Denver Christkindl Market Guide: Dates, Hours, Parking and What to Eat

The Denver Christkindl Market is the city’s German style holiday market, with wooden huts, Glühwein in a collectible mug, bratwurst and pretzels, and handmade gifts from local and European vendors. For 2026 it returns to the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus, the spot it moved to in 2025 while Civic Center Park is under renovation. If you live in Platt Park, Washington Park, University Hills, Englewood or Littleton, the market sits a short train ride from home, and this guide covers the dates, the hours, how to get there from South Denver, where to park, what to eat and drink, and how to avoid the worst of the crowds.

Every date and hour below comes from the market’s official site, christkindlmarketdenver.com, as checked in October 2026. The market is run by the German American Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Chapter, and it posts weather closures and schedule changes on its homepage and social accounts, so check there before you head out.

What Are the 2026 Dates and Hours?

The 2026 season opens Friday, November 20 and closes Wednesday, December 23. That gives you a little over a month of nights at the market, including five weekends.

The official hours are:

• Monday through Thursday: 1 pm to 9 pm
• Friday through Sunday: 11 am to 9 pm
• The final week, December 17 to 23: 11 am to 9 pm every day
• Thanksgiving Day, November 26: 11 am to 4 pm
• Festival Hall: stays open until 10 pm, though the vendor huts close at 9 pm

Admission is free. You pay only for the food, drinks and gifts you buy. The market also says table reservations in the Festival Hall will be back in November 2026, with details still to come on its site.

Where Is the Market, and What Else Is Nearby?

The address is 1000 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80204, on the Tivoli Quad in the middle of the Auraria Campus. The Quad is the open lawn beside the historic Tivoli Brewery building. Ball Arena and Elitch Gardens are just across Auraria Parkway, and Larimer Square is a short walk east over Speer Boulevard.

The market shares the Quad with the Mile High Tree, the 110 foot tall LED tree that Visit Denver runs each winter. According to Visit Denver’s Mile High Tree page, the tree is lit from November 20 to December 31, 2026, from 5 pm to 10 pm, with free light and music shows every 15 minutes and a countdown at 9 pm on New Year’s Eve. That means after December 23 the market is gone but the tree keeps running for another week.

If you want to turn the trip into a full day out, our guide to fall things to do in South Denver rounds up other holiday markets and seasonal events closer to home.

How Do You Get There From South Denver?

Take the E Line light rail

The simplest trip from South Denver is the RTD E Line. It runs north from RidgeGate Parkway in Lone Tree through stations South Denver locals use every day, including Belleview, Southmoor, Yale, Colorado, University of Denver and Louisiana Pearl, then up through the Alameda and 10th and Osage stations. Its last three stops before Union Station are Auraria West, Empower Field at Mile High and Ball Arena Elitch Gardens.

The market’s own FAQ lists the walking times from the closest stations:

• Ball Arena Elitch Gardens station: about 10 minutes on foot
• Auraria West station: about 12 minutes on foot
• Union Station: about 15 minutes on foot

If you live near Old South Pearl Street, the Louisiana Pearl station puts the market within easy reach without moving your car at all. Our Platt Park neighborhood guide covers that station and the streets around it.

From Englewood and Littleton

RTD’s Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project, which started June 7, 2026 and is expected to finish in the first quarter of 2027, has changed several south side lines. According to RTD’s May 2026 announcement, the D Line is suspended and the C Line runs in its place between Littleton Mineral station and Union Station, passing through Englewood, Evans and the Interstate 25 and Broadway station. From Union Station the market is about a 15 minute walk, or you can change to an E Line train at Interstate 25 and Broadway for the closer stops. Service is changing often during the rebuild, so plan your trip with the RTD trip planner on the day you go.

By bus

The market’s FAQ says RTD routes 6 and 43 stop near the Quad, at 9th Street and Auraria Parkway and at Larimer Street and 12th Street.

Where Do You Park, and What Does It Cost?

No parking is reserved for the market. You use the regular Auraria Campus lots and garages, and every one of them charges around the clock. According to the Auraria Campus visitor parking page (updated June 30, 2026), daily visitor rates are:

• Monday through Thursday before 5 pm: $5.50 in the Aspen, Beech, Birch and Walnut lots; $7.00 in the Cherry, Elm and Fir lots and the 5th Street Garage; $8.50 in the Dogwood, Holly, Nutmeg and Spruce lots, the 7th Street Garage and the Tivoli Garage
• Evenings after 5 pm and all day Friday through Sunday: $25.00 in most lots and garages, and $30.00 in the Tivoli Garage

The campus says evening and weekend rates can change during special events, so treat those numbers as a floor. You can pay with the ParkMobile app or at the pay by plate machines in the garages and surface lots.

The market itself suggests the Holly Lot, the 7th Street Garage, the Elm Lot, the Cherry Lot and the 5th Street Garage, which it says are less busy when Ball Arena has an event. The cheapest trick is timing: the market opens at 1 pm on weekdays, so if you arrive Monday through Thursday afternoon you park at the weekday rate instead of paying $25 after 5 pm.

What Should You Eat and Drink?

The market describes its lineup as local and European food and craft vendors, and the official site and its social posts point to the classics: Glühwein (hot spiced wine), bratwurst, Bavarian pretzels, roasted almonds and a Hot Chocolate Hut for kids and anyone skipping the wine. In 2025 Denver7 also reported a vendor selling Schmalzkuchen, small fried German doughnuts dusted in sugar.

Beer is part of the tradition too. The market’s site says Prost Brewing has been poured at the market every year, and the Festival Hall is where you sit down with a stein, warm up and listen to live music. The full 2026 vendor list had not been posted when we checked in October, so look at the interactive map on the official site before you go if you are hunting for one particular treat.

If you would rather have a proper sit down dinner before or after, our list of the best restaurants in South Denver has spots close to the light rail line, and our South Denver date night guide pairs well with an evening under the Mile High Tree.

What About the Collectible Mugs and Steins?

The Glühwein mug is the souvenir most people take home. Each year the market releases a limited edition mug and a beer stein with a new design. KOSI 101 reported in January 2026 that this year’s mug and stein had already been designed and would be revealed in late October.

For a sense of what to expect, the 2025 mug and stein were designed by Colorado street artist Pat Milbery and featured the Tivoli Brewery building, a nod to the market’s new home, according to the Denver Gazette. If you collect them, buy yours early in the season rather than waiting for the last week.

What Can You Shop For and Do?

Beyond food, the huts sell handmade gifts and crafts from local and European makers; one 2025 vendor profiled by Denver7 sold posters of national parks and ski resorts. Denver7 counted more than 40 vendors in 2025, and the market said in January 2026 that it would add more huts and an expanded layout for this season.

A few things to plan for:

• Glass ornament workshops: the market lists a 2026 booking page for its glass ornament workshops with Mack Glass. Spots are limited, so reserve ahead through the official site.
• The carousel: in 2025 the market added the Western Carousel, a 42 foot Herschell carousel with hand carved horses, at $5 a ride, per the Denver Gazette. Check the official site to see whether it returns for 2026.
• Family Sundays: the market’s FAQ says Sundays bring extra children’s entertainment, and the Christkind and St. Nikolaus visit on certain dates listed on its entertainment calendar.
• Live music: the Festival Hall has a dance floor and live performers. The 2026 lineup was still being scheduled in October.

How Do You Avoid the Crowds?

The market is popular. Denver7 reported about 350,000 visitors in 2024, and the market’s FAQ warns that weekends and evenings can be very crowded. These habits help:

• Go on a weekday afternoon. Since the FAQ flags weekends and evenings as the busiest times, a Monday through Thursday afternoon is your best bet, and it is also when parking is cheapest.
• Go early in the season. The last week, December 17 to 23, runs on weekend hours every day and falls right before Christmas, so an earlier visit gives you more room to browse.
• Watch the Ball Arena schedule. A Nuggets or Avalanche game across the street fills the nearby garages and trains.
• Leave the dog home on busy nights. Leashed dogs are welcome, but the market recommends against bringing them on weekends or during the Parade of Lights.
• Dress for the cold. Most of the market is outdoors on an open lawn. The Festival Hall is the place to warm up.

The market is wheelchair accessible, with ramps and ADA accessible restrooms, though it does not rent wheelchairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Denver Christkindl Market free to enter?

Yes. Admission to the Denver Christkindlmarket on the Tivoli Quad is free and open to everyone. You pay only for food, drinks, mugs and gifts from the vendors, plus parking if you drive to the Auraria Campus.

What time does the Christkindl Market open on weekdays?

It opens at 1 pm Monday through Thursday and closes at 9 pm. From December 17 to 23 it opens at 11 am every day, and on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, it runs from 11 am to 4 pm only.

Which light rail stop is closest to the market?

Ball Arena Elitch Gardens station on the E Line is the closest, about a 10 minute walk according to the market. Auraria West station is about 12 minutes away, and Union Station is about 15 minutes.

How much does parking cost at Auraria Campus during the market?

Per the Auraria Campus parking page, weekday visitor parking before 5 pm runs $5.50 to $8.50 a day depending on the lot. Evenings and weekends cost $25.00 in most lots and $30.00 in the Tivoli Garage, and special event rates can be higher.

Is the Mile High Tree open after the market closes?

Yes. The market closes December 23, 2026, but Visit Denver lists the Mile High Tree on the Tivoli Quad from November 20 to December 31, 2026, open 5 pm to 10 pm with free shows every 15 minutes.