Dayton's Holiday Market is coming back to downtown Minneapolis for its sixth year, and this time Santabear is dressed like Mary Richards. The beloved stuffed bear tradition, which traces back decades at the former Dayton's department store, gets a pop-culture twist for 2026 with a $129 Mary Tyler Moore-themed Santabear that wears a peacoat with anchor buttons, a black handbag and the unmistakable beret made famous by the show's opening hat toss.
The Mary Tyler Moore Santabear will be available starting on Black Friday, according to Bring Me The News, but shoppers eager to grab one early can hit a sneak-peek presale from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 11, per CBS News Minnesota. Ten percent of every Mary Tyler Moore Santabear sold will go to the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative, the station reports. The bear joins other sizes in the lineup this year, with the original Dayton's-sized Santabear priced at $69.95 and a smaller traditional version at $49.95, according to Bring Me The News.
A Tradition That Dates Back to 1985
Santabear isn't new to Minneapolis holiday shopping. The character debuted in 1985, when shoppers snapped up more than 400,000 of the bears in their first three days on shelves, according to Minnesota Monthly. Dayton's kept producing new Santabear editions for more than two decades before retiring the line in 2007 with a bear dressed in pajamas and a matching nightcap, the magazine notes.
The tradition sat dormant until The Dayton's Project teamed up with the Sanders family to revive it in 2022, per the same account. Those bears sold out, and demand has climbed every holiday season since, the Star Tribune reports in its coverage of the market's growth. By 2025, the Santabear had reached its fourth year back in production, with that year's Celebration Bear launching on Black Friday across Dayton's holiday market locations in downtown Minneapolis and Edina's Southdale Center, as well as at the boutique Shop in the City, according to Minnesota Monthly. For 2026, Shop in the City designed both a new Santabear and the Mary Tyler Moore edition, per Bring Me The News.
Market Hours, Location and Vendor Lineup
Dayton's Holiday Market opens Nov. 12 at the historic Dayton's building at 700 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis and runs daily through Dec. 24, according to Bring Me The News. Hours are set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with the market staying open late on Black Friday. It will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, confirms a listing from Meet Minneapolis, which also describes the market's spread of wild rice soup, hot popovers, ginger cookies, wine and beer.
Mich Berthiaume, curator and founder of Mich's Markets, said dozens of local businesses will showcase and sell products during the six-week holiday season, drawing thousands of visitors to downtown Minneapolis, according to Bring Me The News. The 2026 vendor lineup will host more than 100 local makers, the outlet reports, with returning favorites and new arrivals including Christopher Straub, Grandma Skills, Kats Ceramics and Millie's Farmyard Bakery. Meet Minneapolis also advertises shopping from over 100 local makers at the market.
Food From Jester Concepts Revives Old Dayton's Recipes
This year's market is also partnering with Jester Concepts, which will provide food from its restaurants, including Parlour and the newly reopened Revival, according to Bring Me The News. Jester Concepts plans to revive recipes from Dayton's old Oak Grill and Nankin Cafe as part of that partnership, the outlet reports.
Santabear Beyond the Holiday Market
Santabear's reach has extended beyond the winter pop-up in recent years. Dayton's planned a smaller Summer Santabear for the 2026 Minnesota State Fair, priced at $25, according to the Star Tribune. Berthiaume told the paper she would be ready to take preorders for Summer Santabears for pickup at the holiday market in November if the State Fair supply sold out. The State Fair's Dayton's-Mich's Market vendor booth has also carried a broader range of Santabear merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, onesies, ornaments, mugs, pint glasses, dish towels, playing cards, magnets and stickers, according to a vendor listing from the Minnesota State Fair.
