NYC Life: Holiday Markets, Holiday Must See’s, Lightings, and More
We have a few tickets left to our fabulous holiday party this Tuesday Dec. 5. We hope to see you there! The holiday craft fairs and markets abound, and we’ve picked our favorites, and highlighted a few below. Celebrate the start of Hanukkah next week with the Menorah lightings. The Gingerbread City at South Street Seaport, and the Gingerbread Bakeoff at the Museum of the City of NY, give new meaning to “gingerbread houses.” Our roving photographer has captured her favorite holiday windows, like Dior. And our Broadway Babe is back with her nostalgic entertainment picks.
Roving on Fifth Avenue
Our roving photographer, Nicole Freezer Rubens writes:
It’s official, the holiday season is lit! The sparkle and dazzle that is New York in December is upon us, crowning midtown as it always does. On Fifth Avenue between the iconic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, north to 59th Street, one is immersed in a real-life wonderland amidst our beloved concrete jungle.
My favorite destination is always the uniquely creative department store windows at Bergdorf Goodman. “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s” is a wonderful documentary from 2013 following the yearlong process of the windows complex creations. The team works tirelessly with world-class artisans to preform their magic for us.
This year’s theme is “Isn’t It Brilliant”. Each window uses mirror, light, neon and lovingly crafted intricate mosaics to tell a narrative portraying “The First Light”, “The Best and Brightest” and “Tripping the Light Fantastic”. Fantastic they are indeed. Please go and treat yourself to some uplifting visual cheer. Happy Holiday Season!
Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off
Head to the Museum of the City of New York to see the incredible creations by 23 bakers for the second annual bake-off. Welcome to a snowy wonderland, where famous landmarks and icons of New York City are lovingly recreated in gingerbread. From ice skating in the parks across the five boroughs to department store windows and the tree at Rockefeller Center, nowhere is more iconic than the city in winter.
This year, the Museum invited 23 bakers from across the five boroughs to create gingerbread displays on the theme of “Iconic New York”—creating distinctive buildings, places, or things that represent their neighborhood, community, or borough. A panel of prominent New York City-based bakers, curators, and restaurant owners awarded prizes in a variety of categories, and you’re invited to help select the final award by voting for the “People’s Choice.” There will also be a holiday-themed makerspace with crafts for kids. GET THE DETAILS.
The Gingerbread City at the South Street Seaport
Photos ©Luke Hayes & ©Luke O’Donovan
Explore a fantastical world where imagination meets innovation, and gingerbread becomes the canvas for future-forward city planning. With professionally built gingerbread cityscapes designed by some 50 NYC architects and artists. And you buy gingerbread goodies baked by Balthazar! Plus, there are fun workshops, and you can make your own gingerbread creations. The Gingerbread City is a sweet delight for friends, families, and individuals to indulge in! GET THE DETAILS.
Dec. 1-3. St. John the Divine Artisan Market
Crafts at the Cathedral, a fine juried crafts show that benefits the work of the Cathedral and its programs, will take place in the center of the nave and most of the crossing of the world’s largest gothic cathedral. Over 85 artisans will offer handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items in ceramic, glass, wood, fabric and jewelry. GET THE DETAILS.
Dec. 2-3. Crafts Market at the Native Art Museum
Lovers of art, craftsmanship and all things creative: make your way down to Bowling Green on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the National Museum of the American Indian’s (NMAI) annual Native Art Market. The market will feature traditional and contemporary artworks by award-winning Indigenous artists from across the Americas, with mediums including jewelry, paintings, photography, pottery and sculpture. Attendees will also get to enjoy live acoustic guitar by Jesse Alan Horn (Potawatomi) and DJ Jonray (Laguna/Acoma Pueblo).
The market is free to enter and will be set up in the rotunda on the museum’s main floor. In addition to purchasing beautiful handmade creations (gift-buying procrastinators, take note!), you’ll also have the opportunity to learn about Indigenous art and creativity at the museum, which is free and open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dec. 9. Oddities Flea Market
If you’re looking for an unsual gift, head to the Metropolitan Pavilion. Shop medical history ephemera, anatomical curiosities, natural history items, osteological specimens, taxidermy, home decor, jewelry, one-of-a-kind art, and much more. GET THE DETAILS.
The Best Holiday Markets
Grand Holiday Bazaar
When: Holiday Market – November 26-December 23. And then every Sunday, all year round
Hours Open: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Address: 100 West 77th St., NY, NY 10024 (at Columbus Avenue)
This weekly Upper West Side marketplace, one of NYC’s oldest, goes all out every holiday season with holiday treats and special holiday vendors.
Holiday Market at the Oculus
185 Greenwich Street
November 25 through January 2
Happening within the mesmerizing embrace of the Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center, the Holiday Market at the Oculus by Brik + Clik will host vendors offering gifts and snacks, with caroling to get you in the mood. Plus, for the first time ever, visitors can roller skate alongside the annual market at the new Winter Whirl rink opening Friday, November 24.
Union Square Holiday Market Union Square Park
The Union Square Holiday Market is the longest-running and largest holiday market in the city. With over 200 vendors, there are opportunities to stroll, peruse, and enjoy this holiday tradition in one of the City’s most iconic public spaces.
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park Bryant Park
Each year, Bryant Park transforms into a winter wonderland featuring an open-air holiday market where you can ice skate, eat, drink, and shop.
The Grand Central Holiday Fair
Presented by AmericanGreetings.com, the Grand Central Holiday Fair is a beloved six-week long celebration of small businesses and holiday cheer. From artisan merchants to local businesses, the Holiday Fair will have plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping and all-around fun. One of New York’s most extraordinary shopping events, the Holiday Fair takes place in the stunning beaux-arts Vanderbilt Hall for a truly curated shopping experience. This year’s event features 37 vendors with giftable item offerings like homemade bath products, knitwear, jewelry and art prints, gender-neutral accessories, ornaments, and homeware.
Festival of Lights
Two massive menorahs light up each year to celebrate Hanukkah in NYC, one in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. The seven-branched Menorah is a traditional symbol of Judaism and is an emblem of the State of Israel. This year’s lighting will be very poignant. The world’s largest menorah is at Grand Army Plaza (across from the Plaza Hotel) will be lit every night of Hanukkah starting on Dec. 7 at 5:30 pm. And Brooklyn will kick off their Festival of Lights with the borough’s largest menorah in Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza, right outside Prospect Park on Dec. 7 with a concert at 5pm followed by a lighting ceremony at 6pm. Free latkes will be on offer, as will gifts for children, every night of the holiday. GET THE DETAILS.
Broadway Babe’s Picks: Ethel Merman, Donna McKechnie, Sondheim, Streep
Donna Mckecknie and Randie Levine-Miller
Our Broadway Babe, Randie Levine-Miller, has come up with some delightful finds including: a star-studded Sondheim concert with the NY Philharmonic, a film clip of Donna Mckechnie’s Tony Award winning performance in “A Chorus Line”, a Times Talk with Meryl Streep and Ethel Merman (as you’ve never seen her) on the TV interview show “Person to Person” with Edward R. Morrow. GET THE DETAILS.
The tomato behind The Three Tomatoes.
Cheryl Benton, aka the “head tomato” is founder and publisher of The Three Tomatoes, a digital lifestyle magazine for “women who aren’t kids”. Having lived and worked for many years in New York City, the land of size zero twenty-somethings, she was truly starting to feel like an invisible woman. She created The Three Tomatoes just for the fun of it as the antidote for invisibility and sent it to 60 friends. Today she has thousands of friends and is chief cheerleader for smart, savvy women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage. She is the author of the novel, "Can You See Us Now?" and co-author of a humorous books of quips, "Martini Wisdom." Because she's lived a long time, her full bio won't fit here. If you want the "blah, blah, blah", read more. www.thethreetomatoes.com/about-the-head-tomato
