmosphere.
- 2026
- December 3–6 and 10–13, 2026
- Last season
- December 4–7, 2025
- Cost
- Free
Getting there and parking
- ION light rail to Kitchener City Hall or Victoria Park station; Central Station is a short walk; GRT routes 7, 8, 20 and iXpress 204
- Free parking after 5 pm Thursday–Friday in city surface lots and all weekend in the City Hall garage; otherwise city garages at hourly rates
- Secure bike parking in the City Hall garage
Worth knowing
- 2026 hours: Thursday 4–9 pm, Friday 10 am–9 pm, Saturday 10 am–11 pm, Sunday 10 am–4 pm
- Public washrooms inside City Hall, in Carl Zehr Square and on Young Street
- Check road closures downtown before driving
Holiday market
IllustrationHoliday market · Cambridge
Cambridge Holiday Market
🎉 With friends🧒 With kidsWhat's there
- More than 100 artisans
- At Cambridge City Hall on the Grand River
- Friday evening opening
A good-sized free market — pair it with Galt's riverside downtown or Christkindl in Kitchener the next weekend.
- 2026
- November 27–29, 2026
- Cost
- Free
Getting there and parking
- Cambridge City Hall, 50 Dickson Street, downtown Galt — GRT buses to the Ainslie Street terminal
- City lots on Westminster Alley and Church Street South
Worth knowing
- 2026: November 27–29; Friday 5:30–9:30 pm
IllustrationHoliday market · Elora
Elora Christmas Market
✨ Date night🧒 With kidsWhat's there
- 150 trees and 88,000 lights through the village
- Fire tables
- Local shops along the streets
What visitors sayGoogle 4.1 ★ · 48 reviews
Most find it magical — a whole village dressed up — but very crowded on weekends with hard parking; a few say there's little traditional market food.
Go for the lights and the village on a weekday evening; eat at a restaurant in town.
- 2026
- November and December 2026 (dates to come)
- Cost
- Free to walk around; food and shops at their own prices
Getting there and parking
- By car — Elora is about 25 minutes north of Guelph; there is no practical transit
- Parking fills on weekends — expect to circle or park on the edge of the village
Worth knowing
- Open Wednesday to Sunday until Christmas, 12–8 pm (2025)