UNION SQUARE — Union Square’s beloved holiday market opens Friday with more than 150 vendors, more food options than ever before and a special “Little Brooklyn” section dedicated to businesses based in the trendy outer borough.
The market fills the southern tip of Union Square Park with a variety of unique vendors every year. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, market organizer UrbanSpace will also collect donations for the American Red Cross.
“[The holiday market is] an important economic driver to the neighborhood,” said Jennifer Falk, executive director of the Union Square Partnership. “It’s a really unique and remarkable New York City experience to come down to Union Square during the holiday season.”
The market offers a variety of products, ranging from historical prints and maps to children’s toys and clothes to handmade jewelry and holiday ornaments. Carolers serenade shoppers as they browse the stands.
The “Little Brooklyn” section will highlight goods handmade in the borough.
Among the food vendors who will be participating in the holiday market this year are Toby’s Estate Coffee, Momofuku Milk Bar, Arancini Bros. and La Sonrisa Empanadas.
The market has also partnered with Seamless to make many of the treats at the market available for delivery as well, through a special section set up on the Seamless website.
To guide shoppers through the winding rows of vendors, New York-based company Apparently Inc. has created an app that features a virtual map of the market and a directory of all participating vendors, as well as a list of daily deals and special events.
“The Union Square Holiday Market is a showcase for New York City’s extremely talented and diverse community of artisans, makers and chefs,” Eldon Scott, president of UrbanSpace, said in a statement.
“We’re thrilled to welcome back many of our vendors from past markets, as well as some new partners, and look forward to an exciting holiday season in Union Square.”
The Union Square Holiday Market will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Dec. 24. The market will be closed on Thanksgiving.
