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‘Tis the season to shop local, sip something festive and question why you thought you could squeeze one more shopping bag onto the subway.
In other words, NYC’s holiday markets are back.
They’re transforming plazas, parks and even department-store basements into winter wonderlands packed with handmade treasures, vintage finds, festive treats and plenty of opportunities to blow your holiday budget.
The classics are pulling out all the stops for 2026, with milestone anniversaries, boozy firsts and supersized shopping experiences, while unconventional pop-ups are offering alternatives to the usual ornaments and peppermint-scented candles.
Are you hunting for a one-of-a-kind gift, a little retail therapy or something decidedly stranger to put under the tree?
If so, The Post rounded up five NYC holiday markets worth adding to your seasonal itinerary.
1. Bryant Park Winter Village: A silver anniversary with a few new tricks
42nd Street and Sixth Avenue, Manhattan | Now–Jan. 3, 2027
Some traditions are worth keeping — and Bryant Park’s Winter Village is celebrating a particularly big one this year: its 25th anniversary.
The Midtown favorite is back, transforming the park into a European-style holiday village with more than 180 kiosks hawking everything from handmade treasures to seasonal treats. Browse weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
New this season is a rotating spotlight on small businesses, alongside fresh food options like 12 Chairs Shuk, serving up Middle Eastern pita and hummus bowls.
But the biggest news may be for anyone looking to upgrade their annual Santa photo.
The new Club Santa VIP experience bundles premium skating access, holiday crafts and time with the big man himself inside the heated Polar Lounge on select dates, Nov. 28–29 and Dec. 5–6. There’s also a free, walk-up Santa’s Corner photo and wish-list station from Dec. 14–18.
Of course, the 17,000-square-foot ice rink remains the centerpiece, with free admission for those bringing their own skates (timed reservations required).
The rink and rinkside food hall will stick around through Feb. 28, 2027, long after the holiday shops pack up.
And for those who prefer their winter wonderland with a little more privacy, the heated Cozy Igloos are returning for private group reservations.
The tree lighting is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m. — because no Manhattan holiday season is complete without a little extra sparkle.
2. Union Square Holiday Market: The shopping is merry, and now so is the drinking
Union Square Park, Manhattan | Now–Dec. 24, 2026
Union Square’s beloved holiday market has been a New York winter staple for years, but this season comes with a decidedly adult upgrade: For the first time in its history, shoppers can purchase beer and wine on-site.
That’s right — holiday shopping just got a little more spirited. The market is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday until 9 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The city’s oldest, longest-running and largest open-air seasonal street market is returning with nearly 200 vendors, including a fresh crop of local makers and rotating small businesses.
Among the newcomers is The MB Edit, where former fashion editor Marybeth Schmitt is offering vintage fashion finds, as well as limited-edition NYC Parks merchandise for anyone who wants to rep their favorite green space.
A rotating Made in NYC booth will also spotlight six local small businesses throughout the season.
The weekly vendor lineup offers another reason to keep coming back. Silly Sketched Pets will be on hand with live pet portraits through Nov. 18, followed by Kettle & Kame Clay Studio’s pottery and ceramic jewelry from Nov. 19–25. Taiwanese-American bakery Rose’s Pineapple Shorts will bring its pineapple desserts to the market Nov. 27–Dec. 3.
Consider it a one-stop shop for holiday gifts, local discoveries and a little liquid cheer.
3. Macy’s Holiday Square: Santa’s workshop gets a 50,000-square-foot makeover
Macy’s Herald Square, 151 W. 34th St., Manhattan | Now–Jan. 3, 2027
Forget squeezing through a crowded sidewalk stall: Macy’s is bringing the holiday market indoors — and going big.
The department store’s Holiday Square has expanded to a whopping 50,000 square feet on the lower level of its iconic Herald Square flagship, transforming the basement into a festive shopping destination with more than 35 local artisans, gift makers and food vendors.
Shoppers can browse custom charm bracelets, cozy winter accessories, wreaths, floral arrangements, vintage parade apparel, stationery and books, or fuel up with treats from NYC favorites including Levain Bakery, Eataly, Pearl River Mart and Doughnut Plant.
There’s even a mini Museum of Ice Cream pink sprinkle-pool experience for anyone whose idea of holiday cheer involves a little sugar rush.
The indoor setting is a welcome perk for shoppers who’d rather stay warm and dry while checking off their gift lists. It’s open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
The festivities extend beyond the market, too. Macy’s Santaland opens Nov. 27, with reservations available beginning Nov. 20 on a rolling seven-day basis.
If fresh air is more your thing, Macy’s is bringing the holiday cheer outdoors, too. Its Urbanspace-run market in Herald and Greeley squares opens Dec. 3 and runs through Jan. 2, 2027, with vendor stalls, a double-decker carousel and a snow slide to keep shoppers entertained between purchases.
Add the store’s iconic holiday windows and the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Herald Square is worth the holiday pilgrimage.
Best of all, admission to Holiday Square is free — although your shopping bags, naturally, won’t be.
4. Oddities Flea Market: For the friend whose taste runs a little… darker
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., Manhattan | Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026
Not everyone wants a snow globe or a monogrammed mug for Christmas. For those whose holiday wish lists skew more Wednesday Addams than Martha Stewart, there’s the Oddities Flea Market.
The macabre marketplace is back for a one-day holiday edition, with more than 60 vendors peddling the wonderfully weird.
VIPs get first dibs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., while general admission runs from 1 to 6 p.m. Tickets cost $28.52 for general admission and $55.20 for VIP through Eventbrite, including a $5.20 fee.
Expect taxidermy, bones, anatomical curiosities, medical-history ephemera, insect jewelry, vintage treasures, dark art, flash tattoos and piercings and other curiosities that might make your more traditional relatives raise an eyebrow.
Founded in 2017 by osteologist and collector Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina Marie Cohn, the market has carved out a niche for shoppers looking for gifts that are anything but cookie-cutter.
There are also custom flash tattoos and plenty of unusual collectibles to browse, making this less of a conventional shopping trip and more of an immersive experience.
5. Brooklyn Flea Holiday Market: A Dumbo shopping spree with a bridge-side backdrop
DUMBO Archway and Plaza, Adams and Water streets, Brooklyn | Nov. 14–Dec. 20
Manhattan may get much of the holiday-market glory, but Brooklyn is bringing its own festive flair to the season on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Brooklyn Flea Holiday Market is setting up beneath DUMBO’s historic stone archway, with the Manhattan Bridge providing a particularly enviable backdrop for a little seasonal retail therapy.
The weekend market will feature roughly 40 to 50-plus curated vendors selling vintage clothing, antiques, handmade jewelry, ceramics, artwork, crafts and specialty foods — a particularly good hunting ground for shoppers who’d rather give something with a little history than another mass-produced stocking stuffer.
The final four weekends, Nov. 28 through Dec. 20, will bring an expanded holiday maker showcase featuring independent brands, jewelers, ceramists, artists and vintage collectors.
But the surrounding neighborhood is getting its own festive makeover, too.
New this year is a 25-foot live evergreen tree decorated with custom ornaments by artist Katie Wendt of Augenblick Studios, alongside brand-new animated video projections lighting up DUMBO.
The market will also serve as the pickup point for maps to Shop the Studios on Dec. 5, when more than 85 local artists open their workspaces to visitors.
And shoppers can take advantage of the free digital DUMBO Holiday Pass, running Nov. 15–Dec. 31, with deals at more than 50 neighborhood businesses, restaurants and shops.
It’s a holiday shopping trip with a distinctly Brooklyn twist — and a pretty spectacular photo op to boot.
