Birmingham's Winter Markt Lasts Three Days. Santa House Runs Until Christmas Eve.
November 5, 2026
November 5, 2026
The Birmingham Shopping District's 2026 holiday schedule, released Oct. 20, adds up to more than one big weekend. Santa House and free horse-drawn carriage rides in Shain Park are scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, the Winter Markt weekend, two more December weekends and Christmas Eve. The Winter Markt and the tree lighting fill just three of those days.
If you live a few blocks from Henrietta and Martin, the useful question is which date fits what you want: shopping, the tree, Santa, or a carriage loop around the park.
Here is the full run of Shain Park dates, as listed on the Birmingham Shopping District's event calendar and in its holiday release.
Times change from date to date, and the calendar lists each one separately. Every item on that list is free. The release says Santa House visits and carriage rides cost nothing, and Santa House has a donation option for anyone who wants to support local nonprofits.
The first Saturday after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday downtown, with the calendar listing a 9:30 a.m. start. The Santa Walk, presented by Crain Homes, runs from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Families who register in advance walk with Santa through downtown and stop at local shops along the way. Registration opened Nov. 1 at downtownbirmingham.com/events.
After the walk, the day moves to Shain Park. Carriage rides run 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Santa House is open noon to 4 p.m. Hazel's is providing free hot chocolate at the Birmingham Shopping District tent at Maple Road and Old Woodward Avenue, while supplies last.
Sunday, Nov. 29, repeats the park activities with a longer Santa House window, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and carriage rides again from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Parking is the detail that makes this weekend different. Downtown garages normally give you the first two hours free. From Saturday, Nov. 28, through Monday, Nov. 30, parking is free all day in every municipal garage. That means a long Saturday of shopping and lunch, a Sunday Santa visit, or Monday errands downtown all cost nothing to park. The Birmingham Shopping District keeps garage details at downtownbirmingham.com/park.
The Winter Markt, presented by Mercedes-Benz of Bloomfield Hills, is the only time vendors fill Shain Park. More than 70 local artists and vendors sell holiday greens and décor, children's toys and books, apparel and accessories, apothecary goods and jewelry. European-inspired food and live performances fill out the weekend.
The event's official page lists ice sculptures, warming stations and the Kinderhaus children's activity area. Marshmallow roasting is courtesy of Surnow Company, and the carriage rides are courtesy of Lincoln of Troy. The event goes on rain, snow or shine.
The Holiday Tree Lighting opens the weekend at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, with Santa and live caroling. The Oct. 20 release puts the tree at more than 45,000 LED lights.
Each day of the weekend works a little differently, according to the Winter Markt page:
| Day | Markt hours | Santa House | Carriage rides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Dec. 4 | 4–9 p.m. | 6:45–8 p.m. | Not listed |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | 10 a.m.–9 p.m. | 10 a.m.–8 p.m. | 3–7 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 6 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. |
Friday is a short evening built around the lighting, and Santa House opens after the tree comes on. Saturday is the long day, and it's the only day of the weekend with carriage rides after dark. Sunday wraps up at 4 p.m.
Once the Winter Markt packs up, the park keeps its two free traditions. Santa House and carriage rides return Dec. 12 and 13, Dec. 19 and 20, and Christmas Eve. Santa visits work by appointment or walk-up, and appointments opened Nov. 1 through the Birmingham Shopping District's events page.
The free treats at the tent at Maple and Old Woodward also continue on two December Saturdays. The release's itemized list gives Dec. 12 and Dec. 19 for sweet treats from the Birmingham Shopping District, while supplies last. The events page carries the current dates and hours for the treats.
These later dates come back to parking. After Thanksgiving weekend, the usual first-two-hours-free rule applies again. A carriage ride, a Santa visit and a coffee fit in that window easily. A full afternoon of shopping might not.
Downtown has three places this year that weren't part of last year's holiday routine, all close to the park.
Bev's Bagels opened Oct. 28 at 283 Hamilton Row, in the space Marrow-on-the-Go used to occupy, according to Hometown Life. The Santa Walk starts at 9:30 a.m., so a bagel stop fits before or after.
e Fiori is an Italian restaurant at 115 Willits St. It shares the address with The Shoppe, a floral and gift shop, and both opened June 17, as Hometown Life reported. On a Small Business Saturday, you can have dinner and pick up gifts or flowers under one roof.
Besos, a plant-forward restaurant at 239 N. Old Woodward, officially opened in late spring after a soft opening of nearly a month, according to Hometown Life's coverage. It's a sit-down choice for the Saturday of the Winter Markt, when the park stays open until 9 p.m.
The season reaches past the park and the tent at Maple and Old Woodward. Through Nov. 30, Baldwin Public Library's Holiday Cards for Our Troops station keeps card-making supplies in the Teen Zone.
The Birmingham Museum is showing "Our Indigenous Heritage: The Living Art of Anishinaabe Basketry" all month. On Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m., it hosts a Create a Basket! workshop for visitors 12 and older. The workshop is included with paid admission, seating is limited, and no preregistration is required. The details are on the museum's programs page.
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