Every year the first weekend of December turns a castle-like Park Avenue mansion into a Scandinavian marketplace. In 2026, Julmarknad at the American Swedish Institute (ASI) runs Friday, December 4 through Sunday, December 6, with more than 60 artisans, pop-up music, family crafts and festival food. If you are staying downtown at Oakland’s on 9th, you can plan the whole weekend without renting a car.
What is Julmarknad, and what does it cost?
ASI describes Julmarknad as a three-day Scandinavian marketplace and one of the region’s largest handcraft markets. You can shop ASI’s own Jul Shop beside glass, ceramics, jewelry, textiles and hand-carved home goods, and admission also includes ASI’s holiday exhibition. The details below come from ASI’s own calendar, and advance registration is required for each session:
- Preview Night, Friday, December 4, 5:30–8:00 p.m.: $40 ($35 for ASI members), with first pick of the shopping.
- Saturday Market & Festival, December 5, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.: $24 ($19 members), $12 for youth 6–17 ($9 members), free for children 0–5.
- Sunday Market & Festival, December 6, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.: the same prices, plus extra family activities and a buy-one-adult-ticket, get-one-youth-ticket-free offer.
Prices and hours can change, so confirm them on ASI’s Julmarknad page before you register.
How do you get to ASI from downtown without a car?
ASI is at 2600 Park Avenue, south of downtown. Oakland’s on 9th is at 215 South 9th Street, so you will be heading out from the downtown core rather than from the neighborhood itself. The simplest way to see your options for the exact day and time is Metro Transit’s trip planner. Rideshare is the other easy option when you are carrying shopping bags or traveling with kids. We would rather point you to the live planner than quote route numbers that can change, and a festival day is a good time to check for rider alerts before you leave.
If you have read our guide to getting around downtown without a car, the idea is the same: a studio downtown gives you a short walk to the places you will pass through, and a ride for the rest.
Why stay in a furnished studio for a December weekend?
Julmarknad is a good excuse to stay two or three nights, not one. Every studio at Oakland’s on 9th has a full kitchen, so you can keep breakfast simple and save your budget for the market. WiFi, utilities, heat and free laundry are included, and the stay is month-to-month, so a long weekend, a week with family or the whole holiday season all work. Some units are pet friendly.
If you are visiting for the weekend, remember it is also a busy one downtown: the Vikings host the Panthers on Sunday, December 6 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Our December in downtown Minneapolis guide covers what else is on, and the November guide does the same for the weeks before it.
Which day should you pick?
Preview Night is the pick if you want first choice of the handmade goods and a calmer, evening-party feel. Saturday is the full festival, and Sunday adds extra family activities with the youth-ticket offer. Because every session needs advance registration, decide your day first, register, then book your studio around it. If you are shopping for gifts, a kitchen and free laundry also make it easy to settle in, unpack the bags and keep the wrapping supplies in one place.
A different kind of Julmarknad weekend
Prefer a historic bed and breakfast with a garden hot tub? Our sister property 300 Clifton wrote its own guide, Julmarknad from a Loring Park mansion. For something to do before or after the market, the Pillsbury Club and Minneapolis Trolley Tours are both a good evening out.
Book your downtown studio
Early December rooms go quickly. Reserve your studio at our booking page or call us at (612) 314-5124. We would love to host you for the weekend, or for the whole winter.