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The Holiday Almanac · November

Things to Do in NYC in November 2026

Everything worth your time in New York in November 2026: the marathon, the Thanksgiving parade, Brancusi at MoMA, Tosca at Carnegie Hall, the Comedy Festival, DOC NYC, the first holiday lights and markets, and Broadway's big openings.

Checked on the organizers’ own pages, October 18, 2026

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November in New York starts with the marathon on Sunday the 1st, the same morning the clocks go back an hour, and ends with Thanksgiving on the 26th. In between, the city turns toward the holidays: the Rockefeller Center tree arrives on Saturday, November 7, the Rockettes start on the 4th, and the train show, the light trails and the first holiday markets all open by Thanksgiving weekend.

It's also one of the year's richest months for culture, with Brancusi filling MoMA's sixth floor, Krasner and Pollock at the Met, Dudamel conducting Tosca at Carnegie Hall, a new Jenůfa at the Met Opera, ten days of the Comedy Festival, DOC NYC, and eight Broadway opening nights. Every date below was checked on the organizer's own page on October 18, 2026, and the list is in date order.

Croton-on-Hudson, Hudson ValleyConfirmed for 2026

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

Thousands of hand-carved, lit jack-o'-lanterns arranged into sculptures along a winding trail at an 18th-century manor, about an hour from Grand Central by train.

When
Sep 18 – Nov 8, 2026; open every night in October
Cost
Timed tickets from $24; children 2 and under free; advance tickets only, none sold on site
Where
Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 S Riverside Ave, Croton-on-Hudson
Subway
Metro-North Hudson Line to Croton-Harmon, then a 15-minute walk or short cab ride

Weeknight entries after 8pm are the cheapest. Weekends close to Halloween sell out first.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

BronxConfirmed for 2026

Día de los Muertos, New York Botanical Garden

Calaveras, alebrijes and a towering La Catrina among the season's pumpkins, ending with a parade on November 1. NYBG is not running its Halloween pumpkin show this year; this is its fall celebration instead.

When
Oct 3 – Nov 2, 2026; parade Sun Nov 1 at 2pm
Cost
Included with an All-Garden Pass
Where
Everett Children's Adventure Garden, NYBG
Subway
Metro-North Harlem Line to Botanical Garden; B/D/4 to Bedford Park Blvd

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Upper East Side, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous, The Met

More than 120 works from the Met and over 80 lenders follow Lee Krasner's and Jackson Pollock's careers side by side, in 12 chapters. The Met calls it its first major show devoted to either artist in more than 20 years; Pollock's Autumn Rhythm hangs in it.

When
Oct 4, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027
Cost
Included with Met admission
Where
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave
Subway
4/5/6 to 86 St; 6 to 77 St

Friday and Saturday evenings are the quietest time for the big fall shows.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Greenwood Heights, BrooklynConfirmed for 2026

Día de los Muertos at Green-Wood Cemetery

An altar by artist Laura Anderson Barbata in Green-Wood's Gothic chapel, and a free evening celebration on the Main Entrance Meadow on November 2. Come early to walk the hills of the 1838 cemetery in autumn light.

When
Altar Oct 9 – Nov 15, 2026; family celebration Mon Nov 2, 4–7pm
Hours
Altar in the Historic Chapel daily 10am–5pm
Cost
Free
Where
Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th St (main entrance at Fifth Ave)
Subway
R to 25 St

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Upper East Side, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Designing the Gilded Age: Drawings from the Studios of Louis C. Tiffany, The Met

Nearly 120 watercolor design drawings from Louis C. Tiffany's studios, all from the Met's own collection and newly conserved, shown beside the windows, mosaics and lamps they became. Many record works since lost or never built, and the show credits the designers, often women and émigrés, who drew them.

When
Oct 22, 2026 – Feb 7, 2027
Cost
Free with Met admission
Where
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Galleries 691–693, 1000 Fifth Ave
Subway
4/5/6 to 86 St; 6 to 77 St

The American Wing's permanent Tiffany windows are a floor down in the Engelhard Court; see them the same visit.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Central Park, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Wollman Rink, Central Park

Skating under the Midtown skyline at the southern end of Central Park. Timed-entry tickets online or at the box office.

When
Oct 24, 2026 – Mar 16, 2027
Hours
Mon–Tue 10am–2:30pm; Wed–Thu 10am–9pm; Fri–Sat 10am–10pm; Sun 10am–9pm
Cost
Adults $16 / $28 / $40 (off-peak, peak, prime); kids 4–12 and seniors $12; rental $12
Where
Central Park, enter at 59th St & Sixth Ave
Subway
N/R/W to 5 Av/59 St; F to 57 St

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Midtown, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Brancusi: The Artist and His Studio, MoMA

The whole sixth floor is given to Brancusi's sculpture as seen through his Paris studio, with his hand-carved furniture and bases, films, photographs and tools, lent by the Centre Pompidou.

When
Oct 25, 2026 – Feb 27, 2027
Cost
Included with museum admission
Where
The Museum of Modern Art, 6th floor, 11 W 53rd St
Subway
E/M to 5 Av/53 St; B/D/F/M to 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Ctr

Go at opening time on a weekday; the floor fills by midday.

Source: Official site ↗

Midtown, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Winter Village at Bryant Park

The 25th season of the city's best-known holiday market: glass-kiosk shops ringing a free-admission ice rink, plus The Lodge, a rinkside food hall.

When
Oct 28, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Hours
Mon–Fri 11am–8pm; Sat–Sun 10am–8pm
Cost
Free to browse
Where
Bryant Park, W 42nd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves
Subway
B/D/F/M to 42 St–Bryant Park; 7 to 5 Av

Go on a weekday afternoon, then stay for the rink lights after dark.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Battery Park City, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Canstruction at Brookfield Place

Teams of architects and engineers build giant sculptures out of unopened cans of food, all donated to City Harvest when the show ends.

When
Oct 30 – Nov 9, 2026
Hours
10am–7pm daily; until 6pm on Nov 9
Cost
Free
Where
Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey St
Subway
E to World Trade Center; 1 to WTC Cortlandt; A/C/2/3/4/5 to Fulton St

Bring canned food for the City Harvest drop-off in the Winter Garden.

Source: Official site ↗

All five boroughsConfirmed for 2026

TCS New York City Marathon

Nearly 60,000 runners and more than two million spectators, with a new route through the Bronx, the course's first change in 15 years. The clocks go back an hour that morning.

When
Sun Nov 1, 2026, from 8am
Cost
Free to watch
Where
Staten Island to Central Park, through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx

Our marathon guide has the best spots to watch, mile by mile, with the subway line for each.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Midtown, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Christmas Spectacular, Radio City Rockettes

A record 230 performances this season, with a new scene. A sensory-friendly show is Sun Nov 8 at 9:30am.

When
Nov 4, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027
Cost
From $50 at the box office, $55 online
Where
Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Sixth Ave
Subway
B/D/F/M to 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Ctr

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

All five boroughsConfirmed for 2026

New York Comedy Festival

Ten days and more than 100 shows across the city. Dave Chappelle plays Madison Square Garden on November 6 and 7, and Stand Up for Heroes is Monday, November 9 at David Geffen Hall.

When
Nov 6–15, 2026
Hours
Mostly evening shows
Cost
Varies by show
Where
Venues include Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, Town Hall, Kings Theatre and David Geffen Hall

Arena dates sell out early; the smaller club shows are the better value, and more are still being added.

Source: Official site ↗

Theater District, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Broadway's November opening nights

Wanted, a new musical (Nov 8, James Earl Jones Theatre); Here There Are Blueberries (Nov 9, Ethel Barrymore); Now You See Me Live (Nov 11, Al Hirschfeld); Downstate (Nov 15, Booth); The Fantasticks (Nov 16, Hayes); It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Nov 18, Broadhurst); and Much Ado About Nothing (Nov 19, Winter Garden).

When
Nov 8–19, 2026
Cost
Varies
Where
Broadway theaters around Times Square
Subway
1/2/3/7/N/Q/R/W/S to Times Sq–42 St; N/R/W to 49 St

Shows still in previews often have cheaper seats than after opening night; the TKTS booth in Times Square sells same-day discounts on running shows.

Source: Press ↗

Midtown, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Grand Central Holiday Fair

About forty handmade, made-in-the-US artisan booths indoors in the Beaux-Arts Vanderbilt Hall — the market to save for a cold or rainy day.

When
Nov 9 – Dec 24, 2026
Hours
Nov 9–Dec 16: Mon–Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 11am–6pm; Dec 17–23: daily 10am–8pm; Christmas Eve 10am–6pm; closed Thanksgiving Day
Where
Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, 89 E 42nd St
Subway
4/5/6/7/S to Grand Central–42 St

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Fifth Avenue, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

NYC Veterans Day Parade

The United War Veterans Council's parade up Fifth Avenue is the largest Veterans Day parade in the country, with marching units, bands and veterans' groups from every service.

When
Wed Nov 11, 2026
Hours
2026 start time not yet posted; in 2025 it stepped off at 12:30pm and ran until about 3:30pm
Cost
Free
Where
Fifth Avenue; in 2025 the route ran from 26th Street north to 45th Street
Subway
R/W or 6 to 23 St or 28 St; B/D/F/M to 42 St–Bryant Park

Check uwvc.org for the 2026 start time and route before you go.

Source: Organizer ↗

Greenwich Village, Chelsea & East VillageConfirmed for 2026

DOC NYC, the documentary festival

The 17th edition of America's largest documentary festival, with more than 200 films. Opening night is The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs and closing night is Totality, about the 2024 eclipse.

When
Nov 11–29, 2026 (in theaters Nov 11–19, then online)
Hours
Screening times vary
Cost
Single tickets and festival passes
Where
IFC Center (323 Sixth Ave), SVA Theatre (333 W 23rd St) and Village East by Angelika (181 Second Ave)
Subway
A/B/C/D/E/F/M to W 4 St for IFC Center; C/E to 23 St for SVA; L to 3 Av for Village East

Screenings with filmmaker Q&As sell out first; if one is gone, check whether it's in the online program.

Source: Official site ↗

Midtown, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Dudamel conducts Tosca, New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall

Puccini's Tosca in concert, with Marina Rebeka, Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tézier, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel in his first season as the Philharmonic's music director. It opens a five-year series of operas in concert at Carnegie Hall.

When
Fri Nov 13, 7:30pm, and Sun Nov 15, 2pm
Cost
Ticketed
Where
Carnegie Hall, 881 Seventh Ave at W 57th St
Subway
N/Q/R/W to 57 St–7 Av; B/D/E to 7 Av

The Sunday matinee is the easier ticket; watch for returns the week of the show.

Source: Official site ↗

BronxConfirmed for 2026

NYBG Holiday Train Show

Model trains run past nearly 200 New York landmarks built from bark, pinecones and other plant parts, inside the Victorian glasshouse. New this year is a botanical model of One Vanderbilt.

When
Nov 14, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027
Hours
Tue–Sun 10am–6pm; open until 8pm on select evenings (Nov 27–29; Dec 5, 11, 12, 18–20, 26–30; Jan 2). Closed Dec 25
Cost
Timed tickets from $39 adults, $35 seniors and students, $27 children 2–12 (prices vary by date)
Where
Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx
Subway
Metro-North Harlem Line to Botanical Garden, about 20 minutes from Grand Central; or B/D/4 to Bedford Park Blvd, then the Bx26 bus

Book one of the evening dates to see it after dark, and allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes from the train: the station's pedestrian overpass is closed.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Lincoln Center, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Jenůfa, a new production at the Metropolitan Opera

Asmik Grigorian sings the title role in Claus Guth's staging, first seen at the Royal Opera in London, with Nina Stemme as the Kostelnička. Tomáš Hanus makes his Met conducting debut.

When
Opens Mon Nov 16, 2026; also Nov 21, 23, 28, 30 and Dec 4
Cost
Tickets on metopera.org
Where
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center
Subway
1 to 66 St–Lincoln Center

The Saturday matinees on November 21 and 28 fit into a full day out.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Hudson Yards, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Shine Bright at Hudson Yards

More than two million lights, 725 evergreens and a 32-foot hot-air-balloon centerpiece in the Great Room, with the Vessel lit for the season from a ceremony on Monday, November 16. Free photos with Santa run on weekday evenings, 5–8pm, from November 27 to December 23.

When
Nov 16, 2026 – Jan 7, 2027
Hours
Lights on throughout the season; shops Mon–Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 11am–7pm
Cost
Free; free photos with Santa
Where
The Shops at Hudson Yards and the Vessel, West 33rd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues
Subway
7 to 34 St–Hudson Yards

Walk the High Line south at dusk afterwards; it starts right outside.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Theater District, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Much Ado About Nothing, with Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell

Jamie Lloyd's London production transfers to Broadway for ten weeks, with Hiddleston and Atwell reprising Benedick and Beatrice.

When
Opens Thu Nov 19, 2026 (previews from Oct 31); through Jan 10, 2027
Hours
Eight shows a week
Cost
Varies
Where
Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway at W 50th St
Subway
1 to 50 St; C/E to 50 St

Star-cast limited runs rarely discount; book early or try the lottery or rush if one is offered.

Source: Press ↗

Prospect Heights, BrooklynConfirmed for 2026

Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

The garden's after-dark light trail returns with large-scale light installations set to a soundtrack along a wheelchair-accessible route. There are 21-and-over nights on Thursdays, December 10 and 17.

When
Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Hours
Evenings, timed entry
Cost
Adults $29 on Value nights, $39 Off-Peak, $44 Peak; children 3–11 $15–$28; under 3 free
Where
Brooklyn Botanic Garden; the trail starts at the Visitor Center, 990 Washington Ave
Subway
2/3 to Eastern Pkwy–Brooklyn Museum; 4/5 to Franklin Av

Value nights cost $15 less per adult than Peak nights; book early-season weeknights.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Meatpacking District, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

artport: A History of Internet Art, Whitney Museum

Twenty-five years of artport, the Whitney's online commissioning space for net art, brought into the galleries with more than 100 commissioned works.

When
Opens Sat Nov 21, 2026
Cost
Included with museum admission
Where
Whitney Museum of American Art, 6th floor, 99 Gansevoort St
Subway
A/C/E/L to 14 St–8 Av

Pair it with a walk on the High Line, which starts outside the door.

Source: Official site ↗

BronxConfirmed for 2026

Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights

Six lantern-safari trails, tunnels of light and a musical light show at Astor Court fill the zoo on select nights. New this year, the Children's Zoo farmyard, World of Darkness and World of Reptiles stay open for the event.

When
Select nights, Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Hours
Entry 1–8pm, lights on at 4:30pm, closes 9pm
Cost
Any-night tickets $42.95 adults, $27.95 children 3–12, $37.95 seniors; advance only, rain or shine
Where
Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx (Gate B, Bronx River entrance)
Subway
2 to Pelham Pkwy, then walk west to Gate B; or 2/5 to West Farms Sq–E Tremont Av

Arrive at 1pm on the same ticket to see the animals in daylight, then stay for the lights. The nights run Nov 21–22 and 27–29, Dec 3–6, 10–13, 17–23 and 26–31, and Jan 2–3.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Midtown, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Saks Fifth Avenue Windows & Light Show

This year's campaign is "Main Character Energy": six animated windows and a facade light show facing the Rockefeller tree across Fifth Avenue.

When
From Mon Nov 23, 2026
Hours
2026 show times not yet announced (in 2025: every 10 minutes, 5–11pm)
Cost
Free
Where
611 Fifth Ave, between 49th & 50th Sts
Subway
B/D/F/M to 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Center

Source: Press ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Upper West Side, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Balloon Inflation, the day before

Macy's confirms the balloons will be inflated on Wednesday, November 25 on the Upper West Side, and says details on public access will come later. Seeing the giant characters half-filled under nets, a few feet away, is a New York tradition of its own.

When
Wed Nov 25, 2026
Hours
2026 hours not yet announced. In 2025: 1–6pm, with the line opening at noon and entry closing at 6pm.
Cost
Free in 2025; 2026 access not yet announced
Where
Around the American Museum of Natural History. In 2025 the balloons were laid out between W 77th and W 81st Sts, with the public entrance at W 72nd St and Columbus Ave.
Subway
1/2/3 to 72 St; 1 to 79 St

The line is long; in 2025 it opened an hour before inflation began. Go early in the afternoon rather than after work.

Source: Organizer ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Prospect Park, BrooklynConfirmed for 2026

Prospect Park Turkey Trot

The Prospect Park Track Club's five-mile Thanksgiving race, with a fuzzy turkey hat for entrants and a medal for every finisher. Spectators line the park loop for free.

When
Thanksgiving morning, Thu Nov 26, 2026
Hours
Wave 1 at 8:15am, Wave 2 at 9am
Cost
$47 to run
Where
Prospect Park, starting on Center Drive
Subway
B/Q to Prospect Park or Parkside Av; 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza

Waves close five minutes after their start, so get there early.

Source: Organizer ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Upper West Side to Herald Square, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The hundredth parade has a record lineup of 100 inflatables, with Bluey, Hello Kitty, Mario, Pikachu & Eevee, SpongeBob and Spider-Man among the balloons, more than 25 floats including Tom Turkey and Santa's Sleigh, and seven marching bands. Public viewing is along the parts of the route the NYPD designates.

When
Thu Nov 26, 2026, from 8:30am
Hours
Steps off at 8:30am. In 2025 it ended around noon.
Cost
Free to watch from public viewing areas
Where
A 2.5-mile route ending at Macy's Herald Square, W 34th St and Sixth Ave

Macy's posts the route map at macys.com/parade, usually in November. In 2025 the parade started at W 77th St and Central Park West, ran down Central Park West, across Central Park South and down Sixth Avenue to 34th Street.

Source: Organizer ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Lincoln Center, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, New York City Ballet

Balanchine's 1954 staging, with the growing tree, the snowstorm and more than a hundred dancers and children.

When
Nov 27, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027
Cost
Ticketed
Where
David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center
Subway
1 to 66 St–Lincoln Center

Source: Official site ↗

Herald Square, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Macy's Santaland, rebuilt for 2026

Macy's has rebuilt Santaland from scratch this year, with a new walk-through journey to Santa and a virtual queue: you check in at your reserved time and browse the store instead of standing in line. Its Holiday Square market of 20-plus vendors on the lower level opens October 30.

When
Opens Fri Nov 27, 2026; free reservations open Fri Nov 20
Hours
During store hours: Mon–Thu 10am–9pm, Fri–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun 11am–9pm
Cost
Free with a reservation; photo packages from $44.99; VIP visits $250 for up to eight people
Where
Macy's Herald Square, 151 W 34th St, 8th floor
Subway
B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W to 34 St–Herald Sq

Free reservations open on November 20 and are released seven days ahead; set a reminder. Macy's says it will try to fit in walk-ups but can't promise.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

2026TBA

Union Square, Manhattan2026 not yet announced

Union Square Holiday Market

The city's longest-running holiday market, run by Urbanspace since 1994, with close to two hundred local makers and food vendors.

When
Mid-November to Christmas Eve; 2026 dates to be confirmed
Hours
Check the host's website for this year's hours
Cost
Free
Where
Union Square Park, southwest corner (14th St & Broadway)
Subway
4/5/6/L/N/Q/R/W to 14 St–Union Sq

Urbanspace hasn't posted the 2026 dates yet; check its website for the exact opening day before you go.

Source: Organizer ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Notes on the dates

  • Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, at 2am, the morning of the marathon. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, and Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26.
  • The Veterans Day Parade's 2026 start time and route haven't been posted yet; times shown are from 2025.
  • Museum shows are included with general admission; check each museum's site for current prices and timed tickets.
  • For Thanksgiving dinner reservations, see the Almanac's Thanksgiving dinner guide, with seventeen restaurants and their published prices.

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