With the holidays just around the corner and fall in full swing, the city is bustling with things to do: from cozy winter-themed outdoor dining to outdoor art installations and the city’s holiday markets about to open up shop.
Fill up your calendar and check out our top must-do things in NYC this November here:
1. Cheer on runners at the 2023 NYC Marathon
The city’s (and one of the world’s) most famous races will return on Friday, November 3rd, 2023! The route totals to 26.2 miles, traveling from Staten Island to Manhattan. Read everything you need to know about the exhilarating tradition here.
2. Watch or attend the Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be back and better than ever this year on Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd. For its 97th anniversary it will welcome back its signature mix of giant character helium balloons, fantastic floats, marching bands, performance groups, Santa Claus, and more. Find out everything you need to know here.
3. Spice up your holidays with ‘Santa’s Secret Immersive Holiday Experience’
Grab your tickets to the naughtiest event of the season! Complete with eight immersive holiday installations, Christmas-themed cocktails, a live band, and more it’s sure to be the best elfing experience on this side of the North Pole. You’ll travel through immersive rooms until you find Santa’s best kept secret—a vintage-style speakeasy. Join the waitlist here!
4. Save yourself from cooking and make a Thanksgiving dinner reservation instead
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and it’s time to start figuring out where and how you want to spend your holiday. We all know how much preparation goes into the big meal, so we thought we’d help you out a bit! We gathered up some of our favorite restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner on the big day and you can find them here.
5. Grab your tickets to Santa’s Winter Wonderland
Santa’s Winter Wonderland at Watermark is an outdoor winter experience perched at the end of Pier 15. Guests will get the chance to enjoy amazing waterfront views, seasonal drinks, holiday decorations, light bites, and more with friends and family! And, of course, you’ll also have the chance to see Santa Claus himself! Tickets are now live and early bird tickets are available to visit before November 24! Grab yours now!
6-8. Explore all the best spots for fall foliage in NYC
NYC is in peak fall foliage this month, so we asked NYers some of their favorite spots. Here’s a list of some of the best places they said to catch autumn’s beautiful colors in the city, with a sneak peek below:
- Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island
- Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn
- Central Park, Manhattan
9. Grab tickets to this magical Candy Cottage in Rockefeller Center
There’s even more reason to visit New York’s holiday oasis Rockefeller Center this season! The first-ever Candy Cottage of Christmas Magic is making its way to NYC and tickets are on sale now! Guests will be treated to a wondrous Christmas tree trunk with candy-coated theatrics and have the chance to embark on an epic scavenger hunt! Grab your tickets here.
10. Have fun at Luna Park in the winter for the first time ever
For the first time ever Coney Island’s Luna Park isn’t closing just because the temperatures are dropping! After a successful 120th summer season, endless holiday magic will be sprinkled throughout Luna Park, such as an ice skating rink, rides and attractions, a holiday market, and more! Learn all about the park’s inaugural Frost Fest here.
11-15. Take in a glistening Candlelight Concert
Fever’s popular Candlelight Concerts are hosting tons of events this fall and winter, ranging from more modern songs on strings to traditional classical compositions–all surrounded by twinkling candlelight in NYC’s most beautiful spaces. Some of our favorites include:
- Candlelight: The Best of Joe Hisaishi at Arlo Williamsburg
- Candlelight: A Tribute to Adele
- Candlelight: A Tribute to ABBA
- Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift
16. Visit the magical Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
The beloved Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park officially opened to the public even before Halloween — on Friday, October 27! As usual, the winter wonderland features tons of holiday shops, a pop-up rinkside food hall, and a 17,000-foot free ice skating rink as the centerpiece. Read more here.
17-20. …Then check out NYC’s holiday additional markets
What would the holidays be in NYC without our enchanting holiday markets? As mentioned, the Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park opened its holiday shops at the end of October, but others will return this season including:
- Grand Central Holiday Market
- Union Square Holiday Market
- Borough Hall Holiday Market
- Grand Holiday Bazaar
21. Explore the Catacombs of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral by Candlelight
Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral’s underground catacombs used to be sealed off from the public, but those brave enough can now explore it by candlelight! On this tour you’ll spend 80 minutes beneath NYC on a stroll through the city’s past. This unique Catacombs by Candlelight experience shines a light on the final resting place of notable New Yorkers and the achievements and hurdles faced by New York’s historic Catholic residents. Grab your tickets here.
22. Grab a drink at the 2nd best bar in the world
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 was just revealed in Singapore and NYC’s very own Double Chicken Please made it to second place! Lower East Side’s Double Chicken Please continues to top global rankings and currently holds the title of the best bar in North America. Learn more here.
23-25. …Or grab a drink at one of NYC’s newest bars
NYC already has some amazing bars across all five boroughs, but we’re obviously always open to trying out more! Some of our favorite new bars include:
26. Enjoy a photo-op on the infamous orange couch at NYC’s The FRIENDS Experience
Become a part of the beloved NYC sitcom like never before at The FRIENDS Experience. Strike your best pose on the iconic orange couch, order a coffee from the famous Central Perk, and even take a seat at Monica and Rachel’s kitchen table! There’s tons of memorable set recreations, costumes, and props to explore. Get your tickets here.
27. Attend the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony
Though as of now there is no official arrival date nor tree selection announcement, last year it arrived on November 12th so we know it’s happening soon! This year’s tree lighting will take place on Wednesday, November 29th. Find out more here.
28. Go ice skating on the city’s most magical rinks
Winter is coming and there are a handful of outdoor ice rinks that are either already open or gearing up to! From the rink at Bryant Park and Wollman Rink to the Rink at Rockefeller Center and a brand new one nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge there’s tons of opportunities to go skating. Find our favorite NYC ice skating rinks here.
29. Enter into a mini universe at ‘Small is Beautiful: Miniature Art Exhibition’
Embark on an unexpected adventure at the first exhibition to bring the miniature art phenomenon to NYC. Featuring 120 exclusive artworks and 80 photographs by 32 local & international artists, ‘Small Is Beautiful: Miniature Art Exhibition’ plays on politics, humor, and poetry. Grab your tickets today.
30. Get your fall photos at the Seaport’s fabulous Pumpkin Arch
The Seaport District, located in the historic enclave of cobblestone streets in downtown Manhattan near the East River, has unveiled their annual Pumpkin Arch display…and it’s everything we hoped for for fall! It’s located on the Heineken Riverdeck at Pier 17, which meets the East River and Beekman and South St. and is only up for a limited time (exact date TBD), so head there asap to get your cozy fall pics. Read more here.
31. Sing along to all your favorite T Swift songs with a live orchestra
Us Swifties can’t pass up any opportunity to jam to all her catchy songs, and this very special show “Broadway Sings Taylor Swift With a Live Orchestra” will only here on November 13th and 21st! Fans will get to hear new renditions of all her best hits along with a full, 14-piece orchestra! Grab your tickets here.
32. Be dazzled by NYBG’s enchanting 2023 Holiday Train Show
The 32nd annual Holiday Train Show will make its return at the New York Botanical Garden on November 16, 2023 with model trains traveling through 200 New York landmark replicas—like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and others. Plus, the train show is expected to be bigger than ever before with more trains and an outdoor train display to go along with the indoor show! Learn all about it here.
33. Take a gorgeous fall foliage ride in the Catskills on historic railroad tracks
Autumn is all about viewing the gorgeous colorful foliage, and these innovative “rail explorers” lets visitors ride down decommissioned railroad tracks in some of the country’s most picturesque locations—including in the nearby Catskill Mountains. It’s the perfect way to catch the foliage, and you canfind out more here.
34. Be spooked at this Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy
If you’re a lover of literature and cocktails, you’re not going to want to miss this unique Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy. Open in NYC for a limited time, the interactive show and cocktail experience will retell four of Poe’s most infamous works of literature in a captivating, spine-chilling manner. Learn more about it and grab your tickets here.
35-38. Make a reservation at one of NYC’s newest restaurants
If you’ve already eaten your way through NYC no worries–new restaurants just keep on opening up! Some of the city’s hottest new reservations include:
Find more of NYC’s newest restaurants here.39. Take in the most over-the-top holiday decorations at NYC icon Rolf’s
Rolf’s German Restaurant in Gramercy is an Instagram favorite year after year. With the extravagant floor-to-ceiling Christmas ornaments, twinkling lights, and festive ribbon, they really know how to pull in a crowd. Find out how to make reservations here.
40. Catch a Broadway (or Off-Broadway) show
As the temperatures start to drop and we hibernate indoors, why not catch a Broadway show while you’re at it! The best part–from Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway to Aladdin on Broadway, there’s so many good shows to catch! Here are our guides for the best Broadway and Off-Broadway shows.
41. View over 1,000 carefully crafted light displays at the Winter Lantern Festival
Before we know it, NYC will once again become filled with dazzling holiday lights. And one particularly stunning experience that you won’t want to miss is the Winter Lantern Festival in Queens! Surround yourself with Chinese lanterns, interactive light swings and see-saws, delicious food vendors and more in an experience that’s perfect for the entire family. Grab your tickets here.
42-44. Try all the best ramen in the city
Nothing says comfort during the cooler seasons quite like a bowl of steaming ramen. Slurp on delicious noodles and flavorful broth at these NYC favorites:
- HinoMaru, Astoria
- Okiboru House of Tsukemen, Lower East Side
- Chuko, Prospect Heights
45. Enjoy complimentary pours of The Perfect Cosmo by SJP during this weekly happy hour series
During select Thursdays in November, West Village visitors will receive complimentary pours of Thomas Ashbourne’s The Perfect Cosmo by SJP at the SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker New York flagship store. The happy hours will take place every Thursday in November (excluding Thanksgiving) from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, but to guarantee your spot RSVP here.
46. Be wowed by this authentic Spanish Flamenco tour
After its huge success in different cities from the USA to Brazil with over 50,000 attendees, Authentic Flamenco is coming to NYC, and due to popular demand new dates have been added! You have two chances to witness the raw power of the captivating Spanish art form, and you can grab your tickets here.
47-51. Go on a stunning fall hike
It’s a perfect time to check out some amazing hikes that are right on NYC’s doorstep before it gets too cold. Each of these hikes are accessible by public transport, perhaps with a bit of walking (or even a short cab ride if you’d prefer) to reach the trailhead…but you’re there to hike, so might as well start early!
- Franny Reese State Park
- Arden Point and Glenclyffe
- Anthony’s Nose Hike
- Camp Smith Trail
- Wanaque Ridge Trail
52. Discover the full potential of your tastebuds as you dine in the dark
Studies show that 80% of people eat with their eyes–and with that sense eliminated, the theory is that your other senses take over to elevate your meal to a whole new level. At this unique gastronomical experience you’ll be served a delectable meal with a twist–you’ll be blindfolded the entire time. Choose from either the twelve-course omakase menu or a menu inspired by the flavors of Southern Italy.
53-56. Warm up from the cold as you dance the night away at these NYC clubs
NYC nightlife is some of the best in the world! Whether you’re looking for a place to shake those hips or simply enjoy some music with a drink in hand, we’ve got you covered. We’ve listed a few standouts below but be sure to check out our full list here.
- Nebula, Midtown
- Elsewhere, Brooklyn
- Little Sister, East Village
- Avant Gardner, East Williamsburg
57. Walk among the stars at a botanical garden
Step into the mysterious world of Astra Lumina where you’ll embark on an elevating emotional journey that will leave you forever transformed. With each turn you’ll be walking into a completely unique space of stellar wonder, completely transporting you to an otherworldly atmosphere. Grab your tickets to this must-experience event here.
58. Pop by Miracle’s annual holiday bars
Miracle on 9th Street is opens once again for the holiday season on Thursday, November 9th with their staple kitschy holiday décor and festive, well-crafted cocktails. Find out more here.
59. Save some money for holiday shopping with these fun, free NYC doings
There’s no questioning how energetic, unique and diverse New York City is. But if there’s one negative? It’s definitely the cost. But even though it’s one of the most expensive cities in the world, there are loads of completely FREE things to do in NYC (which is definitely a plus especially when we’re all thinking about all the holiday gifts we’re going to have to start buying). Find our full list of free things to do in NYC here.
60. Eat your way through Seaport’s annual Food Festival
This November Taste of the Seaport is returning to NYC to show New Yorkers just how much of a food destination they’ve become, and this year the one-day festival is going to be bigger than ever with more than 50 restaurants and community partners coming together to showcase the culinary diversity of lower Manhattan. Read all about it here.
Also published on Medium.