The Union Square Holiday Market opens November 12, 2026, in Union Square Park and runs through December 24. This season it adds its first Made in NYC booth, which gives six local makers a free one-week residency each. The market is open daily except Thanksgiving, with hours running until 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Key Takeaways
- The Union Square Holiday Market runs November 12 to December 24, 2026, and is closed on Thanksgiving Day.
- Urbanspace and Made in NYC are working together for the first time, with six makers rotating through one booth.
- Selected makers pay no booth fee and give Urbanspace 15% of net sales once their week ends.
- Made in NYC counts 1,900 member businesses, and membership is free.
- The lineup covers pet portraits, ceramics, pineapple pastries, bath goods, block-printed apparel and Risograph stationery.
Union Square Holiday Market 2026 Dates and Hours
The Union Square Holiday Market returns to Union Square Park in Manhattan for a six-week run, from Thursday, November 12, through Thursday, December 24, 2026. Made in NYC’s partnership page lists the hours as 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. The market is closed on Thanksgiving Day.
The later evening hours at the end of the week matter to vendors as much as to shoppers. Commuters crossing Union Square after work give small sellers extra hours in front of customers during the weeks when most holiday gift money gets spent.
Made in NYC and Urbanspace Partner for the First Time
Urbanspace has run markets in New York City since 1993, and this is its first season working with Made in NYC. Made in NYC is a nonprofit initiative of the Pratt Center for Community Development at Pratt Institute. It supports manufacturers and makers across the five boroughs.
The partnership centers on one branded booth. Made in NYC rotates the space every week instead of giving it to a single business for the season, so six companies each get seven days at the holiday market in Union Square. Shoppers who come back later in the season will find a different maker in the booth.
Six New York Makers Rotate Through One Booth
Photo Credit: Unsplash.com
Made in NYC has named all six residents and their weeks:
- Silly Sketched Pets (November 12 to 18): hand-drawn stationery, art and live pet portraits
- Kettle & Kame Clay Studio (November 19 to 25): handmade pottery and ceramic jewelry inspired by NYC and the natural world
- Rose’s Pineapple Shorts (November 27 to December 3): handmade Taiwanese-American pineapple pastries
- SloGlo (December 4 to 10): small-batch shower steamers, soaps and bath goods
- The Printing Block (December 11 to 17): block-printed apparel celebrating Black life, cultural icons, creativity and joy
- Oh So Nice Design Co. (December 18 to 24): Risograph stationery and home goods inspired by food and nature
The Union Square Holiday Market vendors in this booth cover stationery, ceramics, food, bath products and apparel. That spread reflects a Made in NYC membership that ranges from consumer goods to industrial services.
A Free Residency Changes the Math for Small Manufacturers
A booth at a busy holiday market usually costs money up front, which can keep a small manufacturer out before the first sale. Made in NYC’s September call for applications set out different terms. There is no booth fee, and each selected member gets a free 7-day residency.
How the 15% Sales Model Works
Urbanspace collects 15% of net sales once each residency ends. Vendors pay a non-refundable deposit to hold their week, and that deposit counts toward the 15%. Sales have to go through Square or Shopify so Urbanspace can collect its share, and Made in NYC offers a free Square card reader to members who don’t use either system.
This setup ties the cost to the results. A slow week costs a maker less than a flat booth rental would, and a strong week covers its own fee. Fixed costs press hard on small New York businesses during the holidays, and this season also saw the launch of a city program that lets small businesses settle old fines without accrued interest.
Subway Foot Traffic Puts Local Brands in Front of Holiday Shoppers
Location is the other half of the deal. Made in NYC notes that the market sits above a subway station it ranks fourth in the city by ridership, with more than 65,000 riders a day. For a ceramics studio or pastry maker that mostly sells online or at neighborhood pop-ups, that is a level of walk-by traffic that is hard to find elsewhere.
Getting a spot was competitive. Applications closed September 30, and Made in NYC says vendors were picked through a rigorous review, with weeks assigned by mid-October. Each resident has to arrive at 7 a.m. on the first morning and staff the booth for all market hours, so a residency means a full week of retail work.
What Made in NYC Offers Its 1,900 Members
Made in NYC says it launched in 2002 and now has 1,900 member businesses. Membership is free. Nearly 70% of members who joined since 2018 identify as BIPOC-owned, women-owned or both. Its Learning Lab is funded by the New York City Council and offers free workshops and creative services led by Pratt Institute faculty and other experts. It has served more than 1,100 businesses since 2016.
Made in NYC has worked with more than 2,500 local businesses that together employ 93,000 people. The Union Square booth adds to the program’s other ways of helping makers find customers, which include pop-up markets, marketing campaigns and a logo that certifies products as locally made.
Returning and First-Time Vendors Round Out the Market
Urbanspace’s announcement names several other vendors beyond the Made in NYC booth. Fan-Fan Donuts, from chef Fany Gerson and a 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery, has its only Manhattan location at the market. Frø, a Brooklyn-based Danish bread company, is joining for the first time. Hudson Valley Seed Company is on the list, as is The MB Edit, a booth of vintage pieces and accessories from former fashion editor Marybeth Schmitt. The market will also sell limited-edition merchandise designed with NYC Parks.
FAQs
When does the Union Square Holiday Market open?
The Union Square Holiday Market opens Thursday, November 12, 2026, in Union Square Park in Manhattan.
When does the Union Square Holiday Market close?
The market’s last day is Thursday, December 24, 2026. It is also closed on Thanksgiving Day.
What are the Union Square Holiday Market hours?
The market is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Who runs the Union Square Holiday Market?
Urbanspace operates the Union Square Holiday Market. The company has run public markets in New York City since 1993.
How do Made in NYC vendors get a booth at the Union Square Holiday Market?
Made in NYC members applied by September 30 and were chosen through a review process. Selected vendors pay no booth fee and give Urbanspace 15% of net sales after their 7-day residency.
Which makers are featured in the Made in NYC booth?
The six makers are Silly Sketched Pets, Kettle & Kame Clay Studio, Rose’s Pineapple Shorts, SloGlo, The Printing Block and Oh So Nice Design Co. Each one has the booth for one week.
