Planning Christmas in New York City is easiest by activity: markets, window displays, lights and shows. Start with Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center, add Fifth Avenue’s windows, and go early or on weekdays to avoid the heaviest crowds.
Picture a short December trip with a free afternoon and an evening. The choice comes down to what you want most: browsing stalls, walking past decorated windows, seeing lights, or sitting down for a show. Each section below names a stop, who it suits and when to go. For dates beyond the holidays, see our guide to annual events in new york city. The season also follows the macy’s thanksgiving day parade.
- Markets and skating: Bryant Park for the largest spread, Union Square for a simpler browse.
- Trees and windows: Rockefeller Center plus a walk up Fifth Avenue.
- Lights away from Midtown: Brooklyn gardens and neighbourhood displays.
- Shows: The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.
Holiday markets
The best holiday markets in New York City are Bryant Park’s Winter Village and the Union Square Holiday Market. Columbus Circle and the Oculus suit visitors who are nearby or arriving later in the season. The dates and hours below are from the 2023 season, so confirm the current year with each operator.
Bryant Park Winter Village
This is the market to choose if you want shopping and skating in one place. Travel Begins at 40 reports over 170 shops in most seasons and free admission. The nearest subway stop is at Bryant Park. The rink around which the kiosks sit covers 17,000 square feet, according to Hub BK.
Skating is free, but entry is timed and reserved in advance. CityLand calls it the only free-admission ice rink in the city. Reserve skate rentals online, and expect the atmosphere to peak from late November through Christmas week. Crowd tip: arrive early or on a weekday.
Union Square Holiday Market
Union Square suits a relaxed browse for gifts, especially if you are already downtown. It closes on Thanksgiving, and Sunday hours finish earlier than the rest of the week. Because it ends on Christmas Eve, it is not the market for a trip between Christmas and New Year.
Columbus Circle and the Oculus
Columbus Circle runs through the end of December. The Oculus market stays open longest, which makes it the better pick for the days after Christmas.
| Market | 2023 dates | Hours | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant Park Holiday Shops | Through January 2 | 11 AM to 8 PM weekdays; 10 AM to 8 PM weekends | Best all-round stop; go on a weekday to avoid the thickest crowds |
| Union Square Holiday Market | November 16 to December 24 | 11 AM to 8 PM weekdays; 10 AM to 8 PM Saturdays; 11 AM to 7 PM Sundays | Gift shopping before Christmas only |
| Columbus Circle Holiday Market | November 28 to December 31 | Confirm with the operator | Pairs with a Central Park or Midtown day |
| Oculus market | November 25 to January 2 | Confirm with the operator | Longest window, so useful after Christmas |
Dates and hours in the table come from CityLand’s 2023 holiday-season roundup.
Rockefeller Center tree and rink
Rockefeller Center is the central Christmas stop for the tree, the rink and the surrounding streets. Its tree is an 82-foot Norway Spruce weighing about 14 tons, brought from Queensbury, New York, according to Hub BK. In 2023 the lighting ceremony was on Wednesday, November 29. See our guide to the rockefeller center christmas tree lighting for the ceremony itself.
Once lit, CityLand reports the tree glowed daily from 5 AM to 12 AM in 2023. That wide window means you can see it outside the evening peak. The same roundup says the area around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall was pedestrianized with moveable barriers from November 29 through January. Expect to move with a crowd rather than against it.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center is the glamorous skating option. One New York holiday guide says it is least crowded in the mornings and that waits are likely unless you book a timed lesson. The same guide describes the Bryant Park and Central Park rinks as just as lovely, with shorter waits. Choose Rockefeller for the setting. Choose Bryant Park if you would rather skate than queue.
Fifth Avenue and department-store windows
Christmas window displays in New York City are best seen on foot along Fifth Avenue. The same guide recommends walking up Fifth Avenue toward St. Patrick’s Cathedral to see the decorated storefronts. It also points to Macy’s on 34th Street for its iconic Miracle on 34th Street windows.
In 2023, CityLand reported that Fifth Avenue was pedestrians-only from 48th to 59th Street on December 3, 10 and 17, from 12 to 6 PM. That makes those afternoons good for stopping at windows without watching for traffic. Treat the stretch as a walk rather than a destination: Rockefeller Center sits along the route, so you can combine the two.
Holiday lights beyond Midtown
NYC holiday lights are not limited to Midtown, and the best alternatives are in Brooklyn. CityLand lists the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Lightscape as running from November 17 to January 1 in 2023, with certain days excluded. Check the garden’s calendar before choosing a date.
Time Out counts the dazzling displays in Dyker Heights among the city’s best holiday attractions, alongside Fifth Avenue. That makes it the pick if you want residential decorations instead of storefronts.
If you stay in Midtown, Hub BK lists Radio City Music Hall, Saks, Central Park and The Plaza Hotel as stops on a walking tour of holiday lights. That links the tree, windows and lights into one evening.
Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes
Radio City Music Hall is the choice for a seated holiday show. In 2023 the Rockettes performed from November 17 through January 1, according to CityLand. Time Out describes the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as a family-friendly show. It suits groups with children or anyone who wants a warm indoor break from the cold streets.
Book ahead if the show matters to your trip, because it fixes your schedule. Pair it with a daytime walk past the pedestrianized streets around the hall rather than trying to fit markets in on the same evening.
Times Square in December
Times Square is a short stop, not a base. One guide says it is always one of the busiest parts of the city, and December adds visitors rather than removing them. It suits you if the bright billboards are the point of your visit.
For a seasonal angle, the NYE Wishing Wall returned in 2023, per CityLand. Anyone could submit a wish online or at TSq Plaza on Broadway between 46th and 47th Street, and the wishes were added to the midnight confetti.
Planning around December crowds
December in New York City is crowded, and the practical answer is to shift your hours rather than skip stops. Weekday and morning visits are the supported options at Bryant Park and the Rockefeller rink. The tree’s long lit hours let you avoid the evening crush. One writer found crowds noticeably thin on an unusually mild holiday weekend in 2015, which differed from usual years, so do not plan on it.
- Fix your must-do show or timed rink slot first, because those have set times.
- Place the Rockefeller rink and tree in the morning and the Fifth Avenue walk in the afternoon.
- Choose one market for the day and match its closing date to your trip.
- Keep Times Square for a short evening pass.
- Add Brooklyn lights only if you have a separate day outside Midtown.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Union Square Holiday Market open on Christmas Eve?
In 2023 it closed at 4 PM on Christmas Eve and was closed on Thanksgiving, according to CityLand.
Can you see the Rockefeller tree on Christmas Day?
Yes. In 2023 it was lit 24 hours on Christmas Day and until 9 PM on New Year’s Eve, and stayed lit until January 13, per CityLand.
Is there a daytime Christmas option away from the crowds?
The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show ran from November 17 to January 15 in 2023, from 10 AM to 6 PM, per CityLand.
Do holiday dates change from year to year?
Yes. The dates and hours in this guide come from the 2023 season, so check each operator’s current calendar before booking travel.
