The best street fairs NYC has to offer

If you’ve ever encountered a random street fair while wandering the city, chances it's Pop Up New York's doing. The brand hosts numerous outdoor bonanzas while giving back to local non-profits. From the end of April to late October, the company hosts a new wave of bazaars featuring up-and-coming restaurants, designers and musicians in trendy neighborhoods. Check out the full lineup of upcoming events online.

The Hester Street Fair is back for its 15th season bringing together extraordinary local vendors for a bustling outdoor marketplace. The market features handmade jewelry, ceramics, candles, pet accessories, vintage clothing, seasonal pies, soju-spiced cocktails, and lots more.

Find all the fun at the Seaport at Pier 17 (89 South Street). For a full rundown of vendors, check out Hester Street Fair's website.

Shop 'til you drop at FAD Market, a curated fashion, art and design pop-up marketplace, which is back for 2024. Expect to see your favorite makers plus brand new creatives to help you live smarter, gift better and support local businesses. 

FAD—which stands for Fashion, Art and Design—takes over different venues with a horde of independent vendors and creators. Admission is free and dogs are welcome!

Here's the full schedule of upcoming markets in Brooklyn and on Governors Island.

Grand Bazaar is one of NYC’s oldest and largest marketplaces where you can buy vintage treasures, antiques, clothing and more goodies from more than 100 local merchants. Photographers, jewelers and furniture designers sell their best on Sundays between 10am and 5pm on the Upper West Side (77th Street at Columbus Avenue). 

Each week offers a different theme, from women-owned businesses to handmade items to international wares. The market runs both indoors and outdoors each week all year long.

The Brooklyn Flea is undoubtedly one of the most popular flea markets to hit in NYC if you're looking for the best selection of throwback wares and records.

Find Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO on the cobblestone streets of Pearl Plaza, where it spotlights roughly more than 40 vendors who display their goods beneath the Manhattan Bridge. Brookyn Flea operates on Saturday and Sundays, April through December. Brooklyn Flea also operates in Chelsea year-round on Saturdays and Sundays.

At this massive grub hub, there’s only one rule: Come hungry. 

Founded by Brooklyn Flea’s Eric Demby and Jonathan Butler, the culinary extravaganza typically spotlights more than 70 vendors. Vendors this year will serve up fragrant Ethiopian stews, Hawaii-style street comforts, explosive pani puri, potato puff poutine, and lots more. Smorgasburg WTC runs on Fridays; Williamsburg is on Saturdays; and Prospect Park is on Sundays. Each location is open from 11am-6pm and operates weekly through October. 

Eat your way through Japan without ever leaving New York City at JAPAN Fes, the massive foodie festival, which is back and bigger than ever for 2024. The organization is hosting 30 outdoor events this year stretching through November in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Event organizers say it's the largest Japanese food festival in the world, attracting 300,000 visitors and featuring 1,000 vendors every year.

Expect dishes including takoyaki, ramen, matcha sweets, yakisoba, karaage, okonomiyaki, and lots more. They're even hosting a ramen contest and a konamon contest this year to crown the best of the bunch. Vendors hail from New York City, as well as other states and other countries. 

Here's the full list of dates and neighborhoods.

One of New York City's largest celebrations of Chinese food, culture and heritage is back, and it's firing up an even bigger calendar of events for 2024. After Dragon Fest’s successful run in 2023, where it attracted 200,000 attendees across five events, the festival is back with an expanded lineup of 16 events across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens running through fall.

Attendees can explore culinary traditions from nearly every province of China, with over 100 different Chinese dishes on offer, from slurp-ready soup dumplings to sugar-coated chestnuts, lotus root sandwiches to grilled cold noodles. Among the 2024 food vendors are Haidilao, Maobao, Na Tart, Jixiang BBQ, and dim sum classic Nom Wah.

Check all the dates and locations here.

Despite announcing that the Bronx Night Market would close for good, this popular market is coming back for 2024 just in a new location. Find it in Fordham Plaza on the first Saturday of each month through October.

Expect a new-and-improved Bronx Night Market that feels like a community space, with new eatery Cafe Locale right at the center of it all.

Other activities include a pop-up bookstore curated by Bronx is Reading, which will host a bunch of literary activities for folks of all ages; a new general store filled with fresh products sourced locally called Fordham Farmers Market; Bronx Native's beloved Tiny Desk concert series; and a vegan bazaar that will promote the sort of healthy foods that the "traditional" market does not regularly pay attention to.

Romaine calm: The Vegan Night Market is coming back to Manhattan! The Vegan Night Market first launched in 2023, and it quickly gained a following of plant-powered eaters. Now it's coming back to Manhattan once again, running on the first Tuesday of the month through October at Columbus Circle.

You'll get the chance to taste vegan foods from a variety of local vendors while listening to live music in a crowd of like-minded folks. Whether you're a seasoned vegan or curious about trying some plant-based meals, all are welcome.

Find the Vegan Night Market every Tuesday from May to October from 12-8pm. It's free to enter. The market's hosted by Masc Hospitality Group (MHG), which runs several other night markets around town. 

Newer to the night market scene, the Brooklyn Night Market quickly grew a devoted following, attracting thousands to Industry City for an open-air food and drink festival. The market is back for 2024 on the last Monday of each month from April to October.

Dine around with an extensive selection of cuisines from around the world, as well as live music and other activities. The event strives to celebrate the diverse food and vibrant culture in New York City. In the market’s third season, expect more than 65 vendors producing dishes and libations from all corners of the world.

The market "stands as a testament to the borough's culinary prowess, creating a space where residents and visitors alike can savor the essence of Brooklyn's dynamic and ever-evolving gastronomic scene," event organizers say. 

Find it at Industry City, 36th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue.

The massive foodie fest at Uptown Night Market is back in Harlem, running monthly into the fall. Expect more than 80 food, beverage and merch vendors showcasing the talents of locals in the community.

The free-to-attend outdoor event series runs on the second Thursday of the month from April through October. Find the all-ages event at 133rd and 12th Avenue in West Harlem.

This super popular event draws a crowd of 15,000 people time after time for foods like Mexican-style hot dogs, tacos, empanadas, shish kebabs, and lots more.

Dedicated to the cuisine and culture of the Latin diaspora, this event kicked off last year with near 20,000 fans. It's back for 2024 in the Dyckman area with to showcase South and Central American cultures offer. Expect a lineup of 50 vendors offering a diverse array of Latin flavors, plus a festive musical lineup.

"The Latin Night Market is more than an event; it's a celebration of diversity, community, and the vibrant tapestry of Latin culture," event organizers say. 

This night market runs on the third Friday of the month from April through October. The event occurs in Uptown Manhattan on Dyckman Street between Dyckman Plaza and Inwood Park.

It’s hard to get good food on the cheap, but for seven years, Queens Night Market has prided itself on offering the city’s best eats for just $5-6.

The foodie festival runs on Saturday nights through the summer at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. New this year: The event will open at 4pm, an hour earlier than it has in the past and will include even more vendors than usual.

There will also be other items sale besides food, including vintage apparel, handmade jewelry, ceramic products, locally produced art pieces, crochet toys, stationery, and much more.

In its existence, the market has attracted over 2 million visitors, helped launch 350 new businesses in New York and represented more than 90 countries through its vendors and their food. In 2022, the event averaged over 15,000 attendees each Saturday night.