Your guide to the can’t-miss holiday happenings in New York City for 2024

New York City is an incredible destination year-round, but there’s something extra special about the city during the holiday season.

Open-air holiday markets fill the air with the scent of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine. Skaters twirl on open-air ice rinks, and spectacular shows fill theaters and illuminate the night with festive lights. Once you experience the holidays in New York City, you may find it hard to go anywhere else.

While it’s impossible to see and do everything (even if you live here), it’s always fun to try. So, we’ve put together a roundup of all the can’t-miss New York City holiday happenings. Here’s the best of everything to do in the Big Apple during the holiday season.

Holiday markets

Christmas shopping, lights, ice skating and festive food and drinks all in one spot? Talk about a holiday dream come true. Here are our favorite holiday markets in New York City.

Winter Village at Bryant Park

The Winter Village is a European-inspired holiday market showcasing talented sellers from all over the world at 170 individual booths. Plus, there are plenty of great food and drink options at pop-ups, a lodge, and a lively food hall and bar. There are even private igloos for cozy meet-ups. Winter Village is already open and will remain so until Jan. 5, 2025.

The holiday shops are open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on the weekends. After Thanksgiving, those hours will extend to give people even more time to shop.

You can also go ice skating (the rink will be open until March 2) and enjoy a Christmas tree lighting on Dec. 3.

Union Square Holiday Market

Not far from TPG’s New York City headquarters is the Union Square Holiday Market. It’s a go-to spot for local artists to sell their work, and it’s a prime place to get some holiday shopping done. This year, you can also expect a Kid’s Arts Studio, new live music booths, and food and beverage booths. (Plus, there’s a warming station and lounge sponsored by Citi for when it gets colder out.)

The Union Square Holiday Market is open from Nov. 16 through Dec. 24, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., as well as Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The market will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and closes early at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

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Columbus Circle Holiday Market

Farther north at 59th Street and Central Park West is the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. This market has been around for nearly 20 years, and each year, you can find an endless selection of market sellers offering crafts, jewelry, artwork and more at their booths.

The Columbus Circle Holiday Market is open from Dec. 3 through Dec. 31, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., as well as Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Note that the market does close early on Christmas Eve at 4 p.m.

Holiday shows

New York City also offers ample opportunities to see theater, ballet and musical performances, including holiday classics, modern takes on those classics and shows that are entirely unique all their own.

Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes

Watching the Rockettes perform their Christmas Spectacular at Radio City is perhaps one of the most iconic shows of the season. The show is famous for its kick line, stellar costumes and live animals. It truly is a New York City holiday tradition. The show is 90 minutes long (although you’ll spend about an hour lining up and getting into the theater), and there are between two and five shows a day.

You can catch the kickline from Nov. 8, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025.

Related: How to save money on Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets

‘A Christmas Carol’

You can watch another seasonal classic, “A Christmas Carol,” in New York City.

A long-running musical adaptation, now in its 15th year, is staged at the West Village’s Players Theatre in Greenwich Village (showing from Dec. 1 to Dec. 30). Or, you can catch a classic rendition at the Merchant’s House Museum in Noho, where the show has been performed for a dozen years (showing Nov. 26 to Dec. 29).

‘Elf’

There are several ways to enjoy the festive movie fun of Buddy the Elf live during the holiday season.

First up, there’s a musical theater version on Broadway starring Grey Henson (from Broadway’s “Mean Girls”) as Buddy and Sean Astin (from “Lord of the Rings”) as Santa. The show runs from Nov. 9, 2024, to Jan. 4, 2025, at the Marquis Theater.

For a completely different musical take on the “Elf” fun, the NY Philharmonic will play a live accompaniment to the movie at Lincoln Center from Dec. 19 to Dec. 22.

‘The Nutcracker’

It isn’t the holiday season in New York City if you don’t see at least one version of “The Nutcracker.”

Of course, there’s the iconic New York City Ballet show of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” (showing Nov. 29 to Jan. 5). The New York Theatre Ballet puts on its limited-run performance of Keith Michael’s Once Upon a Ballet: The Nutcracker a family-friendly version suitable for kids 3 and up (only showing Dec. 21 to Dec. 22).

For more interesting and modern takes on the classic ballet, check out the Brooklyn Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by artistic director Lynn Parkerson. This production focuses on cultural diversity (think: street dance, belly dancing, hip-hop and more converging into one show). It’s playing Dec. 12 to 15.

There’s also the “Hip Hop Nutcracker,” which features a remixed version of the Tchaikovsky score. The “Hip Hop Nutcracker” will only have two shows this year: One at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on Dec. 8 and another at Brooklyn’s Kings Theater on Dec. 23.

Ice skating

Whether you’re a skating pro or a novice (like me), ice skating is a fun outdoor winter activity surrounded by the iconic New York City skyline. There are outdoor rinks all over the city you can visit throughout winter.

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is one of the most iconic holiday spots in New York City, with its massive Christmas tree and ice skating rink. While this rink is definitely smaller and more crowded than many of the other rinks in the city, it’s still a top spot for tourists. It’s one of those activities that’s worth checking off your list at least once (even if you hit up a different rink on this list the next time you want to dust off your skates).

When you purchase tickets online, you’ll sign up for a specific date and time. Tickets start at $21, but pricing does vary. Booking in advance is recommended, especially the closer we get to Christmas. The rink is open every day from 9 a.m. until midnight.

Bryant Park

If you’re hoping to hop on the ice for free, Bryant Park’s Winter Village is the place to go. It’s the only free-admission rink in New York City. (Although, if you aren’t bringing your own skates, you’ll have to pay to rent a pair.) It’s open now through March 2, 2025.

To skate, you must first make a reservation online. Skate rentals start at $20, but Bank of America cardholders save 10% on rentals.

Central Park

Central Park’s famous ice skating rink has undergone some updates recently. This includes the addition of a cafe that serves handhelds such as hot dogs, burgers and more. Skating here may mean contending with more tourists, but there’s truly nothing like skating in iconic Central Park.

The rink is open from Nov. 14 for the winter season. Keep in mind that it’s significantly cheaper to skate during the weekdays ($15 compared to the $38 maximum rate, plus $12 per skate rental).

Prospect Park

The LeFrak Center in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park has a massive double rink — half covered and half uncovered. It’s a roller rink in the summertime, but November brings the annual switch to an ice skating wonderland. Prospect Park (which is beautiful year-round) offers a number of ice sports activities, such as figure skating, hockey and even curling.

Skating costs $9.80 for a 90-minute session, and you can rent skates for under $10.

Lights and sights

New York City is known for more than its holiday shows, markets and outdoor skating options. There’s also its incredible array of holiday lights and other seasonal sights to take in.

Fifth Avenue

When you take a stroll down Fifth Avenue, you’ll get to see some of the most beautifully decorated window displays in the city. It’s always fun to see how creative the stores can get with their products and themes. One of the most iconic and must-see displays is the Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Light Show.

The light show will run on a nightly basis from 4:30 p.m. to 11:35 p.m. throughout the holiday season. Head across the street for prime viewing to get the full view of the 10-story display. Fifth Avenue gets extremely busy around this time of year, so if you want front-row viewing, you’ll have to arrive early and stand your ground.

30 Rockefeller Plaza

I think it’s safe to say that 30 Rock is basically the epicenter of Christmas here in New York. You can do it all: see the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, skate around The Rink, browse the toy selection at FAO Schwarz or head over to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes. There are even some fun surprises, like a pop-up igloo bar from City Winery, where you can warm up after hitting the ice.

If you want to see the Rockefeller tree all lit up, you’ll have to wait until Dec. 4, when live performances will precede the tree lighting starting at 7 p.m. Past guests have included Carrie Underwood, Harry Connick Jr., the Radio City Rockettes and more.

An annual tradition for over three decades, the Holiday Train Show features a miniature wonderland in the warmth of New York Botanical Garden’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. During the day, come to see the model trains whirl around replicas of famous New York landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center and many other favorites; it’s all intricately crafted from natural materials such as pine cones, acorns, and seeds.

At night, the conservatory glows with colorful lighting and performers sing holiday classics. You can enjoy sweet and savory nibbles, sip on spiked cider cocktails and mocktails, and try out hands-on gingerbread building. (Most activities are family-friendly, but there are 21+ nights, too.) The train show runs from Nov. 16, 2024, to Jan. 20, 2025. Be sure to purchase tickets in advance because this often sells out.

Hudson Yards

The Shine On celebration at Hudson Yards will launch Nov. 29. More than 2 million lights illuminate the area, and events happen here throughout the holiday season. This is definitely one of the most Instagram-worthy spots in New York during the holidays. Also, since it’s relatively new, it doesn’t draw quite the same level of crowds as some of the other more iconic holiday season events.

Additionally, you can buy tickets to Santa’s Secret to explore the North Pole through a series of six immersive holiday installations, including everything from live gingerbread people to lumberjacks to life-size snow globes. The full experience ends with access to a secret speakeasy playing live music and serving Christmastime cocktails.

Related: The 24 best hotels in New York City

Santa at Macy’s

If you’re a family visiting the city, you’ll probably want to stop by and visit Santa at Macy’s Santaland. Be sure to make reservations in advance as they are required.

Reservations are free and open up starting Nov. 24. This year, you’ll have the option to reserve a slot in-store or online to meet Santa. Note that the slot you receive is not the time you will get to see Santa but the time that you can get in line. The wait time depends on the day of the week and how close it is to Christmas. Macy’s elves suggest visiting Monday through Wednesday earlier in the season to minimize your wait.

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