The city will once again close a stretch of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue to car traffic for its Holiday Open Street program this December — but as in 2024, it will be for just a single Sunday, according to the business association that runs the event.
The schedule for the pedestrian-friendly event on one of the world's most famous shopping corridors is a reduction from the three-Sunday lineup in 2022 and 2023, which City Hall touted as a boon to businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Fifth Avenue Association, the avenue will be shut to cars between 47th and 57th streets from noon to 6 p.m. on Dec. 14. It's a longer span than last year, when the corridor closed between 48th and 55th streets and Fifth Avenue's 200th anniversary was celebrated.
The program began in 2022 and continued in 2023 with an increased footprint, drawing thousands of people for live performances, shopping and food vendors. City Hall credited the program for driving millions of dollars in sales.
When the program went down to a single Sunday in 2024, Councilmember Keith Powers of Manhattan told Streetsblog he thought a larger pedestrian event was “such an easy win for the area in Midtown” and something that should be brought back for 2025. But the Fifth Avenue Association, which manages the event, cited increased security around Trump Tower as a logistical challenge.
The Fifth Avenue Association didn't address its reason for continuing with the shorter schedule this year in a statement Thursday. President Edward Pincar Jr. said the program would bring "festive cheer to the iconic shopping corridor in time for the holidays."
"Working with the City of New York and New York City [Department of Transportation], we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the most famous holiday shopping street in the world," he said in the statement.
The association hasn't started its promotional push for the street closure, but listed the 2025 schedule on its website, saying to expect “spectacular lights, holiday decor, live entertainment, food and beverage and one-of-a-kind brand activations.” The listing says more information will be released soon.
The city transportation department said even in years with longer schedules, some Open Street Sundays have been cancelled due to rough weather.
“These temporary pedestrianizations have helped feed a remarkable demand to accommodate the largest pedestrian counts anywhere in the city — especially this time of year — which is also why the city is excited to move forward with a redesign of the corridor that will rebalance [the] street and dramatically expand the permanent space for pedestrians for generations to come,” spokesperson Vincent Barone wrote in an email.
Mayor Eric Adams earlier this year pitched a more than $400 million redesign of Fifth Avenue between Bryant and Central parks, aimed at reducing traffic lanes and expanding sidewalks.
The transportation department noted it plans to close other cross-streets in the area around Rockefeller Center as needed to accommodate large pedestrian crowds visiting its famous tree, as happens every year.
The Holiday Open Street won’t be this year’s only draw to Fifth Avenue. The Rockefeller tree lighting is scheduled for Dec. 3, and onlookers will be able to see the 75-foot Norway Spruce get set up this weekend. The Saks Fifth Avenue holiday light show will return this season, after being called off in 2024.
