A Quick Guide to Visiting the Outdoor Holiday Markets in NYC

I hate the winter, but there’s nothing like spending Christmas in NYC. A popular attraction around this time of year for many locals and tourists is visiting the Holiday Markets.

I’ve NEVER visited the NYC Holiday Markets until a few days ago and I really have been missing out! There are tons of small business pop-up shops throughout the boroughs, but there are three big outdoor markets in NYC. If you’re a local or plan on visiting NYC this Christmas, here is a mini info guide on visiting the Holiday Markets in NYC.

About the Outdoor Holiday Markets

Starting with the Grand Central Holiday Fair and Union Square Holiday Market, the outdoor holiday markets in New York City are operated by Urbanspace. They run several markets throughout the city and offer a space for local businesses to be exposed to locals and tourists by selling food, drinks and other goods.

As mentioned, there are three big outdoor holiday markets in NYC: the Union Square Holiday Market, Holiday Shops at Winter Village at Bryant Park and the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. Here is some basic information for this year.

Winter Village at Bryant Park:

• Location – 40-42 Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues. (B, D, F, or M train to 42nd Street/Bryant Park or 7 train to 5th Avenue)
• Dates – October 27, 2017 – January 2, 2019
• Times – Monday – Friday: 11am-8pm, Saturday and Sunday: 10am-8pm

Columbus Circle Holiday Market

• Location – Columbus Circle, 59th Street and Central Park West (1, A/C, B/ D trains to Columbus Circle)
• Dates – November 28th – December 24th
• Times – 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Sundays, Closes at 4 pm on Christmas Eve

Union Square Holiday Market

• Location – Union Square Park (4, 5, 6, L, N, and Q trains to 14 st/Union Square)
• Dates -November 15 – December 24
• Times – 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM M-F, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturdays, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Sundays, Closes at 4 pm on Christmas Eve

Things to Do in the NYC Holiday Markets

Here are some fun things to do in and around the outdoor NYC holiday markets

• Shop – The best thing about visiting the holiday markets is finding unique gifts for yourself, friends, family members, or coworkers.
• Eat and Drink – Cakes, cookies, S’mores, pretzels, pies, and much more! Grab a bite to eat while walking around or dine at any of the eateries nearby. You can also get samples from shop owners on occasion.
• Warm-up in the Holiday Lounges – Since the markets are outside, urban space provides lounges to warm up or even charge up your phone.
• View the Holiday Decor of Stores – Taking a simple train ride (or walk away), you can hop over to 5th avenue to see the luxury and designer store’s window displays.
• Visit the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center – You can start or end the night of visiting the Holiday Markets or watching the Radio City Christmas Spectacular by walking over to view the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Here you have the opportunity to go ice skating at their rink.

Have you visited any of the Outdoor Holiday Markets in NYC? Does your city have one?