NYC Is the Quintessential City for the Holidays

Author

Lauren Petrosky

Field Marketing Manager

There's just something extra special about NYC during the holidays. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the shows, the shopping.... it’s all perfectly extra, smack dab in what feels like the center of the universe. And that's why we love it. You’re not simply seeing the holidays in New York. You’re completely immersed in them. No matter where you are, the magic of the season finds you. Our local NY experts unwrap why New York remains one of the top event destinations in the world.

UNWRAPPED BY THE NUMBERS

• 8.1M holiday visitors expected this holiday season—Thanksgiving through New Year’s
• 125K hotel rooms
• 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
• 50+ iconic holiday traditions, celebrations, and experiences planned
• 5 boroughs celebrating
• 1 city that’s perfectly extra
  
  

It's So Extra. In The Best Way.

New York is good at "not toning things down," explains Becky Hager, Regional Director, Experience Design. "Everyone is willing to show the lights and go for it."

During the holiday season—Thanksgiving through New Year’s—New York sparks holiday energy. From elaborate store window displays and spirited hotel décor to festive pop-ups, seasonal skating rinks, and warm twinkling lights, New York embraces the season in a big way. One famous bar, Rolf’s covers its entire ceiling in ornate ornaments. Fun pop-up bars pop-up with merry events across the city bringing unexpected fun.

“Christmas trees are on the sidewalks,” Becky said, “You have to walk through them and smell them because there’s simply nowhere else to put them—it’s in your face—which, I think, makes it so special.”

Whether you’re in Midtown, Downtown, Brooklyn or beyond, all the holiday feels are right there with you. The scent of roasted nuts from street carts is more intense. The lights shine brighter. The city’s energy feels different. "I don't think it matters where you are in New York during the holidays," says Kiersten Olson, Regional Sales Manager. "It’s everywhere."

Even the museums do the holidays well. The Met has a holiday tree and ornament every year, and the Botanical Gardens has an annual event featuring a train show. As Becky put it, “every historical institution of New York City goes in for the holidays.”

That's the appeal of New York as a destination for holiday events. The city is core to the experience. The excitement, anticipation and immersion is already built in for guests. New York the destination creates the experience.

A Modern Holiday Classic

Anthony Miksad, Strategic Creative Director, Central Services, points out that our modern idea of a New York holiday has been shaped through entertainment and pop culture: timeless holiday films, stage productions, and yearly traditions like lighting the tree at Rockefeller Center have become synonymous with the season.

"There's a mystique around New York during the holidays," Anthony says. “Whether it's stories or theatrical plays of the Nutcracker, or films like Home Alone, or any other things that are just so quintessential holiday, it establishes an association.”

Kiersten adds, “You’re in the most magical holiday places. The shows, films and traditions paint a picture so well.” In fact, last year, PRA created an event for Raising Cane's that was like a holiday movie set. “It was so enjoyable because the holiday environment of New York makes people feel euphoric.”

The Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting serves as the unofficial kickoff to the season, drawing visitors from around the world and setting the tone for the season. It also shares a special place in our collective heart as PRA’s Kacie Doran’s family spruce tree and history stood as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2025.

Before most people visit New York during the holidays, they've already experienced it through movies, television, stories and iconic images they've seen year after year from the Nutcracker to the Rockefeller Center tree.

The familiar traditions remain, but they never get old, because New York brings a new twist and reason to return every holiday season for your program. As Kiersten puts it, "Every single year feels different in some way."

Iconic Shopping

For “avid shopaholics” as Anthony describes himself, New York raises the shopping bar over the holiday season. Beyond the allure of 5th Avenue—and the festively stunning window décor—Holiday markets, neighborhood pop-ups and experiential retail activations are woven across the city from Anthony’s native Brooklyn to Manhattan. “It really brings people together,” Anthony says, “And it also showcases small vendors and different foods from all walks of life.”

Anthony also points out, there’s a “viral aspect” to the markets where products, foods and experiences are shared across social media, creating buzz and viral moments well beyond the visitors themselves.

Shopping also plays into end-of-year event celebrations, bringing people and gifting together. Becky points to store buy-out experiences, surprising guests with cash for a shopping spree, “high-end shopping is the number one favorite experience,” Becky shared.

Combining a retail shopping and seasonal celebration transforms a simple shopping trip into a magical, memorable and distinctly New York experience.

New York Style: Swanky Season

The holidays bring out an elevated side of New York. "While we create events year round," Becky explains, "everything just feels a little bit more like a special party around that time of year."

"From an event design aesthetic, during a celebratory time of year, people expect luxurious materials like velvets and satins and sequins and all the glitz and the glamour," Anthony says. But the elevation extends beyond the décor.

"We need to ensure it's a really high-touch experience for guests from the second you get on your transportation until you get back to your hotel at the end of the night," Anthony explains. "Every aspect of the event should be engaging. You're walking in and getting handed champagne right away. You might have an artist display or interactive entertainment. It should feel like a progressive experience."

Especially during the holidays, attendees expect something more. "If they're taking time away from their families to come and experience this with you," Anthony says, "you need to amp it up."

As Becky puts it, "People are wearing velvet. People are dressing up. We see more of that black tie. It's swanky season."

That collective “amped-up” energy elevates everything including events—the atmosphere is celebratory, sophisticated and uniquely New York. The city operates at a higher frequency, making every dinner, reception and gathering feel a little more special. Be advised: Plan early. The city’s most sought-after venues, restaurants, hotels and seasonal experiences book far in advance during the holiday season.

But have fun with it. As Anthony sums it up, “This is a fun time of year so make sure you're planning with that in mind—always have fun, be celebratory, take some risks,” he advised, “Create experiences that people really want to spend time doing because it's an important time of year for everyone.”

And Kiersten adds, “I think people should come back for events every single year because every single year feels different in some way.”