2024 Holiday Fair Features Several Firsts, Including Uncommon Goods Holiday Pop-up and Grand Central Terminal Holiday Merchandise Collection

Welcoming Back Familiar Favorites Including the Holiday Train Show, Thanksgiving Market, and Exclusive Gift-Wrapping Services

View Video of Holiday Festival Shops

View Video of News Conference

View Video of Costa Rican Dance Performance

View Video of Holiday Fair Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

View Photos of News Conference

Officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the opening of the Grand Central Holiday Fair. The officials were joined by Holiday Fair merchants, traditional Costa Rican dancers, and representatives from the Costa Rica Tourism Board, which is sponsoring the holiday fair.

This year's fair will showcase 36 local small businesses and artisan merchants in the historic Beaux-Arts Vanderbilt Hall, just steps from more than 75 shopping and dining options, and directly across from the Terminal's newest restaurant, Grand Brasserie. Elsewhere in the Terminal, which hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors daily, the nearby Biltmore Room will play host to seasonal pop-up storefronts of various vendors throughout the season.

The fair will be open seven days a week from today, Nov. 11, through Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays; closed on Thanksgiving; open on Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"Grand Central Terminal is a magical place anytime of the year and especially during the holidays," said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. "The terminal is a destination where New Yorkers and tourists can eat, drink, shop and enjoy the holiday energy that a diverse group of merchants provides."

"Long Islanders can take direct trains into Grand Central Terminal to enjoy the lights, sounds and treats of the holiday season here in Midtown Manhattan," said Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free. "The Holiday Fair is a wonderful addition to the year-round grandeur of this beautiful terminal."

"We're thrilled to bring the warmth and the beauty of Costa Rica to the heart of New York City during this holiday season," said Maritza Chan, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations. "Through this partnership, we're also excited to share a taste of Costa Rica's unique Pura Vida lifestyle, one that is embedded in an honor to nature, community, solidarity and hospitality. Pura Vida aligns perfectly with this holiday season reminding us to slow down, enjoy time with loved ones and appreciate little things."

"This holiday season is a very busy time for us, and we are a company that is a champion of artisanal vendors, of the small businesses. We've given opportunities to over 16,000 companies, like the vendors and makers that you're going to see here today. So, as you walk through and get to know these vendors. You're, in a sense, getting to know our business," said Robert Carucci, CEO Uncommon Goods. "Uncommon goods has over 5,000 unique products. We've picked a few hundred of our favorites that are here for everyone to see. And as we look forward to the next opportunities in the holiday fair, we just want to thank our team that has put this together. Thank the MTA, who's been a great partner, and we wish everyone here, great holiday revenue opportunity."

"My favorite part of Grand Central holiday fair is connecting with the 36 talented, engaged local artists, makers and small business owners at the fair, you're going to find a significant collection of high quality, unique gifts. You'll be able to shop in a stress free, inspiring environment and be dazzled by Grand Central Terminal, a New York landmark," said Kathleen Tesnakis, Founder, President and Designer of ekologic, Inc. "This year, I hope you'll add Grand Central holiday fair to your family's tradition as it is my family tradition to be here. Come enjoy a real New York holiday experience with us. I hope to see you all."

Come for the Holiday Fair and stay for all of the other festivities happening across Grand Central Terminal this season including:

• Uncommon Goods Holiday Pop-up Store
  • Don't miss the first-ever Uncommon Goods pop-up holiday store on the bridge adjacent to the Main Concourse. Open for the same duration as the Holiday Fair.
  • A New York institution with a national following since 1999, they're featuring a hand-picked selection of imaginative gifts for kids, handmade jewelry and ornaments, small batch syrups and confections, and creatively designed finds for grill masters, sports fans, book lovers, and everyone else on your holiday list.
• Grand Central Merchandise and Tenant Collaborations
  • From essentials like Yeti tumblers and Baggu totes to charming souvenirs such as jigsaw puzzles, luggage tags, and playing cards, this unique Grand Central Terminal-branded collection offers perfect gifts for anyone with a special place in their heart for the Big Apple. Products are available for purchase at The Grand Gift Shop inside the Holiday Fair.
  • Product imagery HERE.
  • Also at the Grand Gift Shop, complimentary gift-wrapping services with one-of-a-kind wrapping paper resembling Grand Central's famous celestial ceiling will be offered by Grand Central Terminal to those who purchased a gift in the Terminal.
  • Two tenants are introducing limited-edition Grand Central-inspired items this season, available exclusively at the Terminal. At the the Grand Gift Shop, shoppers can purchase Damselfly Flowers's "Grand Sense," an apothecary jar of all-natural warming holiday botanicals, is a perfect gift for yourself or a loved one, made of cinnamon sticks, star anise, frasier fur, orange slices and more. At Neuhaus' storefront you can find their "Sweet Memories from Grand Central" collector's box of 16 timeless Neuhaus chocolates with praliné, ganache, and caramel fillings.
• New York Transit Museum's Holiday Train Show
  • Celebrating its 20th year of operation, the New York Transit Museum's Grand Central Gallery welcomes back its annual Holiday Train Show. Departing from a miniature replica of Grand Central Terminal, the Transit Museum's collection of model trains, including Metro-North, Polar Express, and vintage subway train sets, will dazzle the eyes of children and adults alike as they make their way past New York landmarks and on to the North Pole.
  • Featuring artwork by illustrator Franco Zacha, this year's Holiday Train Show includes a stunning large-scale mural commissioned by the New York Transit Museum. The mural depicts trains, buses, and bridges set against the picturesque snowy skyline of New York.
  • The show opens on Thursday, Nov. 14, and runs through February 2025. Open 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; closed on major holidays.
• Thanksgiving Market
  • Don't show up to Thanksgiving dinner empty-handed! Grand Central's one-day Thanksgiving Market offers visitors the chance to purchase delicious treats, baked goods and other seasonal items from the Terminal's retailers.
  • Open Wednesday, Nov. 27, in the Biltmore Room from 10:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m.

For more information and to stay up to date with the Grand Central Holiday Fair and vendors, please visit https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/holiday-fair/ and follow Grand Central Terminal on Facebook, Instagram and X.

About Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal is one of America's greatest transportation hubs and one of New York City's most iconic buildings. Grand Central Terminal is the terminus of Metro-North Railroad, and home to a number of boutique restaurants, cocktail lounges, a gourmet market, and many specialty shops. In 2023, Grand Central's historic footprint was expanded with the opening of Grand Central Madison, a 700,000-square-foot terminal and concourse designed to service the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). LIRR access into Manhattan's east side was the most transformative expansion of LIRR service in over a century. For more on Grand Central Madison, visit https://new.mta.info/grandcentralmadison. For more on Grand Central visit https://www.grandcentralterminal.com.

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