• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

AMERICA’S BEST SMALL TOWN CHRISTMAS MARKETS

November 28, 2019 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

The Christmas Market is a holiday tradition that has long been a part of the Christmas season in Europe, especially in Germany.  Over the last few decades, this tradition has been working its way into American cities and towns, and now there are dozens of such markets from coast to coast.  Every year lists are compiled of America’s best Christmas Markets, and these invariably focus on the massive events in the major cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington and New York.  But some of the very best, in terms of intimacy and charm, are the smaller markets found in Middle America.

Christkindlmarkt

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Web: www.christmascity.org/christkindlmarkt

Bethlehem Christmas Market

Christkindlemarkt (christmascity.org)

The Christkindlmarkt, or Christ Child Market, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is arguably the best of America’s Christmas markets not located in a major city.  According to tradition, the name Bethlehem was adopted on Christmas Eve in 1741, and the municipality celebrates the holiday with gusto.  For over two decades it has hosted a charming and ever-growing Christmas market that receives tens of thousands of visitors every year.  The Christkindlmarkt generally runs Thursdays through Sundays over the five weekends leading up to Christmas.

Georgetown Christmas Market

Georgetown, Colorado

Web: www.georgetown-colorado.org

Georgetown

Christmas Market (historicgeorgetown.org)

The Georgetown Christmas Market just west of Denver is one of the longest running in the United States.  Dating back to the 1960s, this beloved annual Colorado event sees this small mountain town pulling out all the stops.  Georgetown turns back the clock to the turn of the century, with buildings and people decked out in Victorian splendor welcoming thousands of visitors every year.  The Georgetown Christmas Market generally only runs on Saturdays and Sundays during the first two weekends of December.

Christkindlmarkt

Leavenworth, Washington

Web: www.christkindlmarktleavenworth.com

Leavenworth Christmas Market

Christkindlmarkt (christkindlemarktleavenworth.com)

The Christkindlmarkt of Leavenworth, Washington is a true gem of the holiday season.  The city center, modeled after a traditional Bavarian village, is the perfect setting for a German-style Christmas market which is rivaled only by Helen, Georgia.  Staged annually for just under two decades, this hugely popular Christmas market is a regional kickoff to the holiday season, as it generally only runs Friday through Sunday of the Thanksgiving weekend.  As an added bonus, those who attend the Christkindlmarkt of Leavenworth can visit the Nutcracker Museum featuring the world’s largest private collection of antique nutcrackers.

Old World Christmas Market

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Web: www.christmasmarketatosthoff.com

Elkhart Lake Christmas Market

Old World Market (christmasmarketatosthoff.com)

The Old World Christmas Market of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin is one of America’s more unique Christmas experiences as it is hosted at the Osthoff, a sprawling resort hotel that enthusiastically embraces the holiday season.  This somewhat different experience has all the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional market with all sorts of programs and workshops thrown in, and a resident reindeer to boot.  The Old World Christmas Market generally runs from the first Friday in December straight through until the following Sunday.

Christkindlmarket

Helen, Georgia

Web: www.helenga.org/photos/christmas-Helen

Helen Christmas Market

Christmas Store, Helen

The Christkindlmarkt of Helen, Georgia is, like its counterpart in Leavenworth, a journey to Old Europe.  By law, every building in the town is designed to evoke a traditional Bavarian village, right down to the local banks and fast food restaurants.  The entire town is decked out in full holiday splendor to celebrate the three-week long Festival of the Trees.  This event includes a full-fledged Christmas market which generally runs Thanksgiving weekend and the weekend immediately following.  The second weekend typically includes a charming Christmas parade down the main street.

Filed Under: Articles

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Comments

  1. Kevin Kuharic says

    December 4, 2016 at 8:22 pm

    The correct website for the annual Georgetown Christmas Market is http://www.georgetown-colorado.org.

    Reply
    • Howard Kramer says

      December 5, 2016 at 6:48 am

      Thanks for the website update. I will change it accordingly. Hope you guys have a great season!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.