The 28th annual Holland Friends of Art Kerstmarkt continues this weekend on Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29. Starting in 1997 with just 10 booths, the Kerstmarkt is proud to have grown into a beloved annual holiday event going into its 28th season with 27 booths to shop from during each visit! The 2025 Kerstmarkt season will run weekends only with varying hours from Friday, November 21 – Saturday, December 20.
The Kerstmarkt is located at the 8th Street Marketplace, 150 W. 8th St, Holland, MI, just outside of the Holland Civic Center Place. This outdoor European-style Christmas market allows visitors to enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season, while shopping for unique, locally-produced, handcrafted gifts from various vendors each weekend. In addition, authentic Dutch foods will be available for purchase,
with traditional holiday glühwein, or hot mulled wine, available for guests 21 and older.
This weekend at the Kerstmarkt, you can not only browse from a variety of local makers and their handmade goods, but you can enjoy a few special events, too! On Friday, November 28, keep an eye out for someone who’s had enough of all the Christmas cheer… The Grinch will be wandering the Kerstmarkt from 3pm – 5pm! For those shopping with little ones, be sure to stop by for a story time presented by the Herrick District Library from 4pm – 4:30pm! Then, you can enjoy the classic sound of holiday music played on traditional handbells from 5pm – 7pm as you stroll the Kerstmarkt. On Saturday, November 29, the popular Crystal Blue Sled Dogs will be back from 1pm – 3pm racing up and down the marketplace! You can even meet the dogs up close for lots of pets and photo opportunities between demonstrations. After all the holiday fun, The Grinch will be back once again to attempt to damper holiday spirits.
The Kerstmarkt and special events are free to attend with free on-site parking, and is located right at the end of Downtown Holland’s beautiful 8th street, where you can stroll up and down to enjoy the beautifully lit holiday atmosphere. We encourage those to make a weekend trip to Holland, Michigan to not only enjoy the Kerstmarkt, but to soak up the holiday cheer and other winter festivities, too!
Vendors of the Holland Kerstmarkt are proud to share customers have shopped the Kerstmarkt from all over the world, checking into the guest book that can be found inside the Warming Booth each market day. Don’t just take it from us how wonderful the Kerstmarkt is, for several years in a row, happy Kerstmarkt shoppers have voted the Holland Kerstmarkt into the top 10 winners of the USA Today Readers Choice Poll of the 10Best Holiday Markets in all of the United States!
The Kerstmarkt is open on weekends only Friday, November 21 – Saturday, December 20. For more details on the 2025 Kerstmarkt season, hours, and other upcoming special events, visit
www.kerstmarktholland.org and follow us on Facebook at Kerstmarkt-Holland, and on Instagram at kerstmarktholland. We can’t wait to serve you this holiday season!
Upcoming Kerstmarkt Dates and Special Events:
Friday, November 28
Grinch Visit 3pm – 5pm
Handbell Concert 5pm – 7pm
Children’s Story Time 4pm – 4:30pm *Weather Dependent
Saturday, November 29
Dog Sled Demonstrations 1pm – 3pm
Grinch Visit 3pm – 5pm
Friday, December 5
Sinterklaas Visit 3pm – 4:30pm
Grinch Visit 3pm – 5pm
Tulip Time’s Sinterklaas Shuffle Event 5pm – 7pm
Saturday, December 6
Carolers 10am – 12pm
Tulip Time’s Sinterklaas Shuffle Event 10am – 1pm
Dog Sled Demonstrations 1pm – 3pm
Sinterklaas Visit 3pm – 4:30pm
Grinch Visit 3pm – 5pm
Friday, December 12
Santa Claus Visit 3pm – 5pm
Handbell Concert 5pm – 7pm
Children’s Story Time 4pm – 4:30pm *Weather Dependent
Saturday, December 13
Santa Claus Visit 3pm – 5pm
Friday, December 19
Santa Claus Visit 3pm – 5pm
Dickens Carolers 5pm – 7pm
Saturday, December 20
Dog Sled Demonstrations 1pm – 3pm
Santa Claus Visit 3pm – 5pm
The Kerstmarkt history began with a dream. The Holland Area Convention and Visitors Bureau envisioned a new way to experience the award-winning downtown in its most magical season
