Get Festive at The Amazing Baltimore Christmas Village

Starting on Thanksgiving Day, the Baltimore Christmas Village will open for business! Since 2013, this German Christmas market offers indoor and outdoor vendors in the style of the traditional Christkindl Market in Nuremberg. (For more recommendations for places to visit while you’re in Baltimore, download our free area vacation guide!)

The market will be open all the way through Christmas Eve, with more than 50 booths selling European food, sweets, drinks, holiday gifts, ornaments, jewelry, and arts & crafts.

Located at West Shore Park/Inner Harbor, the Baltimore Christmas market hours are Sunday-Thursday 11am-7pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-8pm. The first three Tuesdays (Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13) are closed days.

The Baltimore Christmas Village Experience

The outdoor area around the Walter Sondheim Fountain will bring the original Christmas Village charm to Baltimore with traditional German-style wooden huts. As you stroll through the market, you’ll be surrounded by thousands of lights, the big Holiday Tree, the delicious smell of waffles, gingerbread, bratwurst and mulled wine.

Why a German-style Christmas market?

Christmas markets in Germany date all the way back to the late Middle Ages. A tradition passed down from generation to generation, the farmers of the Nuremberg area started selling their crops in a farmers market during Advent. Through time, it turned into the world-famous Nuremberg Christkindlsmarket.

The Christkind in Baltimore

Since 1969, the Nuremberg Christkind has been selected to represent the spirit of Christmas in Germany. She wears a long white dress with golden stars, a golden crown, and has long blonde curls. Each year, the Christkind recites a prologue to open the Nuremberg Christmas Market. This year, she’s traveling all the way from Germany to visit the Baltimore Christmas Village! Baltimore and its sister market in Philadelphia are the only two stops she makes!

The ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 26th, 2016.

 

Clearly, there’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit in the whole region than visiting the Baltimore Christmas market. Steeped in years of tradition—and indeed centuries of tradition from our German friends—the Christmas market serves up cheer and holiday gifts in an atmosphere that’s truly charming.

Of course, if you make the journey to Baltimore, you’ve got to take advantage of the Charm City’s many wonderful opportunities. Our free Howard County vacation guide can give you suggestions for places to go, things to see, and restaurants to enjoy in Baltimore and our own historic Ellicott City.

Come stay with us at the nearby Wayside Inn to complete your history-soaked Baltimore visit! The charm of centuries past and our delicious breakfasts will get you geared up for your day at the market!