For about 20 years, downtown Excelsior's big holiday market was the Christkindlsmarkt. In 2025 it moved to Waconia, and the Excelsior Lions Club started a new market called Christmas in Excelsior. That new market returns November 27 and 28 for its second year. It looks larger this year, and the whole season seems to be arranged around it. Part of the reason is that the Lions didn't build their event from scratch. They tied it to a holiday tradition Excelsior already had at Excelsior Masonic Lodge No. 113, at 249 Water Street.
What Left, and How Quickly Something Replaced It
The Sun Sailor reported that the Waconia City Council approved a special use permit for the Christkindlsmarkt on June 2, 2025. That cleared the way for the German-themed market to move to Waconia's City Square Park. Organizer Myrle Mackenzie told the paper the park offered more space than the Excelsior site. The market drew about 12,000 people the year before, on a single weekend shortened by weather.
The Excelsior Lions Club had been a supporter of the Christkindlsmarkt. According to the Sun Sailor's preview of the first event, the club started planning a new event in July 2025, after the move was announced. That left roughly four months before the first Christmas in Excelsior on November 28 and 29. Club president James Flattum told the paper, "We wanted to help continue the holiday tradition, so we created Christmas in Excelsior as a brand new event and that will be an Excelsior Lions Club signature event that will be an annual thing."
In the same interview he described how Santa would fit in: "The Masons will have Santa and events within their facility, so Santa will be a part of our events through the Masons."
The Lodge Was Already the Fixed Point
Lake Minnetonka Magazine's guide to the 2025 event described Santa's appearance at the Masonic Lodge as a tradition going back "many years." An earlier town-wide program also called "Christmas in Excelsior" was a separate effort from around 2018. Sun Sailor coverage of it mentioned an annual free chili dinner at the Lodge where children could meet Santa.
Both traditions appear on this year's calendar. The Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Chamber's Celebrating the Season schedule lists Photos with Santa at the Lodge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on five days. Donations go to the ICA Food Shelf. The free chili dinner runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on December 5.
- Friday, November 27: Photos with Santa during the market's first day
- Saturday, November 28: Photos with Santa during the market's second day
- Sunday, November 29: Photos with Santa, the day after the market
- Saturday, December 5: Photos with Santa, then the free chili dinner
- Saturday, December 12: Photos with Santa
The new market sits on top of this schedule. It brings two days of crowds to the block where Santa already holds court, and the Lodge sessions continue on Saturdays well after the market tents come down.
Year Two, by the Numbers That Exist
In their October 2026 announcement, the Lions say 100 percent of net proceeds go to local charities. The clearest measure of growth is the vendor count. The Star Tribune's calendar listing for the 2025 event advertised "25+ vendors." As of late October 2026, the event's vendor page shows more than 40 logos under its 2026 vendors heading, plus nine food trucks, and applications are still open.
According to the event FAQ, the market is free and outdoors on Water Street between Lake Street and Third Street. It runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days. For parking, the organizers point to the ramp between Second and Third streets, which charges a fee, and to free street parking around the village.
The activities run on a set schedule each day, so you can plan around them. The music and activities page lists these times:
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Live reindeer. Come early if this is the main reason you're going.
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Face painting and hair tinsel.
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Disney Princess.
- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Huskies.
- Noon to 3 p.m.: Carriage rides.
- Noon to 4 p.m.: Llamas.
- 5 p.m.: Fire dancer.
The artisan marketplace, Santa's Workshop, Frosty's Funland, adult games and photo stops are open the full 10-to-6 window.
Who's Playing the Music Tent
The music tent has a different lineup each day. Julie Tuck opens both mornings, and Ali Soul Shine plays both days at different times.
| Friday, Nov. 27 | Saturday, Nov. 28 |
|---|---|
| Julie Tuck, 10–11 a.m. | Julie Tuck, 10–11 a.m. |
| Ali Soul Shine, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Jake and Josie, 11:10 a.m.–12:10 p.m. |
| Anna Quady, 1–2 p.m. | Ali Soul Shine, 12:20–1:20 p.m. |
| Neville White, 2:30–3:30 p.m. | River City Rovers, 1:30–2:30 p.m. |
| Lexi Chicoine, 3:40–4:40 p.m. | Tory Schaefer, 2:40–3:40 p.m. |
| Mazarine, 5–6 p.m. | Declan and Katya, 3:50–4:50 p.m. |
| Avery Rainey, 5–6 p.m. |
Saturday the 28th Carries the Most
Most of the season lands on one day. On the Chamber's calendar, Saturday, November 28 is Small Business Saturday, the market's second day, and a Santa day at the Lodge. At 6:30 p.m. it ends with the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Excelsior Veterans Memorial, at Lake Street and Excelsior Boulevard, with Santa and the Minnetonka High School Choir. The market closes at 6 p.m., half an hour before the lighting. That makes the walk from the music tent to the memorial the natural end of the evening.
The Chamber's season continues from there. Its calendar marks December 5, 12 and 19 as the season's Saturdays, with events every weekend until Christmas. Here is what overlaps with the market's final day or follows it:
- November 28 to December 8: The Giving Tree Public Decorating Extravaganza on storefronts and sidewalks around town.
- December 1: Giving Tuesday, with Chamber information on local giving.
- December 6, 1 to 6 p.m.: Pints & Presents Holiday Market at Excelsior Brewing, with local makers and artists.
- December 12, noon to 4 p.m.: Highmark Holiday Headquarters at Highmark Builders, 500 Lake Street, Suite 110, with free hot cocoa, gift wrapping and gift-concierge help.
Giving Tree donations can be dropped at the Excelsior Fire District, 24100 Smithtown Road, and at Gary's First Class Car Care, 366 Highway 7. The Chamber posts a separate flyer with drop-off locations for the MACV Toy Drive. The Chamber is also running a December drawing. Submit a photo of a receipt from any member business, dated in December, for a chance at one of eight $25 Community Cash gift cards.
How the Lions Fit Into the Rest of the Year
The Excelsior Lions Club has served the community since 2016. Its work includes monthly community meals at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. Christmas in Excelsior is the club's signature event, and the two November days are when the most people see it. The first year came together in about four months. The second year has a published music lineup by the hour, more vendors than last year's listing advertised, and a Chamber calendar that puts it at the start of the season.
The Lodge's Santa hours and the chili dinner keep the season going on the Saturdays after the market, as they did before it existed. The Sun Sailor's photo recap of the 2025 market showed a crowded Water Street under light snow. This year the event starts on Friday, November 27, at 10 a.m., between Lake and Third.
If you're hosting family in Excelsior over Thanksgiving weekend and want help planning a full Saturday on Water Street, from the reindeer before 2 p.m. to the tree lighting at 6:30, The Fowke Weber Team is glad to share what we know about the village this time of year. Get in touch anytime.
