Midtown, NYC: Bryant Park Winter Village Opens October 28 With Free Skating and 180 Shops

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park opens tomorrow, October 28, at noon, bringing the Midtown park's seasonal ice rink, holiday market and igloo dining back for another winter.

The centerpiece is the rink, which has free admission and sits against a backdrop of Midtown skyscrapers. Around it, roughly 180 holiday shops make up the market, a convenient place to pick up gifts or simply browse with a cup of hot chocolate in hand.

For a more private outing, the Cozy Igloos return on November 5, 2026. Each is a heated dome where a group of friends or family can settle in with festive food and drinks, a few steps from the ice. Reservations for igloos, skating and Club Santa are already open through the park's online booking page, and the park says peak dates tend to go early, so booking ahead is the safer plan for weekends and holiday weeks.

Winter Village also has two private event spaces. Overlook holds up to 225 guests and looks over the rink and the surrounding architecture, while Polar Lounge, beside the ice, fits up to 50. Inquiries go through the park's private entertaining form.

Bryant Park is run by the Bryant Park Corporation and draws more than 12 million visitors a year. Outside winter, it is known for lunch on the lawn, free daily amenities and cultural programming. Le Carrousel and the weekday juggling classes are among the regular offerings listed for the park on a typical day.

For anyone in Midtown, the opening is a handy marker of the season: an easy after-work skate, a lunch-hour stroll through the shops, or a planned group evening in an igloo.