NYC Holiday Calendar 2026: Rockefeller Tree Lighting Dec. 2, the 100th Macy's Parade and Every Key Date

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, and will be lit on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Those two dates anchor a New York holiday season that starts earlier than many visitors expect: Bryant Park’s Winter Village opens on Oct. 28, and the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade falls on Nov. 26.

Every date below comes from the organizer’s own site or press release. Nothing is guessed. Where a time or detail has not been announced yet, as with the tree lighting’s start time, the parade hosts and the Times Square performers, we say so and give last year’s detail only when it helps you plan.

NYC holiday season 2026 at a glance

Date	Event
Wed., Oct. 28	Bryant Park Winter Village opens at noon
Sun., Nov. 1	New York City Marathon, 8 a.m.
Wed., Nov. 4	Radio City Christmas Spectacular opens
Sat., Nov. 7	Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives
Sat., Nov. 14	Holiday Train Show opens at the New York Botanical Garden
Thu., Nov. 19	Macy’s Herald Square holiday windows debut
Fri., Nov. 20	Lightscape opens at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Thu., Nov. 26	100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 8:30 a.m.
Wed., Dec. 2	Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
Fri., Dec. 4	Hanukkah begins at sundown
Thu., Dec. 24	NYC public schools close for winter recess
Thu., Dec. 31	Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop

Most of the long-running attractions overlap from Nov. 20 to Jan. 3. That is the stretch with the most to see on one trip.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Rockefeller Center says the 2026 tree returns to the plaza on Saturday, Nov. 7. It is the second year of Meet the Tree Day, when families can watch it arrive. The Tree Lighting Ceremony is Wednesday, Dec. 2, and the Christmas in Rockefeller Center broadcast airs live on NBC.

Still to come: the ceremony’s start time, the performers, where the tree is from and its height. Last year’s tree stood 75 feet tall with more than 50,000 multicolored lights, according to Rockefeller Center. The Swarovski star weighs about 900 pounds. It has 70 spikes. After the season, the tree is milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity homes.

The Rink. The skating rink opened on Oct. 10, and its new Skate House opens on Nov. 14. The rink closes on Dec. 1 and 2 for the lighting and stays open through March 27, 2027.

The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The parade steps off on Thursday, Nov. 26, and NBC, Peacock and Telemundo carry it from 8:30 a.m. in every time zone. It is the 100th parade, because the march was called off in 1942, 1943 and 1944. Macy’s has promised a record 100 inflatable elements, including a new Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey and a reimagined Underdog. Our Thanksgiving 2026 TV schedule covers the broadcast and the National Football League (NFL) games that follow.

Macy’s has not yet posted 2026 details for the balloon inflation on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Last year the public viewing ran in the afternoon around the American Museum of Natural History, with entry at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Check Macy’s site before you go.

Herald Square windows and Santaland

Macy’s flagship windows debut on Thursday, Nov. 19 and stay up through Monday, Jan. 4. The theme ties to the parade: the Blue Hippopotamus, a balloon that floated away past the Empire State Building after the 1931 parade. Santaland reopens in November with free reservations from Friday, Nov. 20, released on a rolling basis seven days ahead of each visit.

Shows, markets and lights

• Bryant Park Winter Village opens Wednesday, Oct. 28, at noon. The holiday shops run through Jan. 3, 2027, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. The free-admission rink stays open daily through Feb. 28.
• Radio City Christmas Spectacular starts Wednesday, Nov. 4, with 230 performances this season, according to the Rockettes.
• Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx runs Nov. 14, 2026 to Jan. 10, 2027. It is the show’s 35th year; members get a preview on Nov. 13.
• Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden runs on select nights from Nov. 20, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027.

The first weekend: marathon and the time change

The New York City Marathon starts at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, on Staten Island and finishes in Central Park, according to New York Road Runners. Clocks fall back one hour at 2 a.m. that same morning, so the start is on Eastern Standard Time. Our story on daylight saving time ending Nov. 1 has the details.

Hanukkah, school recess and New Year’s Eve

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, Dec. 4 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, Dec. 12. Our Hanukkah 2026 calendar lists all eight nights. Dates for public menorah lightings in Manhattan and Brooklyn have not been announced.

NYC public schools close for Thanksgiving on Nov. 26 and 27 and for winter recess from Thursday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Jan. 1. The full NYC public schools calendar has every closing.

New Year’s Eve ends the season in Times Square on Thursday, Dec. 31, when the ball descends from One Times Square at midnight. The Times Square Alliance has not posted the 2026 performers or the hour-by-hour schedule yet.

Plan your trip

The busiest overlap runs from the Friday after Thanksgiving through New Year’s weekend. Several attractions sell timed tickets or take reservations, including Santaland, the Train Show and Lightscape, so book those first and fill the free events around them. Mark your picks on our December 2026 printable calendar, or print the one-page list below.