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Christmas market season in New Jersey is short. Most of it happens across three weekends in early December, several of the best ones land on the same days, and the two biggest markets in the region are both on the first weekend. If you want to do more than one, you have to plan it.
Here is what is worth the drive in and around Morris County, starting with the two that have already locked in their 2026 dates. We update this page through the season as the rest confirm, so anything marked as not yet announced will be filled in as soon as it is official. For the lights side of the season, see our guide to Christmas lights in New Jersey.
Confirmed for 2026
German Christmas Market of New Jersey
Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta. Friday, December 4, 2026, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, December 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the largest annual Christmas market in the state and 2026 is its 25th year. It draws about 30,000 people to a fairground full of wooden huts, bratwurst, hand-crafted gifts, live choirs and holiday entertainment.
It runs as a nonprofit and gives the proceeds away, more than $930,000 to community causes and 64 charities supported in 2025 alone. It is roughly 45 minutes from most of Morris County. Tickets go on sale in November, and this is the one to buy ahead for.
Morristown Christmas Market
Rauscher Hall, in the back of Assumption Church at 91 Maple Avenue, Morristown. Friday, December 4, 2026, 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, December 6, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and there is parking behind the church.
This is the 16th year. It is an indoor market of local artisans, handmade African crafts, specialty vendors and holiday baking, and every purchase supports two Morristown-based charities doing work in Africa. It is the same weekend as the German market, so if you want both, do this one Friday afternoon or Sunday morning and give Saturday to Augusta.
Morris County Markets That Come Back Every Year
None of these have posted 2026 dates yet, which is normal in early September. The windows below are what each one has done consistently, and we will confirm each as it is announced.
Christmas Festival on the Morristown Green. Morristown. Free. The festival opens with the lighting of the Green and Santa’s arrival on Saturday, November 28, 2026, then runs weekends through December with Santa photos, holiday crafts, ice sculpture demonstrations, miniature train rides and live entertainment. It is the closest thing Morris County has to a town-square Christmas market, and it is the anchor of the whole season here.
Country Christmas Weekends at Alstede Farms. Chester. Modeled on European Christmas markets: a tractor-drawn wagon ride, the Christmas Tree Barn with complimentary cocoa or cider, cut-your-own Douglas firs with cutting and car-topping included, a marketplace of wreaths and decor, farm animals and seasonal snacks. Admission was free in 2025.
Winterfest at Ort Farms. Long Valley. Two December weekends of a hayride through a holiday light trail, a Holiday Light Barn lit by more than 30,000 lights, Santa visits, seasonal crafts and local food vendors. The best option in the county if you want the market and the lights in one stop.
Holiday CraftMorristown. Morristown Armory. Run by Artrider, this is the serious one for handmade gifts: around 175 craft artists with original artwork, pottery, jewelry, fiber, glass and sculpture, plus specialty foods. Admission ran $10 to $12 in 2025 with free entry for kids under 16, and there is free parking and a shuttle.
Holiday Craft Fair at Rockaway Townsquare. Rockaway. Dozens of artisans set up on the upper-level center concourse of the mall across the busiest shopping weekends of December. Jewelry, handbags, handmade decor, pet products and gift items, with the practical advantage of parking and heat.
East Hanover Winter Festival. East Hanover Town Hall, early December, free. Performances by local dance and music students, activities and giveaways from community partners, and everyone walks over to Town Square Park afterward for the tree lighting.
The Christmas Barn at Morris County Farms. Denville. Open through December. Not an event so much as a destination: room after room of ornaments, wreaths, trees, lights and holiday decor. Go on a weekday if you want to actually browse it.
Madison Farm and Artisan Market. Madison. The Saturday market keeps running into December, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with local makers, gourmet artisans, seasonal produce and baked goods. Good for stocking stuffers without making a whole day of it.
Grow It Green Winter Farmers Market. Convent Station, Morristown. Sundays from December through April, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with farmers, ranchers and artisans. This is the one that outlasts the season, so it is worth knowing about in January when everything else has packed up.
Planning Notes
The first weekend of December is the crowded one. Both confirmed markets fall on December 4 to 6, and the farm Winterfests usually overlap with it. If you only have one free day this season, Saturday December 5 gets you the most, but it is also the day the parking is worst at both.
Bring cash. Plenty of the artisan vendors at the church and armory markets still prefer it, even where the big events take cards. And dress for standing outside: the German market and the farm events are largely outdoors, and December in northwest New Jersey is colder than the forecast for Morristown suggests.
We keep this page current all season. For the rest of what is on, check what to do in Morris County this month, our guide to Christmas lights in New Jersey, and our full Morris County events coverage.
