Macy’s Holiday Square is a Must Visit This Holiday Season

It’s finally getting colder in the city, and the holiday season is in full swing. 

‘Tis the season to browse 5th Avenue’s iconic storefronts (RIP to the iconic Saks light show), ice skate in Central Park, admire the Rockefeller tree, and sip plenty of hot apple cider and hot chocolate. 

It’s also time to browse all of the iconic holiday markets that the city has to offer. Most well-known are Bryant Park and Union Square, both offering an abundance of booths selling unique items. From custom prints to spices, pet treats to delicious food, these markets truly have it all. 

This year, there’s a new market in town: Macy’s Holiday Square. Scattered across various floors of the enormous department store, the Holiday Square features small booths showcasing a range of offerings.  However, due to heavy crowds, my friends and I asked where we should go to see the holiday market, and were directed to the 9th floor, so that’s what this review will be about. 

Macy’s Holiday Square also has a booth in Bryant Park’s Winter Village. Conveniently, Bryant Park is only a ten-minute walk from Macy’s, so after you browse, you can easily stroll over to the other.

The 9th floor of the Holiday Square features six booths: Jacques Torres Chocolates, Askanya Chocolates, Woops! Macarons, Luuma Home, Wonderen Stroopwafels, and of course, the beloved Christmas in New York, which is located on the Mezzanine floor as well. 

The Mezzanine of Macy’s is home to 14 additional booths, while floors 2 through 5 focus mostly on food vendors. However, once you step off the 9th-floor elevator, you are transported to a Christmas wonderland. 

The main attraction of the floor is its model Christmas rooms, each corner transformed into a themed Christmas wonderland. My favorite was the candy-themed section, where colorful candy ornaments hung from the trees, and pink stockings lined the display row. It felt like stepping into the world of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Colorful, pastel ornaments hang from two Christmas trees in the candy-themed section. 

There was also a beautiful white Christmas-themed section that was home to beautiful, chic white and gold ornaments that perfectly dotted the tree they were hanging from. The classic red Christmas section took me back to my childhood and wearing matching plaid red dresses with my sister, and warm bubble lights on our tree, with colorful, small lights poking through. 

The White Christmas section was home to classic, aesthetically pleasing ornaments. 

The classic red and green section brought me back to my childhood. 

Now, let’s talk about the booths. 

The booths were all arranged down one long wall, beginning with Askanya chocolates. Here, the owner sells an array of chocolate bars, all varying in cacao percentages. While the majority of them were vegan, there were two non-vegan options as well. One bar sells for $10, but there are also deals for purchasing more than one. 

The chocolates were perfectly displayed on the wall by color. The ones to the left are vegan and the ones to the right are not. 

I also purchased delicious macarons from Woops! For $22, you can get a box of six. My friend and I shared a box, choosing three flavors each. I opted for birthday cake, cookies ‘n cream, and lemon– all of which were delicious and the woman working this booth was incredibly friendly and funny. We had a great time chatting and laughing with her. Her spirit was infectious and made my night. 

Of course, we couldn’t miss the Christmas in New York booth, known for its customizable ornaments, this booth offers keepsakes for all stages of life. Even though I’ve never bought any, I always love looking at the selection of sports, careers, and other symbolic ornaments they sell. 

Some of the sports ornaments and statues are for sale at Christmas in New York. 

Wonderen Stroopwafels’ colorful background is inviting to all who pass. I loved the hot air balloons hanging from the ceiling and the tin cans filled with stroopwafels were adorable. Unfortunately, there was no one here working when my friend and I visited, but I still had to snap a pic of the set up. 

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We arrived at Macy's around 6pm, and the bottom floor was packed. We were constantly weaving in and out of groups. It was overwhelming. The elevators were filled with people trying to go up and down. 

However, the 9th floor was a peaceful escape from the chaos. I was able to take my time browsing and chatting with the booth workers, and soaking in the festive atmosphere, making for a great experience.

When compared to Bryant Park and the Union Square Holiday Market, the size is definitely a lot smaller and more intimate. People spend hours waiting in line to try viral food items, this year it seems to be the chocolate-covered strawberries squeezed into the tiny booths at the markets outside. However, on the 9th floor of Macy’s, it seems to be less of that. 

I definitely think there is something special about the outdoor markets. Hot drinks and warm food warm you up in the cold air, and festive decorations line the booths. In all the markets, however, one thing remains the same, crowds of family and friends laughing and celebrating the holiday season are everywhere. 

As the holiday season continues and more tourists flock to NYC, I expect the crowd size to grow. Even so, Macy’s Holiday Square is definitely worth a quick stop this season.