Savannah Christmas Market 2026 (Nov. 19–Jan. 3): Free Entry, Hours, Parking and What’s There

Dates, hours, the free-entry answer, the holiday events and the parking note come from the district’s own market page (plantriverside.com/savannah-christmas-market), backed by the Visit Savannah listing (checked October 14, 2026). Some lists show the market as Nov. 19–22, 2026. The official page does not say that: it says Nov. 19 to Jan. 3. We don’t sell tickets (there are none to buy) and link to no resale sites.

Savannah Christmas Market 2026 at a glance

Question	Answer
When?	Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027
Hours	Open 7 days a week, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; some vendors may be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Where?	Plant Riverside District, 400 W. River St., Savannah, GA 31401
Cost	Free to visitors; food, drinks and gifts are extra
Rain?	Rain or shine; any change in hours is posted on the district’s website and social media
Parking	Paid public parking and valet “steps away,” per the district; rates not yet announced – we check weekly
What’s there	Vendor stalls, live performances, children’s activities, photos with Santa, Festival of Trees, gingerbread display, food and drink
Dogs and strollers	Not addressed on the district’s pages; one pet-travel site lists leashed dogs as welcome
Phone	912-373-9100

When is the Savannah Christmas Market in 2026?

The official dates are November 19, 2026, to January 3, 2027. The district’s page says the market “will officially open on Thursday, November 19th 2026” and runs “till January 3rd 2027.” Visit Savannah’s listing gives the same dates. Hours are the same every day: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Compared with last year, the run is longer. Visit Savannah’s 2025 listing for the same market gave Nov. 20 through Dec. 31, 2025, so the 2026 market opens a day earlier and stays open into the first weekend of January. The district’s page has no change list and doesn’t say what else is different, so treat that as the only change we can confirm.

Two caveats. The page says “45 days”; counting both ends of Nov. 19 to Jan. 3 gives 46, so we use the dates and not the count. And “some vendors may not be open on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day,” which means the market itself is open on both days but individual stalls may not be. Call ahead if your plans depend on one stall.

What is at the Savannah Christmas Market?

The district describes a European-style outdoor market with vendor stalls, live performances, children’s activities, photos with Santa and “a wide range of holiday-themed food and drink options.” Visit Savannah describes open-air huts “inspired by Old World markets” and complimentary live holiday music and street performances.

Last year’s Visit Savannah listing counted 50 booths, 37 of them local or regional vendors, selling handmade gifts, decor and treats, with hot chocolate and Belgian waffles among the food. The 2026 booth count has not been published; vendor applications for 2026 were still open on the district’s vendor page when we checked.

The 2026 calendar of named events on the district’s page:

Date (2026)	Time	Event
Nov. 19	Starts the season	Savannah Christmas Market opens; Festival of Trees opens, with multiple days listed
Thu., Nov. 26	11 a.m.–3 p.m.	Thanksgiving Brunch
Fri., Nov. 27	3–6 p.m.	Letters to Santa
Fri., Nov. 27	6:30–7:30 p.m.	Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Fri., Nov. 27	All of December	Gingerbread Display (the “Gingerbread House Unveiling”)
Sat., Nov. 28	2 p.m.	Holiday Cookie Decorating, multiple days listed
Sun., Dec. 20	11 a.m.–2 p.m.	Brunch with Santa

The Festival of Trees is a display of Christmas trees decorated by local businesses, organizations and community members. The district says part of the proceeds support the New Ebenezer Retreat Center and the Treutlen House, a home for boys, both in Effingham County.

Santa and Mrs. Claus “will be visiting on several occasions,” according to the district, but it hasn’t published the visit days. The page doesn’t say whether the brunches need a reservation or a paid ticket: not yet announced – we check weekly.

What the official pages do not mention: an ice rink, rides or a carousel. If you see those on a list, check where it got them. One travel site’s description of the market refers to skating at a civic center, which is a different place and not part of the district’s program.

How much does the Savannah Christmas Market cost?

Nothing to walk in. The district’s FAQ answers “Is there an entry fee?” with “The Savannah Christmas Market is free to visitors.” Visit Savannah’s 2025 listing also said “Free Admission.” You pay for what you buy: food, drinks, gifts and parking. The district has not published food or drink prices, and we won’t guess at them.

Special events inside the season, such as the two brunches, may carry their own costs. The market page does not say, so check there before you plan a meal around either one.

How do you get to the Savannah Christmas Market?

• Address: Plant Riverside District, 400 W. River St., Savannah, GA 31401 (the district’s footer and event listing). Its map and directory page gives 500 W. River St. for the parking facility, so use the district’s own map link when you navigate.
• Parking: the district says there is “paid public and valet parking available steps away.” Its map page describes a public parking facility built with the City of Savannah with nearly 500 spaces, and says oversized vehicles are not accepted. Rates, hours and valet prices are not yet announced – we check weekly.
• Other downtown parking: Visit Savannah lists the River Street area garages as Barnard Ramp (1) and (2) and Abercorn Ramp, a Visitor Day Pass at $15 for 24 hours or $24 for 48 hours, and pay-by-phone in the ParkSavannah app. The passes are sold at Mobility & Parking Services, 100 E. Bryan St., Monday–Friday, with a license plate and state ID. Visit Savannah also warns that garages may close early during major events and that passes are not valid in street-sweeping zones (Getting Around).
• Free DOT shuttle: Visit Savannah lists the downtown DOT shuttle as free, with hours of 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays, and no service on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day. It stops running before the market closes at 9 p.m., and no official page says it stops at Plant Riverside, so don’t plan your ride home on it. Our Savannah visitor guide has the routes.
• Trolley or a market shuttle: not yet announced – we check weekly. We found no official market shuttle.
• Ferry: the free Savannah Belles Ferry has landings at City Hall and Waving Girl on the Riverwalk; the official pages do not say how far either is from the market, so look at a map before you count on it.

Driving to Savannah from	Miles	Drive time (no traffic)
Atlanta	250	4h 38m

Free-flow OpenStreetMap routing between downtown Atlanta and Savannah (collected September 29, 2026), no traffic model. Holiday weekends add a lot. Full table: Georgia drive times.

When is the best time to go?

The district publishes no crowd data, so this is judgment, not a statistic. The market welcomes “over 250,000 visitors” a season, by the district’s own count, and the busiest windows will be the opening weekend, the tree-lighting night (Nov. 27), the weekends before Christmas and the days between Christmas and New Year’s. For the thinnest crowds, go on a weekday in the afternoon, either in the first week of December or in the first days of January. For lights, go after dark: the market is open until 9 p.m. every night.

Is the Savannah Christmas Market good for kids?

• Free entry means you can come for an hour and leave without paying a ticket for each child.
• Santa: the district lists photos with Santa, Letters to Santa on Nov. 27, 3–6 p.m., and Brunch with Santa on Dec. 20, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus visit “on several occasions”; the visit days aren’t published yet – not yet announced, we check weekly.
• Hands-on: Holiday Cookie Decorating starts Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. and is listed on multiple days. The gingerbread display and Festival of Trees are things a child can walk through and look at.
• Strollers: the official pages do not address strollers, so we can’t say how the ground or the aisles between huts handle one. Expect crowds at peak times, and bring a carrier if you have a baby. River Street’s old cobblestones, which many visitors add to the trip, are rough on stroller wheels.
• Restrooms and food: the district says its restaurants, including District Smokehouse, District Seafood, Riverside Burger, Riverside Biergarten, Graffito, Savannah Tequila Company and Stone and Webster Chophouse, are a few steps from the market. Restroom locations aren’t listed on the market page.

Can you bring a dog?

The district’s market page and FAQ say nothing about pets. BringFido’s event page (bringfido.com) says “Leashed dogs are welcome at this festive European-inspired market,” but that is a third-party listing, not the organizer. Call 912-373-9100 and ask before you bring one.

It is an outdoor market, so expect crowded walkways at peak times and keep a dog on a short leash. Dogs on the free DOT shuttle are not allowed unless they are service animals, per Visit Savannah.

What is the weather like?

NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for Savannah International Airport give November an average high of 70.2°F and low of 48.0°F, and December an average high of 63.7°F and low of 42.6°F. December averages 3.21 inches of rain on 5.4 days with at least 0.10 inch, and November averages 2.39 inches on 4.1 days.

Lows at or below freezing average 1.4 nights in November and 5.7 in December. It is a rain-or-shine market, so a light rain jacket matters more than a heavy coat. After dark by the river it feels colder than the afternoon high, so bring a layer. See Georgia weather by month for other months and cities.

How do you make a weekend of it?

• Plan the rest of Savannah: our Savannah visitor guide covers what things cost, where to park and what is free, and the 3-day Savannah itinerary sequences it by day. River Street, the street the district’s address is on, has shops and the Riverwalk.
• Thanksgiving week: the Thanksgiving Brunch is Nov. 26 and the tree lighting is the next night. See Thanksgiving in Georgia for other holiday-weekend ideas.
• More holiday trips: Christmas in Georgia, Georgia Christmas lights and Christmas markets in Atlanta if you want a second market on the same trip.
• Come back in spring: Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day is the city’s other big event.

FAQ

When is the Savannah Christmas Market in 2026?

Thursday, November 19, 2026, through Sunday, January 3, 2027, every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., per Plant Riverside District’s market page. Some lists show only Nov. 19–22; the official page does not.

Is the Savannah Christmas Market free?

Yes. The district’s FAQ says the market “is free to visitors.” Food, drinks, gifts and parking cost extra, and we don’t have published prices for them.

Where is the Savannah Christmas Market?

At Plant Riverside District, 400 W. River St., Savannah, GA 31401, on the Savannah waterfront.

Where do you park for the Savannah Christmas Market?

The district says paid public and valet parking is “steps away,” and its map page describes a River Street public garage with nearly 500 spaces. Rates have not been announced. Other downtown garages are Barnard Ramp and Abercorn Ramp.

Is the Savannah Christmas Market open on Thanksgiving and Christmas?

The market runs daily through Jan. 3, but the district says some vendors may not be open on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It doesn’t list a full closure on either day.

Is there an ice rink or rides at the Savannah Christmas Market?

Neither is mentioned on the district’s market page or Visit Savannah’s listing. The listed features are vendor stalls, live performances, children’s activities, Santa photos, Festival of Trees and a gingerbread display.

Can I bring my dog or stroller?

The official pages don’t address either. BringFido lists leashed dogs as welcome, but that is a third-party listing. Call 912-373-9100 to confirm.

How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on October 14, 2026. Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.

Sources

• Plant Riverside District — Savannah Christmas Market (dates, hours, FAQ, holiday events, address)
• Plant Riverside District — Map & Directory (parking facility, valet)
• Plant Riverside District — Vendor booth applications (2026 vendor applications open)
• Visit Savannah — Savannah Christmas Market at Plant Riverside (2026 dates, features)
• Visit Savannah — 2025 listing for the market (free admission, 50 booths, Nov. 20–Dec. 31, 2025)
• Visit Savannah — Getting Around (DOT shuttle, ferry, River Street parking)
• BringFido — Savannah Christmas Market (third-party pet listing)
• It’s Georgia — Georgia Drive Times (OSRM free-flow, collected September 29, 2026)
• It’s Georgia — Georgia Weather by Month (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Savannah Intl Ap)

Checked on October 14, 2026 against Plant Riverside District’s market page and Visit Savannah. Parking rates, Santa visit days, brunch details and pet and stroller rules were not yet published; we re-check this guide every week until the market opens.