Traditional Garding Christmas Market

Advent Kickoff on Eiderstedt

The Traditional Garding Christmas Market opens the Advent season every year on the Saturday before the 1st Advent on the North Frisian peninsula of Eiderstedt. In 2026, this Saturday falls on November 28th. The market runs compactly from 2 PM to 6 PM — four intensive hours of Advent atmosphere in the town center.

More Than a Market — A Local Festival

The market is spread across several locations:

• Market Square and Outdoor Area — Main stage and central catering
• St. Christiani Church — Crafts, arts and crafts, peaceful atmosphere
• Community Center — Artisans' café
• Cultural Center — Exhibitions, music program, craft activities

From 11:30 AM, pre-catering begins with pea soup — a North German Advent staple. At 2:00 PM, the market opens with the ringing of bells. The music program starts at 3:00 PM. Santa Claus arrives at 5:00 PM.

Shops and Shopping

The shops on Enge Straße are open during the market — a special feature that connects the market with local retail and livens up Garding's town center. The Tourist Information office is staffed from 2 PM to 5 PM and also provides information on other Advent events on Eiderstedt. After the market closes, an "After-Christmas-Market Session" will take place at the Lütt Matten pub — a cozy end to the day for exhibitors and helpers.

Garding and the Nordfriesland District

The small town of Garding is located in the heart of the Eiderstedt peninsula in the Nordfriesland district, state of Schleswig-Holstein, not far from the North Sea spa town of St. Peter-Ording. With just under 3,000 inhabitants, Garding is small but serves as the social center of the region — the Christmas market attracts visitors from St. Peter-Ording, Tönning, Husum, and the entire peninsula. The St. Christiani Church, a late Gothic brick building, is an architectural landmark.