USA Christmas markets compared to Europe?

We have a reasonably nice Christmas market in Denver but it is company that puts on Christmas markets. It is not local products. And, then, because our liquor laws are so antiquated the sale of hot wine is restricted so we don't have the atmosphere of roasting brats and hot wine walking around. It is better than nothing but doesn't compare.

Maybe consider Leavenworth???

I walk by the Seattle Christmas Market every day on my way to work but haven't been to it. $20 seemed a bit steep for admission (at least for my budget). It looks nice and festive and sparkly--maybe a bit smaller than the European ones? I have never been to a European market so can't make a comparison. Do the European ones charge admission? This is the first year in Seattle for the market, so it will be interesting to see it become a tradition.

European markets do not charge admission and $20 seems extremely steep!
Drinks etc. do tend to be expensive in the markets, though.

I got to say, in Seattle you're going to want to charge 20 bucks entry. There's a lot of people who would get in there and cause minor to major chaos if If it was just anyone walks in...

I could see free if it was more of a big open casual place like Westlake center or something.

I'll edit to say so many other cities have free Christmas markets, ours charging is probably more of a private industry thing than some sort of crowd control ....

Well, I've never set foot in Seattle so I have no idea what it is like (or even, what the city looks like) and I will take your word for it :-). It sounds like a sad state of affairs, though... (but let's not take the discussion out of forum bounds).

Meanwhile, I just spend a lovely hour-and-a-half at the Strasbourg Christmas markets in between two trains, just for the price of a 5.50€ luggage locker. Plus 5€ glühwein to brave the rain. Highly recommended even if you are just passing through the city!

Strasbourg itself is almost one huge Christmas market this time of year no? Or maybe Colmar the whole town feels like a Christmas market. I'd like to spend some time in that environment.

Looking back into the murky past, I do remember going to Christmas on the Prado in San Diego many times. Knew a Latvian girl who worked one of the booths. It was pretty cool; you could wander around with a gluhwein, good food, cool crafts. I remember one year though it 30c at 7pm - not super Christmas feeling being in shorts and a tank top :)

I really enjoyed the Denver Christkindlmarket when I went a few weeks ago and found it comparable to a small, European style market, with European style food choices (pierogi, brats, crepes, European style baked goods, etc.) and handmade European products plus Colorado honey, chocolates from Estes Park and other Colorado-local specialty foods.

No entry charge for the Denver market and, because the market is open for weeks (Nov 17 - Dec 23 this year) it isn't crazy crowded.

In comparison, I didn't make it to the German Holiday Market in Mountain View, California, but the photos and videos I saw were wall to wall crowds. They did have Glühwein and admission is free.

Laguna Beach's (Socal) Sawdust Winter Festival is pretty cool, I enjoy it

I believe Chicago has the biggest Christmas market in the USA. Never been to it but it looks fun and there are vendors that fly in from Germany for the event.

The Seattle Xmas Market was a production by a European Ex-pat. He designed it to replicate what he remembers. As shown on King 5 Evening Show vendors are locals. They have a real Merry-go-round and a huge wooden angel tree, etc. Plus traditional food stands. Charging $20.00 is now not much these days as most meals out and movie tickets cost that much. Think of it like a Country Fair. It also makes it available to those who really want to go and enjoy themselves without people who don't. Look on RS site for photos of European Xmas Markets for comparison. Most every larger town has one. The one in Edinburgh looked pretty good.

There are quite a few in NYC, both indoor and outdoor. Bryant Park, Grand Central, Union Square, Lincoln Center to name a few. There is no admission fee and they can get pretty crowded on the weekends. The booths are mostly local artisans, food varies, hot chocolate no mulled wine, and very expensive. Bryant Park, behind the 42 Street Library, has a permanent kiosk selling Belgium waffles, so there is a bit of European food available. I usually go to at least one per season for atmosphere.

Last December we went to a Christmas market in Chicago, and it was lovely. No admission, many ornament and gift stalls, and some festive food options. This year we went to Houston's, also free, felt more like a county fair (but then, it was 70 degrees, so that makes sense.) We saw a gal on stilts in a tree costume, huge dogs dressed like Santa, lots of fun for the kids like face painting and a trampoline jump. The German carolers had a distinct cowboy tilt to their singing, but that was ok. We had some excellent schnitzel and real German beer, and enjoyed wandering with the crowds.

Leavenworth does not have a Christmas Market anymore, although the town is still very festive.

I have not been to the new Seattle Christmas Market, as paying for it is off-putting for me. I guess with going to the ones in Germany/Austria last year and not being charged at the authentic ones, this just seems greedy to me.

There are still numerous holiday markets around here on the various weekends leading up to Christmas and they do not charge. They have artisan booths as well as food/drinks and are quite festive.

For those who don't think that Christmas markets over here do not charge admission, many of them do. Thurn & Taxis Palace in Regensburg, Ravenna Gorge in the Black Forest, Ronneburg Castle near Büdingen, are a few examples. If they are in a castle or palace, they may charge, but not 20$. That seems a bit high.

I went to the Christmas Market in Vancouver, BC last week. A major disappointment! Food listed as “German” was so far from authentic that it was almost laughable. Very few handmade items.

Canada Place has a free exhibit of older department store Christmas windows from the past that was free. This ended up being the highlight of the excursion.

Georgetown, Colorado has been holding a Christmas market for decades. I remember watching them set up booths back in the early 1980’s one morning, with evergreen boughs that had been cut from hillsides near the town.

It’s in the mountains, a little less than an hour’s drive from Denver along I-70, but longer if it’s a powder day and early season ski conditions make for much more traffic than in a usual year. It’s just on one weekend in December, and just during daylight hours. The former silver mining boomtown, full of charming Victorian-era buildings, is a delight in itself, and the Christmas market is an added bonus.

Well, let's put it this way - I'm a life-long St Louisan, and I had never even heard of Christmas Markets until I started seeing Viking ads on TV. We do have variety of Christmas festivals in various suburbs or neighborhoods, but those are usually just 1 day, maybe 2-3. They basically involve walking around the streets of a city neighborhood or old suburban shopping district, visiting various stores and restaurants and enjoying some decorations and music and Santa visits. They're fun, but some offer more than others. And although there may be a few booths, it's mainly local businesses selling primarily their usual wares.