Having spent the majority of last year’s winter season sprinting full speed around various holiday markets throughout Europe, I was excited to experience the festivities in New York to the fullest.
While I mostly focused on Manhattan’s Holiday Market options, I tend to walk just about everywhere so I’ve included some bonus festive decor and photo ops that simply should not be missed!
Union Square Holiday Market
Nov 16 – Dec 24, 2023
As the longest-running and biggest of New York City’s Christmas Market, the Union Square Holiday Market is great option to visit for some holiday cheer. Plus, the subway exit for Union Square drops you right into the center of the market, so it’s super east to commute to!
I felt that this market was one of the most interactive of all the once I’ve visited. Perhaps I timed my visit particularly well, but I felt that all of the vendors were super friendly and always had time to give a demonstration of their wares- many of which were hand made!
I really liked Dr. Silkman’s candles that melted into a soy-based hand lotion and Ora La Casa de Las Lores’s line of botanical skin care. Apparently the lip balm is made using wax from a beehive in New York City! Makeshift Accessories also has a particularly cool collection of handmade jewelry made out of antique and up-cycled metal.
Since I was getting pretty chilly, I got myself a cup of hot cider at The Pie Shop, but I was kicking myself after when I saw Breezy Hill Orchard selling a cheaper and larger cup of cider. Still, it was tasty and warming on a cold night.
Bonus- Shine Bright by Hudson Yards
This year I was lucky enough to visit Hudson Yards while their holiday decorations were up and it quickly became one of my favorite light shows in the city! There are over two million fairy lights strewn throughout the area and it’s truly stunning to look at- even the Vessel gets its own holiday lights! The theme seems to be hot air balloons as there are quite a few of those spread around the area, with the penultimate hot air balloon being the centerpiece of The Great Room in The Shops.
Don’t worry, theres a designated photo-spot on the second floor of the building to make sure you get the best view of the decorations- probably why you’ve seen so many similarly angled photos.
Interestingly, there does seem to be an adults-only Santa themed show and speakeasy right outside the Vessel so it might be a fun way to get in the holiday spirit without sharing the space with any children. Tickets start at $58.
Bryant Park Winter Village
Oct 27, 2023 – Jan 2, 2024
The Winter Village is one of the most popular Holiday Markets in New York, and certainly the one that features on Instagram most frequently. With their custom glass kiosks lining the park’s walkways, visitors are able to explore food and gifts from nearly 200 different vendors throughout the park. If you’ve visited other markets in New York, you may see a few familiar faces- I definitely recognized a few vendors from Chelsea Market!
While a good place to browse for gifts, I feel like the real draw of the Winter Village is its extensive variety of delicious treats! Of all the NYC Holiday Markets I visited this season, I would say that Bryant Park has the most food vendors by far. From luxury hot chocolates and donuts to more savory items like curry or a raclette sandwich, there’s something to fill the stomach of even the pickiest of eaters- but beware, with even the fries being $9, you may have to empty your wallet first!
For a more budget friendly day, I recommend grabbing a festive cup of hot cider, which usually run about $5 – $7, depending on the vendor. I bought a cup over at Breezy Hill Orchard’s stall, with an apple cider donut as a special treat, and it ran me a little under ten bucks.
The ice skating rink at Bryant Park is also a big highlight every year. While it’s technically free for visitors that have their own skates, less fortunate guests will be dropping a minimum of $18 for skate rentals. Both should reserve their skating tickets in advance to guarantee a spot. Visitors are welcome to watch the skaters- and snag premium seating by the rink if they’re lucky!
I should specify that the Ice Skating Rink transitions to a Bumper Cars on Ice event after January 4th, but remains open until March 3rd. Since the holiday portion ends on January 4th, I’ve listed it as the ending date for the market.
For those looking to warm up after exploring the market, check out The Lodge; Bryant Park’s rink-side bar. The enclosed area is also the only place within the market that serves alcohol. Since Glühwein has been inextricably linked to Christmas Markets in my mind, I sucked it up and paid a whopping $18 PLUS a tip for the Signature Mulled Wine at The Lodge Bar by Stout- and you know what? It wasn’t even worth it! I’ve certainly been spoiled by last year’s trek through the European Holiday Markets.
Grand Central Holiday Fair
Nov 13 – Dec 24, 2023
Tucked away in the Vanderbilt Hall of Grand Central Station, the Grand Central Holiday Fair is probably one of the lesser known Holiday Markets in Manhattan. The Holiday Fair offers a variety of high-end hand made products, and its interior location makes it the perfect pick to do some holiday shopping during the frigid winter days.
Since the majority of the vendors are selling hand made goods- and are paying a premium to be in the fair, the prices tending to be quite a bit higher than my budget would allow. Still, it does offer really unique gifts- I’ve never seen anything quite like Swoon Living’s wobbling wine glasses and decanters!
This market is quite a bit smaller than its associates and does not offer any food options. Just across the hall, however, visitors are invited to spend some time at the newly opened City Winery.
Bonus- Lotte New York Palace
Possibly instagram’s favorite tree this year, Lotte New York Palace has a stunning tree smack in the middle of their open air courtyard. This area is open to the public, but depending on the time of your visit, you may have to elbow other photo takers out of your way. If you step into the lobby, you’ll find a scale replica of the hotel made entirely out of gingerbread- a very impressive feat!
Bonus- 5th Avenue Decorations
Since these were super quick stops for me, I’ve combined them into one note.
The Fox Square tree was pretty, and entertainingly American themed with red, white, and blue lights. If you time your visit right, you might be able to peak through the window and see them recording the news.
Just a block over at 1221 Avenue of the Americas was a brightly lit tree with a tunnel through the middle of it- perfect for photo ops. So perfect in fact, that there was quite a line to wait for the photo. Still, I thought it was very sweet that everyone was so patiently waiting their turn, even taking photos for the person in line in front of them.
Lastly, the Giant Red Ornaments at 1251 Sixth Avenue are a classic. Stacked in a pyramid shape over a fountain, they’re certainly interesting to look at.
Bonus- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The Rockefeller Tree is an absolute nightmare to get to through the crowds- they’ve even blocked off several of the surrounding streets to make more space for pedestrians. Still, the crowds are thick and slow moving- your best bet is to come up on the tree from 50th street, which gave me a great side view of the tree with half of the crowds. The Rink at Rockefeller Center is of course, an iconic NYC experience, with admission starting at $21 (though usually closer to $50) and $11 for a skate rental.
Bonus- Saks Light Show
This year Saks has teamed up with Dior to create Dior’s Carousel of Dream at Saks: a massive light show against the side of the building. The huge light show and accompanying music lasts for about three minutes, and repeats every 10 minutes from 5pm-10pm.
Bonus- The Peninsula Hotel
I was tipped off to these stunning decorations by fellow blogger Lyssy in the City, who has a pretty excellent write up of this year’s Christmas decorations on 5th Avenue. I’ve never visited this hotel before, but it ended up having some of my favorite decorations! It was just so classy and festive.
Columbus Circle Holiday Market
Nov 28 – Dec 31, 2023
As the last to open and the smallest of the NYC Holiday Markets, the Columbus Circle Holiday Market doesn’t get quite as much love as its companions. Still, that means it’s the perfect fit for those who are not fans of large crowds.
With around 100 vendors, there is still plenty of shops to peruse and food to eat. Most excitingly, there was actually alcoholic Glühwein available here! I’d been hunting for it throughout my exploration of NYC’s holiday scene and had just about given up before visiting Columbus Circle- which has not one, but TWO vendors selling the winter treat! I grabbed a cup for $12 at D’Abruzzo with great excitement, and I’m happy to report that it was worth the wait.
I also picked up a few tulumbas at the vendor next to it, and was delighted to find that they were as tasty as I remembered from my trip to Greece- and having had a noticeably stale tulumba in Brussels, I can confirm is not always the case.
Although Columbus Circle has the smallest Holiday Market, it’s also the place that I was the most pleased with my purchases- I was able to get pretty unique snacks and a drink, and the very patient duo at the Mondepice let me smell as many loose leaf teas as I liked before I picked one to take home (I settled on the Hibiscus Kir Royal, if you were wondering).
I was also delighted to be serenaded by a group of Carolers while sipping on my Glühwein. Maybe its the New Yorker in me, but the fact that they were singing just to sing, with no donation box in sight, was a Christmas miracle in and of itself.
In Summary
Although this list is technically do-able in one day, I highly discourage you from making such an attempt. Trust me, your feet will thank me.
Instead, pick one Holiday market- since the markets at Columbus Circle, Union Square and Bryant Park are all organized by Urbanspace, there can be quite a bit of overlap in the vendors between locations. The Pie Shop, for instance, had a spot in all three markets- though there was a slight variation in the menu.
I’ve judged each market as the following:
Bryant Park is the penultimate NYC holiday experience. This is the market to pick if you’ve only got one chance to visit an NYC Market- or if you’re trying to show off to out-of-towners. It’s also the best bet for an exciting (if expensive) foodie experience.
Union Square is your best bet for getting holiday gifts. The variety and the average price point makes it just that much easier to find special presents for friends and family.
Columbus Circle is my personal pick- mostly for the Glühwein, if I’m being honest- though I was also a big fan of the amount of free samples I was offered and the relative lack of crowds.
Grand Central is the only option out of the four markets that is not run by Urban Space, which makes it the most unique option. This is a great market to pick if you’re looking for high end gifts, or just looking to sample a holiday market without being out in the cold.
I’ve included a map of the New York City Holiday Markets and some of my favorite festive decorations for your convenience.
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