The Savannah Christmas Market is the free outdoor holiday market at Plant Riverside District, on the west end of River Street. For 2026 it runs Thursday, November 19 through Sunday, January 3, 2027, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Entry is free, rain or shine. This guide covers the dates, hours, parking, what is on site, the restaurants inside the district, and hotels you can walk from.
Facts below are taken from Plant Riverside's market page and, where noted, from Visit Savannah, the City of Savannah, each restaurant's page on plantriverside.com, and Booking.com. Checked October 22, 2026. Schedules can still change, so confirm on the official Savannah Christmas Market page before you go. Visit Savannah lists the same dates and address on its event page.
Savannah Christmas Market 2026 at a glance
- Dates: Thursday, November 19, 2026 through Sunday, January 3, 2027.
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
- Admission: free. Rain or shine.
- Address: Plant Riverside District, 400 W River Street, Savannah, GA 31401.
- Parking: paid public parking and valet. The market page does not list dollar rates. The city garage rates are below.
- Holiday exceptions: some vendors may not open on Thanksgiving Day (November 26, 2026) or Christmas Day (December 25, 2026).
That block is the short answer if you only needed savannah christmas market dates, hours, and where it is. The rest of the page is how to use those hours: where to leave the car, what the district actually puts on the riverwalk, where to eat without leaving the property, and which other holiday events land on the same days.
Where the Savannah Christmas Market is and how to get there
The market is at Plant Riverside District, the redeveloped 1912 power plant at the west end of River Street. The address printed on the market page is 400 W River Street, Savannah, GA 31401. The district's own FAQ says the plant's smokestacks, which it lists at 176 feet, still anchor that west end of the riverfront, so they are the landmark you are walking toward.
River Street itself is the cobblestone riverfront below Bay Street. From the middle of the historic riverfront, you walk west, toward the Talmadge Bridge, rather than east toward Eastern Wharf. Our River Street guide and river walk guide cover the rest of that stretch. The market sits in the district, not in a separate fairground, so once you are on the riverwalk at Plant Riverside you are there.
Savannah Christmas Market parking
The market FAQ answers parking in one line: paid public parking and valet are available steps from the market. The district FAQ adds that Plant Riverside, with the City of Savannah, built a public garage of nearly 500 spaces on River Street, and that valet is also offered. Neither of those Plant Riverside pages posts a dollar rate. Treat the district's own description as "paid," and use the city's posted garage rates if you want numbers.
The City of Savannah facility page for the Plant Riverside Parking Garage lists it at 500 West River Street, Savannah, GA 31401, with direct access to the district and River Street. Checked October 22, 2026, that page shows:
- Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Spaces: 488 vehicles.
- 0 to 3 hours: $10.
- 3 to 6 hours: $20.
- Overnight: $45.
- Grace period: 10 minutes.
- Payment: credit or debit card only. No monthly permit, according to the same page.
The city says rates may change for special events. A market Saturday, the lighted boat parade on November 28, and the street parade on December 12 are the nights to assume the garage can fill or reprice. Our Historic District parking guide covers meters and the other downtown garages if this one is full.
If you are eating at Stone & Webster Chophouse, that restaurant's own page says diners get complimentary self-parking. That offer is for the chophouse, not a general market waiver, so read it as a restaurant perk.
Walking from the Historic District
You do not need a car if you are already downtown. Bay Street and the riverwalk both run to the west end. The walk is flat along the river and steeper if you drop down from Bay Street on one of the stair streets. Cobblestones on River Street are uneven, so flat shoes with a grip beat dress heels. The market page does not publish a shuttle. The phone printed on the page is 912-373-9100.
What's at the Savannah Christmas Market
Plant Riverside describes a European-style outdoor holiday market: vendor stalls, live performances, children's activities, photos with Santa, and holiday food and drink. The same page says the market has been voted one of the best holiday markets in the country by USA Today and Travel + Leisure, and that it welcomes over 250,000 visitors. Those are the district's claims, not a count we made.
The page does not publish a vendor list, a booth map, or Santa's hours. This guide does not invent them. If you are coming for a specific maker or a timed photo with Santa, check the market page again the week you go. Vendor interest forms for the 2026 season were open when we checked, which tells you the lineup is still being built, not that a roster is posted.
Savannah Christmas Market vendors
What the official page does say is that the stalls are the point of the market: gifts, holiday food, and shopping along the river. Savannah's Waterfront, a separate riverfront group, describes booths of handcrafted gifts, décor, and treats, but it does not name the sellers either. Plan on browsing, not on a guaranteed store. Bring a small bag and cash or a card; the market page does not say which payment types vendors take.
A practical way to shop it: start at the riverwalk stalls closest to the garage, make one full loop before you buy the first thing you like, and leave heavier purchases for the end so you are not carrying them through the crowd. Weekday daytime is usually quieter than a Saturday evening. That is a general timing tip, not a counted crowd forecast.
Santa visits
The market FAQ says Santa and Mrs. Claus visit on several occasions, and it invites people to take their own photos on their phones. It does not list dates, a line policy, or a paid photo package. Do not plan a trip around a Santa time that is not on the page. If a photo stop matters, look at the district's site closer to your date.
Festival of Trees dates
The Festival of Trees is a display of Christmas trees decorated by local businesses, organizations, and community members. Plant Riverside says a portion of the event's proceeds supports the New Ebenezer Retreat Center and the Treutlen House, a home for boys in Effingham County. The market page does not say whether the display itself charges admission. These are the times printed on the page when we checked on October 22, 2026:
- Thursday, November 26, 2026: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. That is Thanksgiving Day, the same day some market vendors may be closed.
- Friday, November 27, 2026: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and again 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, December 20, 2026: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The page lists those four windows and no others. If you are in town on a different day, do not assume the trees are on view the whole season unless the district adds dates.
Gingerbread House Unveiling
The market page names a Gingerbread House Unveiling alongside Santa and the Festival of Trees. It does not give a date or a time. Until that date is on the official page, treat the unveiling as announced but unscheduled.
Eating and drinking at Plant Riverside
The market FAQ names seven places a few steps from the stalls: District Smokehouse, District Seafood, Riverside Burger, Riverside Biergarten, Graffito, Savannah Tequila Company, and Stone and Webster Chophouse. Each sits at 400 W River Street inside the district. Hours below are copied from each venue's page on plantriverside.com, checked October 22, 2026. None of those venue pages shows a dollar price range, so none is invented here. Our Plant Riverside District guide covers the complex the rest of the year, and the River Street restaurants guide covers dining farther east along the river.
District Smokehouse
Open-air barbecue on the riverwalk: slow-cooked meats, sides, local craft beer, and cocktails. Seating is first come, first served, and the page says no reservation is needed. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Price range: not listed on the venue page. District Smokehouse.
District Seafood
Open-air seafood on the same riverwalk: oysters, po' boys, hushpuppies, and low-country plates, plus cocktails and local beer. Also first come, first served. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The page also mentions live music in the evening. Price range: not listed on the venue page. District Seafood.
Riverside Burger
A walk-up smash-burger stand on the riverwalk, with fries, tater tots, and drinks. First come, first served. Hours: Friday to Sunday 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Monday through Thursday. Price range: not listed on the venue page. Riverside Burger.
Riverside Biergarten
A Bavarian-style outdoor spot on the riverwalk for bratwurst, pretzels, and local beer. First come, first served. Hours: Friday to Sunday 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Monday through Thursday, so it is not a weekday lunch option. Price range: not listed on the venue page. Riverside Biergarten.
Graffito
Italian cooking in the Power Plant building: Neapolitan-style pizza from double ovens, house-made pasta, and salads. The page's introduction says reservations are recommended. A FAQ on the same page says Graffito is primarily walk-in and does not require reservations. Both sentences are on the venue page, so call or check if you need a table on a Saturday. Hours: Monday and Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Price range: not listed on the venue page. Graffito.
Savannah Tequila Company
Northern Mexican food in the Three Muses building: tacos, enchiladas, guacamole, margaritas, tequila, and mezcal. The introduction says reservations are recommended. The FAQ says reservations are not required but are recommended. A to-go window serves a shorter menu. Restaurant hours: Monday and Tuesday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. To-go window: Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Price range: not listed on the venue page. Savannah Tequila Company.
Stone & Webster Chophouse
A steakhouse in the Power Plant building serving USDA Prime cuts, seafood, and steakhouse sides. Reservations are recommended, and the page asks for business casual dress (no flip-flops, athletic wear, or beach clothes). Diners get complimentary self-parking, according to the same page. Hours: Tuesday to Thursday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Price range: not listed on the venue page. Stone & Webster Chophouse.
If you are at the market on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, Riverside Burger and the biergarten are closed. Smokehouse, District Seafood, Graffito, and Savannah Tequila Company are the daytime options on those days, with the Tuesday and Wednesday gaps noted above. The chophouse is dinner only, and it is dark Sunday and Monday.
Pair the market with other Savannah holiday events
The market is the long event of the season. Several shorter ones sit on top of it. Dates below are the ones already documented in our holiday guides from each organizer. Use those guides for tickets and viewing spots. This page only shows how they overlap the market.
- Savannah Christmas events: the season calendar, including the market, parades, and the Holiday Tour of Homes.
- Savannah Lighted Boat Parade: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 7 to 9 p.m. on the river. The boats pass Plant Riverside. The market's posted hours that day still run until 9 p.m., so you can shop before you take a spot along the rail.
- Christmas lights in Savannah: the botanical garden walk-through, the fairgrounds drive-through, and the free lights downtown. The market is the riverfront piece of that list, not a substitute for the garden show.
- Holiday Tour of Homes and Inns: Saturday, December 12, 2026, in the Historic District. The same evening has the Lighted Christmas Street Parade, which starts at Plant Riverside. A daytime home tour and an evening at the market is a full Saturday.
Thanksgiving weekend is the first big test of the hours. Thanksgiving Day is November 26, which is also the first Festival of Trees window (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Some vendors may be closed that day. Friday, November 27, has two Festival of Trees windows, at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday, November 28, is boat-parade night. If you want a calmer loop of the stalls, a weekday afternoon the week before or the week after is the simpler bet.
Christmas week is the other edge. The posted market hours include Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The vendor caveat applies on Christmas Day. The market then stays open through New Year's Day and closes Sunday, January 3, 2027. That last weekend is the end, not a second opening.
Where to stay near the Savannah Christmas Market
These four hotels are within a measured walk of 400 W River Street. Distances are OpenStreetMap walking routes between the geocoded addresses, measured October 22, 2026. Minutes are that distance at a steady 3 mph, so the numbers are comparable. Cobblestones, stairs, and strollers will make the same route slower. Nightly prices are what Booking.com showed on October 22, 2026, for one night, Tuesday, December 8 to Wednesday, December 9, 2026, for 2 adults and 1 room, in US dollars. Each figure is Booking's "average price per night," which the page says excludes taxes and fees. The low and high are the cheapest and most expensive of those per-night figures across the rooms and rates on the listing that day. Prices move, so this is a snapshot, not a season rate.
For a wider set of downtown hotels, use our Historic District hotels guide or the hotels directory.
JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District
Address: Booking.com lists the hotel at 400 West River Street, Savannah, GA 31401, the same street address the market page uses, so you are staying in the district rather than commuting to it. Marriott's directions page also prints 500 West River Street. A walking route between those two geocoded points is 97 meters, about 1 minute at 3 mph. Why stay here: Marriott describes the hotel as the converted power plant, with on-site restaurants, Poseidon Spa, and an AAA Four Diamond rating. Check-in is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 11:00 a.m. on Marriott's page. Booking.com price on the check date: $296 to $535 per night, excluding taxes and fees. The listing also showed a $40 nightly resort fee inside the total-before-taxes amount, so the pre-tax total sits $40 above that nightly figure. See our JW Marriott Plant Riverside listing, or check the current rate:
JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District on Booking.com
The Cotton Sail Hotel
Address: 126 West Bay Street, Savannah, GA 31401. Walk: 524 meters (0.33 miles) from 400 W River Street, about 7 minutes at 3 mph. Why stay here: Booking.com describes a hotel in a refurbished 1800s cotton warehouse with a rooftop lounge. Booking.com price on the check date: $169 to $259 per night, excluding taxes and fees. The price breakdown also showed a $6 nightly property service charge as an included fee. The Cotton Sail Hotel listing. The Cotton Sail Hotel on Booking.com.
Hotel Orielle, Autograph Collection
Address: 102 West Bay Street, Savannah, GA 31401. Walk: 572 meters (0.36 miles) from 400 W River Street, about 7 minutes at 3 mph. Why stay here: the hotel's site says it was formerly the Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront. It sits above the river, with Coastal 15 Fish House and the rooftop bar Rocks on the Roof, per Marriott's Hotel Orielle page. Booking.com price on the check date: $254 to $374 per night, excluding taxes and fees, plus a $30 nightly resort fee shown in the price breakdown. Our directory lists it as Hotel Orielle. Hotel Orielle on Booking.com.
The Bluff Hotel
Address: 630 West Bay Street, Savannah, GA 31401. Walk: 1,128 meters (0.70 miles) from 400 W River Street, about 14 minutes at 3 mph. Hilton's page lists 77 rooms and a morning buffet in the breakfast room, and it places the hotel within walking distance of River Street and Plant Riverside. Self-parking is $25 per day on that page, checked October 22, 2026. Pets are not allowed. Hilton also lists a daily mandatory charge for a Community Preservation Fund and does not print the dollar amount. Booking.com price on the check date: $127 to $227 per night, excluding taxes and fees. The price breakdown we opened did not show a resort fee. The Bluff Hotel listing. The Bluff Hotel on Booking.com.
Book the weekend of November 28 and the weekend of December 12 earlier than a random weeknight in early December. Those are the boat parade and the home-tour-plus-street-parade weekends, and the market is open on both. A Tuesday or Wednesday stay is the easier rate to find if your dates are flexible. This page includes affiliate links to Booking.com. See our affiliate disclosure.
A simple way to spend the visit
Arrive after 11 a.m., park in the Plant Riverside garage if you are driving, and walk straight onto the riverwalk. Make one loop of the stalls before you buy. If you want the Festival of Trees, match your day to November 26, November 27, or December 20 and the hours above. Eat at whichever of the seven restaurants is actually open that day, using the hours in this guide. If you are staying through the evening of November 28, leave the market in time to claim a spot for the lighted boats. If your trip is December 12, do the home tour in the daytime and come back to the west end for the street parade.
You do not need a tour ticket to see the market. There is no Viator product for it, and this page does not add one. The useful add-ons are the events already on the river and in the squares, linked above.
Savannah Christmas Market FAQ
Is the Savannah Christmas Market free?
Yes. Plant Riverside District's market page says entry is free, and Visit Savannah's listing also shows admission as free. You still pay if you buy from a vendor, order food or a drink, or use paid parking. Checked October 22, 2026.
What are the hours?
The market is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., from Thursday, November 19, 2026, through Sunday, January 3, 2027. Plant Riverside says it runs rain or shine. Any change in hours is posted on the district's website and social channels. Checked October 22, 2026.
When does it end?
It ends on Sunday, January 3, 2027. Opening day is Thursday, November 19, 2026. Both dates are on the Plant Riverside market page and on Visit Savannah's event listing. Checked October 22, 2026.
Where do you park?
Plant Riverside says paid public parking and valet are steps from the market, and it does not post dollar rates. The City of Savannah lists the Plant Riverside Parking Garage at 500 West River Street, open 24 hours, at $10 for up to 3 hours, $20 for 3 to 6 hours, and $45 overnight, card only. The city says rates can change for special events. Checked October 22, 2026.
Is it open on Christmas Day?
The posted hours include Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Plant Riverside also says some vendors may not open on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, so individual stalls can be closed while the market hours still stand. Checked October 22, 2026.
Where is the Savannah Christmas Market?
It is at Plant Riverside District, 400 W River Street, Savannah, GA 31401, at the west end of River Street. That address is printed on the district's market page. Checked October 22, 2026.
