Holiday Markets near Houston

Houston's holiday markets run from mid-November to mid-December, and they come in two kinds. The big ticketed shows bring in vendors from across the country. The smaller markets, often free, feature local makers. If you want to shop early, the Nutcracker Market in mid-November is the big one. For handmade gifts from Houston makers, look at the December weekends.

The two weekends that matter

Most of the area's markets fall on two weekends. On December 4–6, Dickens on The Strand turns Galveston's historic district into Victorian London. December 11–13 is the busiest: the Heritage Holiday Market in Sam Houston Park, the Snowflake Market at POST Houston, the Tomball German Christmas Market and the Coastal Christmas Market in Galveston all happen that weekend. If you can only go out once, pick that weekend and combine two markets.

Free or ticketed

Tomball, the Snowflake Market and the Coastal Christmas Market are free. The Nutcracker Market and Dickens on The Strand sell tickets, and the Nutcracker Market's parking is paid on top. Two markets on this page are marked as tentative because the organizers had not confirmed their 2026 dates when we checked. We update them as soon as they do.