The Carmel Christkindlmarkt and The Ice at Carter Green open on the same Saturday this year, Nov. 21, 2026. They close five weeks apart. The market's last day is Christmas Eve. The rink runs through Jan. 31, 2027. Counting the days, the rink has 33 of them while the market is open and 38 after it closes. Over half of the skating season happens with no market on the lawn.
The January half also has its own calendar. The Festival of Ice, the Carmel Winter Games and Sensory Skate Days are all scheduled at the rink or in the Arts & Design District after the market has gone. Most of Carmel plans its winter around the huts, but the weekends after the holidays have the most going on per visit.
One Lawn, Two Schedules
The two calendars line up closely in late November. They drift apart by Christmas.
| Carmel Christkindlmarkt | The Ice at Carter Green | |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Nov. 21 to Dec. 24, 2026 | Nov. 21, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027 |
| Wednesday and Thursday | 4 to 9 p.m. | 4 to 9 p.m. |
| Friday and Saturday | Noon to 9 p.m. | 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Sunday | Noon to 8 p.m. | 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Monday and Tuesday | Normally closed | Closed most weeks for private rentals |
| Christmas Eve | Noon to 4 p.m. | 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Admission | Free | Paid skating ticket |
The market also has a few extra days. It opens noon to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, closes on Thanksgiving, and keeps noon-to-9 hours Dec. 21 through 23 before closing on Christmas Day. If you have seen Sunday hours listed as 2 to 8 p.m., that came from an April report on Fox59. The market's own schedule says noon to 8 p.m.
The December Half Has a Busy First Weekend
Opening week has the most events. Wundernacht, the 21-and-over preview, is set for Thursday, Nov. 19, two days before the public opening, according to Fox59. Tickets were not yet on sale when Fox59 reported it. The 2026 Opening Ceremony follows on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 11:30 a.m. to noon.
Most of the huts will look familiar. The official market map lists more than 60, and one vendor is new for 2026: Ino Schaller Papiermaché, which sells paper-mâché ornaments and figurines. If you buy an ornament from the same market every year, that booth is the one to look for.
During these five weeks the rink is one stop among many. The market draws the visitors, and skating is something to do alongside the shopping. That changes after Dec. 24.
What January Adds to Carter Green
Once the market closes, the rink's own event calendar takes over. The rink's 2027 schedule notes that dates and times may change. Here is what it lists.
Festival of Ice, Jan. 15 and 16. This free, public event takes up two days in two locations:
- Friday, Jan. 15: Professional ice carvers give demonstrations on Main Street in the Carmel Arts & Design District.
- Saturday, Jan. 16: The carving moves to Carter Green. The day includes the People's Choice carving competition with public voting, the Carmel Fire Department chili cook-off, food and drinks, a live DJ, and skating from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
You could see the carvings on Main Street Friday evening and come back to Carter Green Saturday to vote on them.
Carmel Winter Games, Jan. 23. This event is held on the ice, but nobody skates. The schedule starts with the Hometown Hero-Olympics from 10 a.m. to noon. Team games begin at 1 p.m., including the Ice Trike Relay, Human Curling and Human Hungry Hippo, with a DJ and mascot appearances. Proceeds go to selected local nonprofits. The 2027 page does not list a team fee. For the January 2026 Games, a City of Carmel announcement said the event was brought by Allied Solutions and listed a one-time $300 team registration fee. That figure is from last season, so a group planning to enter should check the current terms.
Sensory Skate Days, dates to be announced. These sessions are sensory-friendly and meant for families, especially children with autism, sensory processing disorder or other special needs. Skate aids are available. The 2027 page hasn't posted dates or a price yet. In 2024 the sessions were free and brought by the Carmel Advisory Committee on Disability, according to a City of Carmel release.
All of these events are planned around the rink and the Arts & Design District rather than the market. The rink stays on its Wednesday-through-Sunday schedule through the end of January, so most weekends that month have something going on at Carter Green.
What a Skate Costs, and What Isn't Confirmed
Skating is the one part of Carter Green's winter that costs money, and the 2026–27 prices haven't been formally announced. The rink's FAQ currently lists $11 for adults and youth 11 and older, $9 for children 10 and under, and $4 per person for skate rental. The FAQ doesn't say which season those prices apply to. They do match last year's. WISH-TV reported 2025–26 prices of $15 for ages 11 and up with rental or $11 without, and $13 for children 10 and under with rental or $9 without. Use these numbers as last season's prices until the rink posts new ones.
Session sizes put a limit on walk-up skating. Sessions last 90 minutes. Tickets are sold online and at the admissions hut, and walk-up tickets go on sale a half-hour before the first session of the day. As of mid-October the rink's tickets page promotes reserving a time online, but it also says the booking software isn't running yet. Fox59 reported in April that ice tickets would go on sale later in 2026. The busy Festival of Ice Saturday is when it matters most to have a time slot booked before you go.
Getting There While Range Line Is Still Under Construction
The market's parking guide lists five park-and-walk garages, all connected to the Monon Trail. The three nearest:
- Civic Square Garage, 50 Red Truck Rd.: 0.3 mile, about a 6 to 10 minute walk north toward Bank Street, west to the Monon, then north to the market.
- Midtown South Garage, 580 Veterans Way: 0.5 mile, about a 6 to 10 minute walk south on Veterans Way, west on Walnut Street, then south on the Monon.
- Midtown North Garage, 145 Elm St.: 0.5 mile, about 9 to 12 minutes west on Elm to the Monon, then south.
Proscenium Garage at 1225 Veterans Way is 0.6 mile away, and Sophia Square Garage, an underground garage at 31 1st Ave. NW, is 0.8 mile away.
On market weekends a free, accessible shuttle runs from 535 College Drive about every 15 minutes during market hours. The guide ties the shuttle to market hours, so don't expect it on January weekends unless it's announced.
Range Line Road is the open question. On July 29 the City of Carmel announced construction on northbound Range Line Road between Executive Drive and City Center Drive starting Aug. 3. The project adds a multi-use path and on-street parking and includes safety and accessibility improvements, with a detour along 3rd Avenue SW. At the time, the city estimated the work would be done before the market opened in November. The city's Oct. 9 newsletter still listed that stretch as under construction with lane restrictions. It didn't report the work as finished or say it was delayed. If you usually drive in on Range Line, check its status before opening weekend.
Two New Stops on the Walk In
Two places in Carmel City Center that opened this year fit easily into a trip to the rink. Charred is open at 61 W. City Center Drive, according to a July 31 Carmel City Center post. Current in Carmel covered the steakhouse ahead of its expected July 10 opening. For something smaller between sessions, Flavor Bridge Snack & Beverage opened in the Nash Building at 846 S. Rangeline Road, according to Carmel City Center's April 22 announcement.
Dinner at Charred on the Friday of the Festival of Ice, with the carving demonstrations on Main Street the same evening, fits in the same few blocks.
Some buyers decide where to live by how close they want to be to places like Carter Green. A walk to the rink along the Monon and a garage-and-shuttle trip are very different winters. If that's part of your search, Allen Williams and the Williams Richwine Real Estate Group can show you how distance to the Arts & Design District shows up in Carmel home values. Start by requesting a complimentary home valuation.