Every year, I explore the best holiday markets in the Northeast, and this annual tradition brings me new discoveries every time the holiday season approaches.
The holiday season means something different for everyone. For some, it might mean traveling across the country (over the river and through the woods, even) to reunite with family. For others, it means finally having a chance to relax at home and take it easy with a break for work. And for me, it always means travel. My preference for cold weather means I do the bulk of my traveling in the fall and winter, and there’s one thing that always makes my winter bucket list – visiting the best holiday markets in the northeast.
Some of these are right in my backyard, while others require special trips, but they all have one thing in common – every year is a little different at these massive seasonal events. They’re usually composed of dozens or even hundreds of individual businesses selling gifts, confections, and food out of a huge event hall or open-air market. As some businesses depart, new ones arrive. Every year is like a new scavenger hunt for that perfect gift or new favorite seasonal snack. Of course, there are some common elements between all of them. I visited five markets this year, and managed to get a cup of hot mulled cider at all of them!
My first stop this year was the Asbury Park Holiday Bazaar, a smaller but charming holiday market. Located in the iconic Asbury Park Convention Hall, this event features dozens of local vendors offering small-batch gifts and snacks, as well as a visit with Santa and proximity to plenty of the shore’s best eats. This event has gotten so popular that this year for the first time, it’s expanded to a second location at the Asbury Hotel only a few minutes away.
For my next holiday market journey, I had to head to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – using the same unconventional route I used to kick off my road trip to Knoebels this summer. Bethlehem is known as the “City of Christmas”, and their German Christkindlmarkt is known as one of the best holiday events in the whole country. For the best and most scenic way to get to the event, take the walking path near the SteelStacks, a stunning cultural center built out of a defunct factory from Bethlehem’s industrial past.
The Christkindlmarkt was the only one of the events that I attended that had an admission fee, but it was justified by just how massive this place was. Five heated tents featuring hundreds of vendors, with an emphasis on European specialty goods. I enjoyed a white wine slushie while I explored and took home some traditional English toffee from the British stand! The market also hosts live music and an ice skating rink outside.
The highlight for me had to be the food hall, featuring a holiday-themed bar. The massive selection of food vendors include some of the state’s most acclaimed German restaurants. There were definitely some things on the menu that I didn’t expect to find at a holiday market, like hearty plates of sauerbraten over noodles. The lines were massive, and it wasn’t a surprise – the Bethlehem Christkindlmarkt was easily the largest holiday market I’ve ever seen.
Of course, I don’t have to travel too far for some of my favorite holiday markets – as fits the city that never sleeps, New York City has not one but three massive event markets. The Union Square and Columbus Circle ones run until Christmas, and these are both great places to find specialty goods and sample some of the city’s most popular concessions. I particularly love the Union Square one when it overlaps with the park’s famous greenmarket, which makes it a great place to pick up your seasonal tree or wreath.
But possibly the most famous holiday market in the world, and my first stop every year, is the iconic Bryant Park Winter Village. This sprawling event transforms the entire park into a collection of stores, food stands, and unique winter experiences that seemingly bring half the city out to join in the revelries. The season hasn’t begun until I’ve gotten a cup of cider and taken in the view!
Probably the most iconic feature of this event is the massive ice skating rink, which is one of the few places that everyone in the city seems to have visited at some point. Not only is it home to skaters, but you can occasionally find other attractions here like ice bumper cars. The Winter Village has become so popular that it doesn’t end with Christmas like many of these – it runs through the winter months, leaving plenty of time to keep exploring and discovering new favorite snacks and surprises.
Have you gotten to visit any of the best holiday markets in the northeast? If not, there’s still time for more winter magic in 2024, so make sure to tell a friend about this article and see what you discover at these limited-time festivals – you might just find that perfect gift you’ve been looking for.