Dublin is getting a new reason to lean all the way into the holiday season.
Christkindlmarkt Dublin, a new European-style Christmas market, will open Nov. 21 at Riverside Crossing Park, bringing German-inspired food, drinks, artisan vendors and holiday programming to the park at the base of the Dublin Link. The market will run through Christmas Eve, and admission will be free.
Inspired by traditional German Christmas markets, the new holiday village is planned as an annual event, with organizers hoping it becomes a place Central Ohio families return to year after year, Glühwein included.
The market will serve warm spiced wine alongside other seasonal drinks, as well as German favorites like pretzels, sausages, schnitzel and Käsespätzle. The whole thing is built around the idea of Gemütlichkeit, a German concept loosely tied to warmth, comfort and togetherness.
There will also be artisan vendors selling handcrafted gifts, along with live entertainment and other holiday programming. More details about the vendor lineup and entertainment are expected to be announced closer to opening day.
One of the more collectible additions will be a limited-edition Glühwein mug designed specifically for the inaugural 2026 market. A new mug design is planned each year, giving returning visitors a reason to build a little Christmas-market mug collection.
The market is the result of several years of planning by the City of Dublin.
The city began exploring the idea with a feasibility study in 2022 before selecting Christkindlmarkt Dublin, LLC to develop and operate the event.
The timing also makes it easy to turn a visit into a full Dublin holiday outing. Riverside Crossing Park is surrounded by the restaurants, shops and other attractions in Downtown Dublin and Bridge Park, so visitors can make an afternoon or evening of it.
Christkindlmarkt Dublin will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 4–9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon–9 p.m., and Sunday from noon–8 p.m. It will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays during most of the season.
There are a few holiday-week exceptions: the market will be open noon–9 p.m. on Nov. 25, closed Thanksgiving Day, and open noon–9 p.m. Dec. 21–23. On Christmas Eve, it will close at 4 p.m.
Parking will be available on the street and in Downtown Dublin parking garages, including the garages in Bridge Park, Bridge Park West and the Rock Cress Garage.
Christkindlmarkt Dublin runs Nov. 21 through Dec. 24, 2026, at Riverside Crossing Park. Admission is free. You can learn more by visiting christkindlmarktdublin.com.
