Holiday Markets Near NoMad: Union Square, Bryant Park and Columbus Circle
Union Square Holiday Market
The Union Square Holiday Market runs from Thursday, November 12 to Thursday, December 24, 2026. Hours are 11am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm Saturday and 11am to 7pm Sunday, closed Thanksgiving Day. More than 150 local makers sell crafts, artwork and gifts.
Union Square is 0.8 miles south of the hotel: a 16 to 18 minute walk down Fifth Avenue or Broadway, or walk two minutes to 34th Street-Herald Square and take the N, Q, R or W two stops south to 14th Street-Union Square, about four minutes.
Bryant Park Winter Village
Bank of America Winter Village opened on October 23, 2026 and runs to February 28, 2027, with the Holiday Shops closing on January 3, 2027. Shops are open 11am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 8pm at weekends, around a free-admission ice rink.
Bryant Park is 0.5 miles north, a 10 minute walk up Fifth or Sixth Avenue to 42nd Street, or one stop on the N, Q, R or W from 34th Street-Herald Square.
Columbus Circle Holiday Market
Columbus Circle runs December 1 to 31, 2026, Monday to Saturday 11am to 8pm and Sunday 11am to 7pm. It sits 1.5 miles north at 59th Street: take the N, Q, R or W from 34th Street-Herald Square to 57th Street-Seventh Avenue, about 10 minutes, or walk 30.
Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair
Vanderbilt Hall hosts the Holiday Fair from November 9 to December 24, 2026, Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm and Sunday 11am to 6pm, closed Thanksgiving Day. Grand Central is 0.6 miles northeast, a 12 to 14 minute walk up Fifth Avenue and east along 42nd Street, and it is indoors.
Skating and the Empire State Building lights
The Bryant Park rink is free if you bring your own skates, with rentals on site, and runs 8am to 10pm daily. The Rink at Rockefeller Center, 0.9 miles north and an 18 minute walk up Fifth Avenue, runs daily sessions from 9am; pricing changes through the season, so check the current rate when you book, since entry and rental are charged separately. Both need a timed session booked ahead in December.
The Empire State Building light displays are 0.2 miles away, a four minute walk north to 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, and the Rockefeller Center tree viewing runs 5am to midnight daily, with the lighting on Wednesday, December 2.
Eating and warming up in NoMad
After the markets, ZOI Mediterranean, the ZOI Lobby Bar and the subterranean TEN 11 Lounge are all inside the hotel on West 31st Street, which makes the walk back from Bryant Park short. See where to eat and drink at LIFE Hotel for the full picture, and 48 hours in NoMad for a two-day plan around it.
Staying at LIFE Hotel New York for the holidays
LIFE Hotel New York is at 19 West 31st Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, in the former LIFE magazine building. Bryant Park is a 10 minute walk, Union Square 16 minutes, the Empire State Building four. Rooms and suites are bookable through the holiday season: see current offers or contact the hotel.