Downtown Grand Rapids' Two Holiday Markets Keep Different Clocks
From Wednesday, Nov. 18, downtown Grand Rapids will have two outdoor holiday markets a few blocks apart. One is the new Holiday Market at Studio Park on the Studio Park Piazza, and the other is the fourth annual Grand Rapids Christkindl Markt at the Downtown Market. Both open that day, and neither charges admission. They are run separately, though, and their hours overlap only partly. If you go at noon on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, only Christkindl will be open. Studio Park doesn't open until 1 p.m. on those days.
Studio Park presents the two together as a holiday corridor. It expects the pair to draw more than 300,000 visitors to Grand Rapids in November and December. The answer to "do both" on Studio Park's own FAQ is short. It calls Christkindl "the other half of the fun, a few blocks away." In practice, doing both comes down to where the two schedules line up and where they don't.
Here are the posted standard hours for both markets.
| Day | Holiday Market at Studio Park | Christkindl Markt |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Thursday | 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Friday | 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Saturday | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Sunday | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Monday and Tuesday | Closed | Closed |
On a regular week, the two markets close at the same time each night, and the difference comes at the start of the day. On a standard weekday, Christkindl opens two hours before Studio Park. On weekends the gap is one hour. A lunch-hour walk from an office on Monroe Center gets you one market. A Thursday after work gets you both.
Three dates around the holidays break the pattern:
Because the vendor lists overlap, the time you spend at each market also matters. Four vendors on Studio Park's market map also appear on Christkindl's 2026 vendor list:
If you're after alpaca wraps from Zion Blankets or the Mexican ornaments and mugs Guelaguetza brings, you can shop at whichever market fits your schedule. Christkindl's listing says Guelaguetza Designs works with more than 100 workshops across Mexico.
The rest of the Studio Park map leans toward small, giftable Michigan goods. You'll find Blue Water Icon's Mackinac Bridge bar accessories and coasters, Stuck On Michigan hats and sweatshirts, and Unique Touches' olivewood charcuterie boards. There are also personalized ornaments from Amazing Light, candles from Scentana, jams from Bougie Breakfast Jams, and dog leashes and treats from Lady Barkley. According to MLive's July report, Studio Park had lined up 24 custom chalets for the market. The same article described the tone Studio Park's Emily Loeks was aiming for as nostalgic and playful. The Arts Marketplace's Molly Ketchum spoke about connecting shoppers with local creators.
Studio Park also rotates some of its vendors. House of Books, which sells journals, surprise books and bookmarks, and The Chubby Batch, which sells cookies and cookie gifts, are at the market from Nov. 18 to Dec. 6. Unwritten Chapter takes over the book slot from Dec. 7 to Dec. 23. If cookies from The Chubby Batch are on your list, plan to go before the first weekend in December.
Christkindl is the larger market, with more than 60 vendors, and food and drink are a big part of it. Its 2026 list includes Baked Cheese Haus, Wurst Haus, Brewery Vivant, Chewie Bitez, Casa de Churros and Chez Waffles. At Studio Park, the evening plan is built around the venue. The market has outdoor fire stations, seasonal drinks and holiday film clips on the big screen. Celebration Cinema, 123 Restaurant and the Canopy by Hilton are on the same block.
A few parts of the season are available only at the Downtown Market, and some of them take reservations that open well before opening day.
Alpenglobes. A private Alpenglobe costs $450 for a three-hour slot and seats up to eight people. The globes are heated and enclosed, with views of the market. You can pre-order food and drinks from Christkindl and Downtown Market vendors if you want to. Outside food and drink aren't allowed. For a group of eight, that works out to about $56 per person for the slot, before food.
Curling. One hour costs $125 and includes a 38-foot synthetic sheet and eight stones. The market recommends groups of up to eight. Christkindl says 2026 reservations for both Alpenglobes and curling are already open.
Glassware. This year's commemorative collection adds four new pieces, from a glühwein mug and a beer stein to glasses for bubbles and eggnog. Eggnog is back on the menu. If you bring your glassware back on later visits, you get refill pricing all season. If you plan to go to Christkindl more than once, bring your mug.
Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. is running a free Shop Local Holiday Shuttle on three Saturdays: Nov. 21, Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. The route connects Monroe Center with the Downtown Market and runs mainly along Ionia and Division avenues. A full loop takes 20 to 30 minutes. DGRI counts more than 30 retail shops and more than 40 restaurants along the route, and about eight public lots and ramps within a block of it. "We try to make it as easy and welcoming as possible for people to support our great local businesses and enjoy the beautiful holiday events and atmosphere Downtown," Lauren Suidgeest, DGRI's operations coordinator, said in the DGRI announcement.
On shuttle Saturdays, Christkindl opens at 10 a.m. and Studio Park at 11 a.m., and both close at 9 p.m. The shuttle runs an hour longer than either market, which leaves time for dinner along Ionia after the chalets close. Studio Park's own ramp is at 120 Ottawa Ave. SW and is open 24 hours.
Nov. 28 is also Small Business Saturday on DGRI's calendar, so the shuttle, both markets and the downtown storefronts are all in play that day.
The markets anchor a downtown calendar that runs into December. In order:
Parade night stacks the most onto one evening. Both markets are open until 9 p.m., the shuttle is on its parade route, and the tree lighting at Rosa Parks Circle is a short walk up Monroe Center.
At Blu House Properties, we follow downtown Grand Rapids closely, from the new market on the Studio Park Piazza to the blocks along Ionia that the shuttle connects. If you'd like a candid read on how a season like this shows up in downtown living, condo life or a move closer to the city center, Contact Us. We're glad to talk it through.
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