The best Christmas markets in NYC

The Urbanspace Union Square Holiday Market, the alfresco, European-style winter market with more than 175 local and national vendors has returned. Expect lots of great shops, plus excellent food vendors to fuel your shopping spree.

New this year, stop by Rubyzaar, a fair trade business with scarves and hot chocolate; Pixie Doodle Farm, which brings herbalism into everyday life; and Pigeon be Pigeon, a Bushwick-based art studio celebrating New York City pigeons with cartoons, drawings, bags, jewelry and more. As for food, look for Birria LES serving up Tijuana-style tacos; Curds the Word with artisanal beer-battered cheese curds; a Thai-Vietnamese kitchen called Mama's Cupboard; and Chocolate on Tap.  

This is the oldest holiday market in the city, so make sure to add it to your holiday traditio list. 

It's open Monday through Friday 11pm-8pm and Saturday through Sunday 10am-8pm. The market will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. 

Best for: Easy subway access to pick up a great gift.

Visit the Schomburg Shop Holiday Market at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture during the holiday season. This expanded market which will feature artwork, clothing, jewelry, stationery, and more for all ages from small businesses owned by people of color and local Harlemites.

It runs November 8 and 9 and December 20 and 21 from 11am to 5:30pm.

Best for: Local art and crafts that support small POC-owned businesses.

This weekly Upper West Side marketplace, one of NYC’s oldest, goes all out every holiday season with holiday treats and special holiday vendors. Shop photography, jewelry, furniture, beauty products, antiques and tasty eats from more than 150+ local merchants selling across the holiday season. And feel really good doing it: the market supports local businesses by donating 100 percent of its profits to four of the neighborhood’s public schools.

From November 24 through December 22, drop by any Sunday from 10am to 5:30pm.

Good for: those who like to look through racks and go through bins.

This annual holiday bazaar just outside of Central Park features handmade items from local artisans and snacks from vendors. This year, peep goods from Once a Book, which turns books into novel home decor; Kalsang Pottery with vases, coffee mugs, and matcha bowls made by a Tibetan potter; and Breezy Hill Orchard bringing apple cider, cider donuts and more from the Hudson Valley. 

Urbanspace Columbus Circle Holiday Market is open December 3-31. Hours are Monday-Friday 11am-8pm; Saturday-Sun 10am-8pm. The market is closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Recommended for: Making a day of it. Take an afternoon stroll in the park, then go shop. 

For the first time, Urbanspace is collaborating with the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store to create one huge new holiday market that will include over 150 vendors across two distinct spaces.

The new destination, known as Macy’s Holiday Square, will host a wide selection of vendors on the mezzanine level of the iconic Macy’s flagship, plus specialty holiday vendors across every floor of the massive department store, which means you’ll be able to shop for some holiday trinkets and goodies at any point during your visit.

Macy’s Holiday Square by Urbanspace (November 1-January 3)

Best for: shopping indoors for Macy’s-curated goods.

Shop 'til you drop at FAD Market, a curated fashion, art and design pop-up marketplace, which is back for 2024. Expect to see your favorite makers plus brand new creatives to help you live smarter, gift better and support local businesses. Peruse handmade jewelry, apparel, skincare products, tableware, artisanal packaged food, and more. 

The Poetry Society of New York regularly gives literary lovers the gifts of words and wonder, and this present-buying season, they're letting you pay those good vibes forward with its a holiday market.

The festive, free-to-attend poetry wonderland will feature a range of meaningful, one-of-a-kind (and under-$50!) gifts from talented local poets and makers for everyone on your list. There will also be personalized typewriter poems on offer; live readings from the likes of Dorothea Lasky, Terrance Hayes and Haleh Liza Gafori; a jolly drag performance by Poison Oak and more. 

The event takes over 3 Dollar Bill on Saturday, December 14. 

Good for: Shopping with a side of spectacle! You aren't going to find drag performances at the mall.

Perhaps one of the most conveniently located holiday markets is the Grand Central Holiday Fair. Running now through December 24, Vanderbilt Hall, the destination will highlight the work of 36 local food and craft vendors and small businesses known for their quality craftsmanship and products made within the state of New York or the U.S.

This year, Uncommon Goods have a pop-up at the market on the bridge adjacent to the Main Concourse with a hand-picked selection of imaginative gifts for kids, handmade jewelry and ornaments, small batch syrups and confections, and creatively designed finds for grillmasters, sports fans, book lovers and more. 

There will also be Grand Central Terminal-branded gifts, from Yeti tumblers and Baggu totes to charming souvenirs such as jigsaw puzzles, luggage tags, and playing cards.

It runs now through December 24, 10am-7pm Monday-Saturday; 11am-6pm Sundays. Closed on Thanksgiving.

Best for: Indoor shopping in an iconic venue.

If you're searching for your pottery-obsessed family members or artisan friends, the Prospect Heights-based ceramics studio BKLYN CLAY has just the holiday market for you.

At the BKLYN CLAY Holiday Market, browse the work of over 20 local creators. Pick up a vase or ornamental centerpiece from the MONDAYS table; snag a mug, bowl or lamp from Recreation Center; and check out Julia Elsas’ colorful sculptures and drawings. 

It runs on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8, at Bergen, 84 Saint Marks Place in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. The market is open from 11am to 3pm.

Best for: Unique art for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list.

Looking for cool local gifts for your holiday-shopping list? Hosted by the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Wallabout Wonderland Holiday Market is back for its seventh installment, curating a mix of handmade jewelry, one-of-a-kind home décor pieces, rare fashion finds, beauty and personal care items, yummy treats and more from local artisans and designers.

Expect to see 200-plus vendors (including Birch and Bird, Resin Works, Rich Coast, The Estate Bklyn, Adorn New York Inc. and more) showing off their wares.

The market is on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8.

Good for: The person who is all about shopping local.

Night Markets NYC returns with its weekly holiday pop-ups in Brooklyn this season, taking over Industry City every Sunday from noon to 6pm through the month of December. A must-visit for anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit, the alfresco fetes will feature more than 25 food, beverage and merchandise vendors—such as Crazy Fire Tacos, DownEast Lobstah, Perros Locos NYC, Henko Ceviche, Aguas Frescas Tlaxcalita, Chan Bai Mei and De L'or Cakery—as well as live Christmas music and dazzling holiday decorations to warm you up from the inside out.

The market runs every Sunday in December.

Best for: Those who want a little sustenance for their shopping experience.

Weekly holiday pop-ups are back in Uptown this season, taking over the Jackie Robinson Bandshell in West Harlem every Sunday from noon to 6pm through the month of December.

Shop local while listening to live Christmas music and snapping photos with dazzling holiday decorations sure to get you into the jolly spirit. The outdoor event will feature more than 25 food, beverage and merchandise vendors—such as Crazy Fire Tacos, DownEast Lobstah, Perros Locos NYC, Henko Ceviche, Aguas Frescas Tlaxcalita, Chan Bai Mei and De L'or Cakery. It's hosted by the team behind Night Markets NYC.

Check out the Uptown Holiday Market every Sunday in December. 

Best for: A holiday market that promises to spread holiday cheer.

Bryant Park’s Winter Village by Bank of America is now open with exciting holiday shops, food and activities. Its 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink that’s free to use (if you bring your own skates) is always the highlight, but the Winter Village in all its holiday spirit is a close second.

This year, over 170 new and returning kiosks will be there for you to peruse through.

Holiday Shops by Urbanspace at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park are open daily through January 5

Good for: Pairing your shopping with fun winter activities.