One of the best times to explore the Big Apple is in the summertime, when there is one NYC street fair after the other. But throughout the year, you can find all kinds of markets, fairs and street parties happen in all boroughs at different blocks. Here are the best.
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The beauty of these fairs is that there are always fun things going on, exciting bargains that you can only get in a New York City street fair stall plus entertainment like outdoor concerts and live street art as well as delectable food.
In short, food and (weekend) flea markets in NYC offer wonderful treasures at prices that can’t be beat. To find out more about these happenings, here is a quick guide with details on street fairs, festivals, flea and food markets in New York City.
Note: While cards are typically accepted, it’s a good idea to bring cash along just in case.
Manhattan Street Fairs
Manhattan is always busy, so it’s no surprise that there are plenty of local events happening in that New York borough throughout the year.
Particularly over the course of the fairer, more temperate months, you can find lots of Manhattan street markets. Here are some major NYC market events that you can look forward to every year.
June – The biggest street fairs in Manhattan in June include the Avenue of the Americas Expo, Turtle Bay Festival, St Nicholas Avenue Festival and Murray Hill Neighborhood Festival.
July – Plenty of fun festivals hit the month, such as Bastille Day, Bleecker St Festival and Broadway Astoria Festival.
August – The biggest events happening in the month of June include the Eight Avenue Festival, the Amsterdam Avenue Festival Washington Square and the Lexington Avenue Summerfest.
September – There’s a slight nip in the air but the weather is still great enough for some active street events. Look out for the Feast of San Gennaro and the 92nd Y Street Festival.
October – Enjoy autumn in the city by exploring more street fairs slated for this month. You could attend Fourth Avenue East Village Festival, the Japan Block Fair and Upper Broadway Fall Festival.
Of course, there are also more permanent street markets in Manhattan, where you can stock up on local produce, buy souvenirs and do some thrift shopping.
Bowling Green Market
Bowling Green Greenmarket
Just outside the metro stop and park of Bowling Green you can find the Bowling Green Greenmarket, which operates all year round on Tuesday and Thursday. It’s small but offers nice finds, including clothing and fresh produce.
Local farms as well as a bakery and orchard sell their produce and products during any time of the year. For seasonal offerings, you may get vegan and gluten-free baked goods from King’s County or Farm-distillery produced alcoholic beverages from Orange County.
- Hours: 8am to 5pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Location: Broadway at Battery Place, Manhattan
Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal Greenmarket
Close by, namely right in the Staten Island Ferry terminal, you can find another Manhattan market that’s open all year. It’s also a good one to visit on a rainy day because it’s indoors.
Again, you get to sample produce from farms around New York. Maybe you are planning a picnic during a day trip to Governors Island or Staten Island? This is a great place to add to your picnic basket.
There are less market stands as it’s just Remsburger Maple Farm and Wilklow Orchards but they have a good range of products. Items are high quality and priced accordingly.
Besides fresh fruits and vegetables, you can stock up on maple syrup, honey, jams and cider at the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal Greenmarket.
- Hours: 8am to 7pm, Tuesdays and Fridays
- Location: 4 South Street, inside ferry terminal building
Chinatown
Chinatown
It’s not a cohesive street market as such, but along the streets of Chinatown in Manhattan, you can find local vendors selling fresh food and items (yes, as well as the infamous fake designer items).
The fruit is cheaper than in NYC’s supermarkets and you can even get Asian fruits that you wouldn’t otherwise, such as rambutan.
In case you could use some kitchenware like strainers and pots, those can be had on the streets of Chinatown, too.
Byrant Park
There are several markets hosted throughout the year at Bryant Park, such as farmers markets, the Makers Market or the famous Bryant Park Winter Village .
The latter two are utterly charming, particularly at night. Yes, there’s an ice rink during winter, too. It’s 17,000 square feet! (Fun fact: it’s where I filmed my Gossip Girl video.)
But apart from that, you can feast on delicious treats (think chocolates in all kinds of shapes, e.g. mechanical instruments or animals) and hot beverages. If you have a furry friend, there are vendors selling you a special fashion treat.
In total, there are more than 170 shopping kiosks and food vendors.
- Hours: 7am-11pm
- Address: 1095 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Bryant Park Winter Village Bryant Park Farmers Market Chelsea Market
Brooklyn Street Fairs
Brooklyn has its fair share of fabulous street fairs as well. Don’t miss good deals, great food and creative art pieces in this artsy borough.
June – Check out the Flatbush Avenue Festival, Seventh Heaven Street Fair, Midwood Mardi Gras and the Bushwick Collective Block Party.
July – Get into the mood of the Feast of Mt. Carmel, also known as the Giglio Festival, which is one of NYC’s oldest celebrations.
August – Watch out for the Annual Brighton Jubilee for food, shopping and entertainment.
September – The cooler months present events like the Flatbush Frolic Street Fair, Southwest Brooklyn Fall Festival and the Annual Feast of Santa Rosalia.
October – The Court Street Spectacular is an event worth checking out for this month.
Best Antique & Flea Markets in NYC
Food is wonderful and there sure are plenty of NYC food markets. But if you are more into shopping, especially for vintage and retro finds, check out the following places. Here, you can get fabulous New York antique market deals.
Grand Bazaar NYC (Upper West Side, Manhattan)
The city’s biggest marketplace for antiques, vintage items and lots of memorabilia and collectibles.
There’s a huge selection You can check out vendors in advance to get an idea where to head first.
You’ll not only get some endorphins from the shopping rush but also help local public schools. Profits from The Grand Bazaar NYC are funneled back into the schools by funding programs and classroom essentials.
- Hours: 10am-5:30pm (Sun), year round
- Address: 100 W 77th St, New York, NY 10024,
Brooklyn Flea
Brooklyn Flea DUMBO (Brooklyn)
This weekend flea market in NYC is a major go-to market for vintage clothing, home furnishings, antique jewellery, accessories and memorabilia among locals. Its less a flea market than a hip marketplace for hipster and vintage items.
Over the years, it has attracted quite a following of travellers looking for great deals. You can find fantastic jewellery (at one point I saw a collection of expensive Persian rings), old posters, furniture and garments.
I bought myself a souvenir of vintag clip-on earrings and those have become one of my favourite pairs.
During the warmer months, you can find this Brooklyn fair in the archway under Manhattan Bridge or in Williamsburg. Over the winter, Brooklyn Flea is hosted inside on select dates.
- Location: 80 Pearl St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Chelsea Flea Market (Chelsea, Manhattan)
A staple NYC flea market since 1976, the Annex Antiques Fair & Flea Market, known as Chelsea Flea Market, is an ideal choice for acquiring unique finds at reasonable prices.
There’s $1 admission price after 9am (it’s $5 for early buyers) to help keep the market in place (location costs in Manhattan are no joke). But you get access to around 100 vendors and even if you don’t buy, it’s quite a sight to see.
What can you buy here? For one, you could add antiques (think Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern items), collectibles, ephemera and decorative arts to your home or stock up your wardrobe with vintage pieces and jewellery.
- Hours: 6:30am-7:30pm (Sat-Sun)
- Location: 29 West 25th St, between Sixth Avenue & Broadway
Artists & Fleas SoHo (Manhattan)
Need a very special gift for a special someone? (Or yourself^^) Check out the high end, high quality, unique designs at Artists & Fleas.
Indie artists put their latest creations up for sale, ranging from fine jewellery, accessories (for men and women), clothing and decorative items. It comes with a price tag but isn’t exorbitant and definitely something you won’t find in high street shops.
- Hours: 11am-8pm
- Location: 490 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
79th Street GreenFlea Market (Manhattan)
Open even on a rainy day, GreenFlea on the Upper West Side has welcomed visitors and shoppers for the past 30 years into its outdoor and indoor spaces!
This makes it oldest and largest market in New York City and a top choice among collectors!
But it’s not just antiques, vintage items and collectibles you can find here. The market prides itself on dishing up some of the best food on the upper west side, including Korean, Jamaican cuisines and pickles made in Jersey.
- Hours: 10am-5:30pm (Sun)
- Location: 100 West 77th St
Best Food Markets NYC
New York City is not only known for its antiques and vintage items, it’s also the best place to have a satisfying food experience. Here are a few food markets in NYC that you must try out.
Smorgasburg (Brooklyn)
Foodies really need to circle happenings of Smorgasburg in Brooklyn into their NYC itinerary. Here, you can find about a hundred food vendors converging to whet the appetites of avid foodies from the world over.
Smorgasburg is only set up on weekends. The open-air NYC food market is open in Williamsburg on Saturdays and Prospect Park on Sundays.
- Hours: 7-2am (Tue-Sat), 7am-12am (Mon) 8am-10pm (Sun)
- Location: 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Chelsea Market (Manhattan)
An iconic spot among food enthusiasts, Chelsea Market in NYC is the place to not only taste and enjoy delicious fare, but purchase fresh produce and meat too.
There are smaller vendors and cafes in the market halls and prices here are typical for New York City. So don’t come here on a small budget.
In general the Meatpacking District in Manhattan is a great place to eat out too, if you fancy going out for dinner at a restaurant after.
- Hours: 7am-2am (Tue-Sat), 7am-12am (Mon), 8am-10pm (Sun)
- Location: 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Turnstyle Underground Market (8th Avenue, NYC)
Considered to be one of the most original and innovative food markets in the city, you’ll discover that Turnstyle Underground in NYC is home to 39 unique eateries, shops & pop-ups eateries as well as 19 food vendors that sell yummy food on-the-go.
It’s located underground (as the name suggests), beneath 8th Avenue, between 57th and 58th Street, and it’s directly connected to the 59th St-Columbus Circle station.
- Hours: 9am-8pm (Mo-Fr), 12-8pm (Sat-Sun)
- Location: 1000 S 8th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Dekalb Food Court
Right next to a metro stop, it’s easy to get to the Dekalb Food Court. It’s located on the basement floor of a mall and therefore, regardless of the time of day, you will feel like in an underground foodie heaven.
Neon signs guide you past the many food stalls and you’ll find it hard to make a decision. There’s so much diversity and choice. My personal tip: For a delectable New York milkshake, try Ample Hills. (You can sample ice cream flavours to see what new creation of theirs you prefer.)
Remember that iconic scene from Harry & Sally? A subsidiary of the famous Katz restaurant is set up here as well and much less touristy than the main branch. You’ll also find Asian cuisines (think Thai noodles or Chinese dumplings) as well as fried pizza in these halls.
- Hours: 7am-10pm, daily
- Location: 445 Albee Square W, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Time Out Market New York (Brooklyn)
Brooklyn’s DUMBO has quite a string of cafes, restaurants and bakeries in store. But for a great sample of the crème de la crème when it comes to food in NYC, try the Time Out Market New York.
Time Out is well known for diving deep into local scenes and sampling food to cover in their magazines. One result is the market, which assembled their favourite restaurants in one place.
Get fluffy pancakes, take a bite out of thin-crust pizza or sample cookie dough scoops. No need to travel all over NYC! They even have special events and live shows going on. Check their schedule online.
- Hours: 8am-10pm (So-Thu), 8am-11pm (Fr-Sat)
- Location: 55 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
San Gennaro Festival
Famous Street Festivals in NYC
While not a proper street market at their core, here are some more popular NYC street festivals that give NYC’s streets an exciting fair-like flair. They themselves deserve their very own article, so here’s just a brief overview.
Chinese New Year – Dates for the Chinese New Year is always based on the lunar calendar so the date for the celebration is different each time. Watch a fireworks display, parades and performances.
St Patrick’s Day – Wear something green, join millions of spectators on the 17th of March every year on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue and get the luck of the Irish.
National Puerto Rican Day Parade – Famed celebration meant to honour the culture of Puerto Rico and its peoples.
Village Halloween Parade – Love Halloween costumes? You can join in the parade with 100s of puppets, 35 bands and dancers. Costume and ticket required, which you can get online.
Thanksgiving Day Parade – One of the most famous parades in NYC happens on Thanksgiving. Giant floats are paraded down the streets of Manhattan during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It gets crazy crowded, so alternatively you could watch from your hotel room (if you’re close) or live on NBC.
Now tell me, which of these NYC market fairs are you excited about the most?
More from the NYC blog
- My interviews with designers at NYFW
- First hand impressions from New York Fashion Week
- A getaway to Rockaway Beach is in order
- What to see in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow upstate
- How to get Broadway deals
- Where to take awesome NYC skyline pics
Sarah says
Great post combining my two favourite things. New York City and Markets.
Really want to go and check out Smorgasburg market during my next visit.
Absolutely love Chelsea Market and Dekalb Market Hall.
I didn’t know there was a Time Out Market in NY as well. So that will be added to the agenda as well
Annemarie says
Hi Sarah, aren’t local markets just the greatest? I try to visit a few in every country I go to. By Time Out Market, there’s also a really cool rooftop bar. ;)
Bliss Eatts says
This post is great! Once I make it to New York I’ll definitely go to some of these places.
Annemarie says
Hi Bliss, I am happy to help. I hope you like these places as much as I did.
Tina says
I loooove this guide! New York has so many amazing street fairs, I love how you summed them all up in one guide :D
Annemarie says
Hi Tina, as a Manhattan local I am super flattered you approve of my post. :)
Imani says
As someone who’s always dreamed of visiting NYC & plans to next year, this is a great guide! Love your other posts too.
Annemarie says
Hi Imani, fingers crossed you get to fulfill your dream of visiting NYC soon. It’s such a fascinating city. Lots to do.