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December 2026

Trees, windows, Hanukkah lights and a midnight countdown

2 Dec · Rockefeller tree lighting

4–12 Dec · Hanukkah

To 24 Dec · Union Square market

25 Dec · Christmas Day

31 Dec · Times Square ball drop

31 Dec · Midnight Run

Rockefeller Center tree · 2 December

The lighting is on Wednesday 2 December 2026. Crowds are enormous, so watch on TV and visit another evening.

Christmas Spectacular · 4 Nov–4 Jan

The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, several shows a day. Buy only from official sellers.

Fifth Avenue windows

Department-store windows usually unveil in late November and stay up until early January. Walk them after dark.

Check 2026 dates

Dyker Heights lights

Brooklyn homes vanish under spectacular displays, usually from late November. Go on a weekday evening by the D or R train.

Check 2026 dates

Bryant Park Winter Village

Free skating, holiday shops and a big tree from 28 October 2026; shops close 3 January 2027 and the rink runs later.

Holiday Train Show · 14 Nov–10 Jan

Model trains run past landmarks made of bark and leaves at the New York Botanical Garden. Timed tickets.

Hanukkah · 4–12 December

Begins at sundown on Friday 4 December. Giant menorahs are lit nightly at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Check lighting times

Times Square ball drop · 31 December

Free, but viewing pens fill by mid-afternoon with no toilets or re-entry. Watching from home or a hotel is more comfortable.

Midnight Run · 31 December

New York Road Runners’ four-mile run starts at midnight in Central Park, with fireworks overhead. Registration required.

Christmas Day falls on a Friday in 2026. Expect closures on 25 December and 1 January, and the busiest crowds between 20 December and New Year.

WundrPath · City guides