Where to Shop the Season
New York's holiday markets are mostly outdoor rows of small kiosks, plus one indoor fair in a train terminal. Two of the big ones have posted their 2026 dates and hours, and two had not when we checked in mid-October. For those, we give last year's dates as a guide and will update this page when the organizer posts the 2026 schedule.
Bryant Park: Bank of America Winter Village
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park opens Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, and runs through Feb. 28, 2027. It is the earliest to open and the longest-running.
The Holiday Shops by Urbanspace run Oct. 28 to Jan. 3, with more than 180 vendors in small kiosks selling work by artisans from New York and around the world. Hours are 11am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 8pm on weekends, and Bryant Park says many shops stay open later on weekends and in peak season.
The rink is open daily, holidays included, from 8am to 10pm, with hours extended to midnight from Nov. 19 to Jan. 3. Skating is free if you bring your own skates, but you need a reserved ticket. Skate rentals cost $18.72 to $64.48 including fees, and Bank of America cardholders get 10% off eligible rentals online. Rink-side, The Lodge is a food hall with two full-service bars, open daily from 10am to 10pm, or to 11:30pm from Nov. 18 to Jan. 3.
For kids, Club Santa runs Nov. 28 and 29 and Dec. 5 and 6, and Santa's Corner, behind Le Carrousel, is open Dec. 14 to 18.
Grand Central: The Holiday Fair in Vanderbilt Hall
The Grand Central Holiday Fair is the indoor option, with about 40 local artisan vendors in Vanderbilt Hall, which is climate-controlled. A few premium booths sit on The Bridge, between the Main Concourse and Vanderbilt Hall. It runs six weeks, Nov. 9 to Dec. 24, 2026.
From Nov. 9 to Dec. 16, hours are 10am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 6pm Sunday. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day. New this year, Christmas week hours run 10am to 8pm from Dec. 17 to 23, and on Christmas Eve the fair is open 10am to 6pm. It is the best choice on a cold or wet day, and the easiest to reach by train.
Union Square: Dates Not Yet Announced
The Union Square Holiday Market, run by Urbanspace, had not posted 2026 dates when we checked. Last year it opened Nov. 13 with more than 185 local and national vendors and closed for the season after 4pm on Christmas Eve. It was closed on Thanksgiving. Weekday hours in 2025 were 11am to 9pm, and Saturdays 10am to 9pm. Confirm the 2026 schedule before you go.
Make a morning of it. The Union Square Greenmarket runs on the north and west sides of the square on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8am to 6pm, with regional growers, bakers and producers. For gifts that are not from a stall, Strand Book Store (828 Broadway) is open daily 10am to 9pm, and Barnes & Noble Union Square (33 E 17th St), on the north side of the square, has four floors with toys, games and vinyl.
Columbus Circle: Dates Not Yet Announced
The Columbus Circle Holiday Market, also run by Urbanspace, sits at Columbus Circle and the southwest corner of Central Park. No 2026 dates had been posted when we checked. In 2025 it opened Dec. 2 and ran through Dec. 31, closed on Christmas Day, from 11am to 7pm Sunday to Thursday and 10am to 8pm Friday and Saturday. Vendors sold art, jewelry, home goods, clothes and food.
Herald Square: Macy's Holiday Square
Last year Macy's Herald Square (151 West 34th Street) ran its Holiday Square Market of local vendors on the Lower Level from Nov. 1 to Jan. 4. It was the market's second year. Macy's has not announced 2026 dates yet. The store itself is open until 9pm most nights and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Putting the Day Together
Bryant Park and Grand Central are both in Midtown, so they pair well in one afternoon: the fair for indoor browsing, then the Winter Village as the lights come on. Do Union Square on a Greenmarket day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday).
For Macy's, the Herald Square subway station is served by the D, F, N, Q and R plus PATH trains, and Penn Station nearby adds the 1, 2, 3, A, C and E, the LIRR and New Jersey Transit.
