Waconia's holiday season got a serious upgrade in 2025, when the Christkindlsmarkt — a German-style open-air Christmas market with more than two decades of history in Excelsior — relocated to City Square Park. Add the long-running Tree Lighting in the Park on Black Friday evening and a November full of shop-small days, and downtown Waconia now carries the holidays the way it carries summer. This guide covers every event on the calendar from early November through the market's final weekend, plus where to warm up in between.
Advertisement
The Waconia Christkindlsmarkt
The centerpiece. The Christkindlsmarkt turns City Square Park (104 E Main St) into an old-world holiday village: wooden vendor stalls with handmade gifts, German food and drink — including mugs of warm Glühwein — live music, storytelling, a magic show, and appearances by the Christkind, Saint Nicholas, and the mischievous Krampus. Kids can meet live reindeer, and the St. Martin's children's lantern parade lights up Saturday evenings. Admission is free. The market typically runs Friday through Sunday across the first two weekends of December; 2026 dates hadn't been announced when this guide was last updated — confirm at christmasinwaconia.com.
“Glühwein in one hand, a lantern parade going by, snow starting to fall on the gazebo — City Square Park in December makes its case pretty quickly.”
— Local advice
Tree Lighting in the Park
Waconia's official holiday kickoff hasn't changed: on the Friday after Thanksgiving (November 27 in 2026), the community gathers at the City Square Park Gazebo at 6pm for free hot cocoa, fire pits, festive music, and the ceremonial lighting of the community Christmas tree. Dress warmly, bring the whole family, and note that Small Business Saturday follows the very next morning — Thanksgiving weekend is effectively a two-day downtown holiday festival.
November's Shop-Small Days
Waconia runs three distinct shop-local days before December even starts. D.E.A.R. Hunting Day (Divas Enjoying Awesome Retail) lands on Minnesota's deer-opener Saturday — November 7 in 2026, its 19th year — with downtown businesses hiding the letters D-E-A-R for a chance at the $400+ Basket of Waconia, plus extra deals for anyone in blaze orange. Pink Friday (November 20 in 2026) is the shop-small answer to Black Friday, one week early. And Small Business Saturday (November 28) closes Thanksgiving weekend with specials across downtown's independent shops. Between the three, you can finish a holiday list without leaving town.
Go on a Saturday
The Christkindlsmarkt's children's lantern parade and fullest entertainment slate land on Saturdays — and evening, when the stall lights come on, is peak atmosphere.
Event details →Book the Igloos Early
Schram Vineyards' heated see-through igloos start booking out weeks ahead for December. Reserve before Thanksgiving if you want a holiday-season slot.
Between Events: Where to Warm Up
December in Waconia is genuinely cold — plan indoor anchors between outdoor events. Mocha Monkey handles the hot-drink rotation a block from the park. Iron Tap and Lakeside Tavern cover lunch and dinner downtown. J. Carver Distillery's cocktail room is the best adults-only warm-up in town, and Emagine Waconia's reclining-seat cinema is the family fallback when the wind picks up. If the lake has safe ice by late December, the ice-fishing season opener rounds out a full winter weekend.
Plan Your Holiday Visit
The Christkindlsmarkt, the Tree Lighting, and a lakeside winter town doing its best Hallmark impression — December is worth the drive.
Advertisement
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is the Waconia Christkindlsmarkt?
- The Christkindlsmarkt typically runs Friday through Sunday across the first two weekends of December in City Square Park, downtown Waconia. Exact 2026 dates had not been announced when this guide was last updated — check christmasinwaconia.com for the current schedule before you go.
- Is the Waconia Christkindlsmarkt free?
- Yes, admission is free. You'll pay for food, Glühwein, and anything you buy from the vendor stalls, but entry to the market — including the live music, lantern parade, and visits with the Christkind, Saint Nicholas, and Krampus — costs nothing.
- Is there a Christmas market near Minneapolis?
- Yes — the Waconia Christkindlsmarkt is a German-style open-air Christmas market about 35 miles west of Minneapolis in City Square Park, Waconia. It relocated from Excelsior in 2025 after more than two decades there, and features wooden vendor stalls, Glühwein, live reindeer, and a children's lantern parade. Admission is free.
- What is D.E.A.R. Hunting Day in Waconia?
- D.E.A.R. Hunting Day (Divas Enjoying Awesome Retail) is Waconia's annual shopping event held on Minnesota's deer-opener Saturday — November 7 in 2026, its 19th year. Downtown businesses hide the letters D-E-A-R; find all four to enter a drawing for the Basket of Waconia ($400+ in local gift cards and goodies), with extra deals for shoppers wearing blaze orange.