Winter Wonder: New York City Winter Edition

The first yearly tradition that marks the coming of Winter at New York University is. . .Flurry! Flurry is a tradition where all of our residential halls come together to ice skate. The Inter-Residential Hall Council, who hosts the event, is composed of residents from each hall. Flurry takes place at Wollman Rink in Central Park. Residents enjoy hot chocolate and cider provided. There’s a ton of photo booths and live performances that take place! It’s one of our big official traditions that we have here. 

Another University wide event that happens during the snowy months is the Tisch School of the Arts WinterFest. While specifically a Tisch Tradition, this celebrates the creativity of Tisch Students in Sight and Sound courses. Nominated students show off their works. It’s a time to really soak in the different passion projects that people have!

Speaking of the end of the Fall Semester, there is Finals Week. Traditionally, NYU puts on a lot of events for students leading up to finals. Departments will host their departmental parties and clubs celebrate their final meeting. Among these events are typically de-stressers that are designed for students to relax before Finals. One of the most famous events that happens frequently is sponsored puppy or kitten time! 

Tip: Always keep an eye out for what is happening during the week of Finals or the week before! Don’t miss out on seeing those puppies or kittens

While a yearly thing, Students also have access to good deals. I find the best way to relax with finals around the corner is to see a movie or a production. NYU students can use ScholasTix to get good discounts on both movie tickets and Broadway. On top of that, big events are always happening in Residential Halls during Winter. Residential Assistants (RAs) love putting on fun events for Residents. From taking residents to free Broadway shows, to exploring holiday markets or Winter shows, there are so many ways to explore New York University’s events in the Winter. 

Tip: Never pay full prize for Broadway, Scholastic is the best to save! Also you can buy multiple tickets which is a great way to surprise your friend with show tickets for the Holiday season!

The city itself offers a ton of big Winter events! 

The Rockettes take over Midtown! One of the biggest annual traditions, the Rockettes is a performance of dance with stunning costumes. They perform their Christmas Spectacular at Radio City every year! This year they are celebrating 100 years! The show is an hour and a half long, and while I have never been able to go I know so many people that love to attend every single year. 

Another event that occurs in the Winter is Restaurant week! For 2026, Restaurant Week is January 20th through February 12th. Restaurant week happens twice a year. A lot of famous restaurants will offer good discounts on a variety of dishes. A lot of time restaurants will have prefix menus that offer different tiers in terms of pricing. It’s a good way to save money and try so many different types of restaurants and foods. All five of the boroughs in New York City get involved so it’s also a good way to explore! 

Another big event in New York is the Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller. This ceremony is built up for weeks. Videos are posted online showing  the massive tree arriving during late November. My first year I went to see the tree the day after it had been put up! For the ceremony it takes place in Early December with the event officially starting around 7pm. I once tried to go to my second year at NYU and crowds had already started forming by the time I arrived at 5pm. It was impossible to see the tree from where I was but I managed to catch videos of it afterwards. 

Tip: The ceremony typically starts at 7pm but make sure to show up extra early if you want a spot! Crowds will have already formed by 5pm

Winter in New York City brings a lot of places to life! While there is always stuff to do in the City, the Winter brings it’s own exclusive places. Some places, like the Holiday Markets, are only available in the Winter. While other places get a winter makeover. 

Come the Holiday Season, Dyker Heights in Brooklyn gets a complete makeover! This neighborhood has actually become a holiday destination. You are able to get on a tour bus which takes you over to Dyker Heights from Manhattan and then do a walking tour of the entire neighborhood. It’s supposedly a marvelous light show! 

Speaking of light shows, the Artechouse at Chelsea Market has a Holiday specific show that they do. My first year I went to Artechouse. This was also the first time I had the ability to explore Chelsea Market which was a fun experience. 

Another big destination that has a winter makeover is the New York Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens does seasonal shows. I have never seen the winter one, but I did catch the Halloween makeover which was a ton of fun! Supposedly in the Winter time they have a winter train show! From what I’ve heard they build miniature trains in different sections out of the garden using plants. 

The Holiday Markets draw a large crowd with different shops and array of activities attached to each of the different markets. The first market to open every year is the Bryant Park Winter Village located in midtown. Bryant Park opens in late October and remains open till January. Additionally Bryant Park is home to the flagship location of the New York Public Library and an ice skating rink! My family loves Bryant Park and we go every single year. 

The second to open is typically Union Square which opens in November. Union Square is the oldest Holiday market and the biggest one! It has a bunch of vendors crammed together and gets super busy. But it has a huge selection of food and all types of gifts! Personally I spend the most time at Union Square because I’ve always lived by it. My favorite hot chocolate vendor, United Chocolate Works, is always at both Union Square and Bryant Park. Though this year I also had the opportunity to try Cocoa Cabin which also was really good!

There are also Holiday Markets both at Herald Square and Columbus Circle. These markets always open in early December and will close by New Years’ Eve/Early January. They are both smaller than both Bryant Park and Union Square but have some unique vendors to them. 

Overall, if you ever need to do holiday shopping in New York City or want to treat yourself to tasty food, the Holiday Markets – while expensive – are a fun experience. They have stationary items, glassworks, hot chocolate, and various types of food! 

Tip: If you are looking to wander a winter village with more than just shops I recommend Bryant Park! But if you want to do some winter shopping then Union Square is the perfect place!