“Making New York-A Hands-on History & Shopping Experience” at Chelsea Market is a Must for Holiday Gifts and More!

NY Handmade Collective artisans are back at it this holiday season in the beloved and coveted Chelsea Market, November 27-December 3, in the event space, with their “Making New York-A Hands-on History & Shopping Experience."  This holiday market has been picked by "Time Out New York" as one of the top five holiday markets to shop this season!

This highly curated week-long market will showcase the history of handmade makers/settlers to our team members today, bringing together some of the best brands in local handmade and will include some hands-on workshops/demonstrations.  A list of available workshops and times are below:

Monday, November 27th - 3pm-6pm

Cor Garcia-Held of Cor Pottery/Bklyn Kiln will bring her potter's wheel and demonstrate how pottery is made.

Tuesday, November 28th - 3pm-4pm

Joanie Brittingham of LittleJoanieSoaprano will give an introduce to how soap is made.

Wednesday, November 29th - 1pm-2pm

Watch Cindy Peng of Cindy Penguin Jewelry show her crocheted jewelry process.

Wednesday, November 29th - 3pm-4pm

Elena Kanidinc of SimplyNu will show how to make felt holiday ornaments.

Thursday, Novmber 30th - 11am-1pm

Cor Garcia-Held returns for another pottery demonstration.

Thursday, Novmber 30th - 3pm-5pm

Staff from Blick Art Materials will demonstrate a DIY craft

Friday, December 1st - 3pm-4pm

Meredith Stein of Private Picassos will demonstrate DIY stamp-making.

Visiting NYC During the Holiday Season: Exploring, Shopping, and Sightseeing- Itineraries for Two and Five Days

When I returned to New York as an adult, a new friend and co-worker said to me, "New York City around the holidays is absolutely magical. The lights, the store windows, the snow - it is all so exciting! Then January and February hit and you wish all the snow and cold would disappear!" As a native, and now, seasoned New Yorker, I couldn't agree more with her statement.

With the Thanksgiving holiday, New York turns into a snow globe of magic. If it snows, even more so. People bundled up and sloshing around make for a quiet and pretty New York City experience. Sure, people are still as feisty as ever, it is the holiday season after all, and shopping can be overwhelming even for those prepared with lists and gifts already purchased, but there is an overall sense of happiness and delight that comes with interacting with strangers.

The holiday season is also the busiest for New York City travel wise. Many visitors from around the world come to experience all that New York offers during the season including the endless shopping. EtsyNY team members know all about the shopping season, as they're currently and hurriedly making and packing goods for upcoming markets. 

In preparation for the season upon us, I've put together a list, with the help of native New Yorkers and current residents, of what is considered "must do/see" when visiting New York in December depending on a two-day/weekend or a full five-day/week schedule.

Two Days in NY: Holiday Windows + Handmade Markets at Bryant Park and Union Square + Rockerfeller Center

1. You definitely want to see the windows of Macy's at 34th Street and Lord & Taylor at 5th Ave. Both are gorgeous displays of holiday merriment.

2. If you're looking for unique and special gifts for the holidays, you want to make sure you visit the holiday markets set up at Bryant Park at 42nd and 5th Ave (on the map in point 3) and Union Square* at 14th Street. There are a few more open holiday markets such as Columbus Circle (no map available), but, these two I can confirm definitely have EtsyNY Team members selling their handmade and locally made wares.

If you're visiting Union Square, I highly, and I mean highly, recommend you stop at The City Bakery on 18th between 5th and 6th Avenues. They have some of the most decadent hot chocolate in the world. They also have these amazing homemade marshmallows that slowly melt by the temperature of the hot chocolate. YUM! As you're walking along this tour, you'll be glad to have one! 

Note on this map that Chelsea Market, which is hosting our annual Handmade Cavalcade, is listed on here and is the main focus on this map. Our Handmade Cavalcade is detailed below in the five day/week long schedule.

3. Last, but not least, you'd have to see 42nd Street, or Times Square. Minutes away from there is Bryant Park, which is listed as a place to shop at their open holiday market; Grand Central Terminal, which is a beautiful building and also has trains to points North by way of Metro North; Rockerfeller Center, which has their famous Christmas Tree; and Radio City Music Hall, which currently has the Rockettes Holiday Show, "Christmas Spectacular" performing and is a must see.

Five Days in NY:  Holiday Windows + Handmade Markets at Bryant Park and Union Square + Rockerfeller Center + NY Botanical Garden Annual Train Show + Christmas Lights in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

1 - 3.  See the three maps above and check out all of those options, as they're within walking distance from each other.

4. If you have a couple of hours to spend walking the grounds of the New York Botanical Garden, I recommend it. Currently, the annual Train Show (celebrating its 25th year!) is on display and it is perfect for children and adults! The trains have history and, as is New York City, are always evolving. I suggest you add this to your visit to Grand Central Terminal. You can purchase a ticket upon arrival, or on MTA's website to take the Metro-North Harlem local line to Botanical Garden Station.  It's a 20-minute train ride. The main entrance is across the street from the train station. You can't miss it!

Note: Almost directly across from the NY Botanical Garden is the Bronx Zoo. I'm not sure what they have on display for the Holidays, but if you're up there, you might want to make a full day and visit both locations. Remember, they're both large and you'll want to map your day accordingly if you do both.

5. Take a tour of the houses with Christmas light displays in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn! This is another option that requires some time and should be done in the evening. The lights go on at dark, around 5pm and stay on until around 9pm, give or take. The lights are definitely worth seeing around mid-December, if you can trek out to Dyker Heights. When I visited a few years ago, I did a bus tour through A Slice of Brooklyn that ran 3.5 hours, met at Union Square, and had a cannoli and coffee stop at the end. Their website (link above) has all details, including how to purchase tickets. Well worth the money in my opinion!

If you're not interested in spending that kind of money, you can take the subway to Dyker Heights, averaging around an hour each way and walk around the houses. There are some hills, so if you go the walking way, don't complain that you were not warned! Also, depending on when you go, it may be really cold, so you'll want to be bundled warmly if walking around.  Free Tours by Foot has some great instructions on how to best get there, along with streets and houses you want to make sure you see.

Note: Brooklyn is not scaled and therefore is not accurate. It should be wider.

4. Last, but not least, you should head over to Chelsea Market. It's an institution and the High Line Park is around the corner. It has delicious eats and some great shops and most importantly, it will have the EtsyNY team Holiday Handmade Cavalcade (HHC) for the third year!

This year, the HHC will run for a full week - opening Monday, December 5th and closing on Sunday, December 11th. We are hosting a "Sip 'n' Shop" event on Thursday, December 8th between the hours of 6:30pm and 9:00pm. The event is sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery and will have alcoholic beverages for you to drink while shopping. The Handmade Holiday Cavalcade is a sought after event and we highly recommend RSVPing ahead of time for both the Cavalcade and the Sip 'n' Shop event. Shoppers without an RSVP will be charged $2.00 at the door.

If your holiday travels bring you to NYC at any time through the holiday season, we welcome you! Not to mention, you have a few ideas on how to spend your time. We hope you'll enjoy them, if you do decide to use these suggested schedules.

If you happen upon our glorious City during December 5th-11th, we hope you'll find your way into Chelsea Market and into the doors of our Handmade Holiday Cavalcade, leaving you with everlasting treasures from your holiday visit.

Happy Holidays!

Sara Stroman

Sara is a stationery maker and paper lover and runs S2 Stationery & Design. Since the young age of seven, she loved grabbing handfuls of deposit slips from banks and using the carbon copy paper to trace designs. In 2012, she traveled to Echizen, Japan to learn paper making from well known paper makers in the community with the blessing of their paper goddess. She also loves to travel and as you can see, doodling maps not set to scale.

Eating Good at Chelsea Market, While Shopping at the 2016 Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

One of the best things about the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade is its location, in Chelsea Market. Chelsea Market is chock full of good things to eat and I’m going to share some of my favorites!

If you love coffee like I do, you will appreciate the smoothness of a 9th Street Espresso cappuccino. Named after its original site in the East Village, this location is sort of in the middle of Chelsea market.

The Cavalcade is just across from Amy’s Bread, where in addition to loaves, slices of cake, cupcakes and other delicious baked goods, you can get freshly made sandwiches. Amy’s also has, in my opinion, some of the best lemonade around!

When you’re craving Thai, I recommend Chelsea Thai Wholesale. Here, you can buy authentic Thai grocery ingredients as well as a comprehensive selection of prepared-to-order food. Here’s my Pad See Ew with tender rice noodles and chicken.

Another fantastic choice – and super cheap – is Los Tacos No. 1. Just look for the line (don’t worry, it moves very quickly!) by the tea and spice place. I love the molcajte mortar and pestles that hold the serve-yourself salsas and lime wedges.

It’s pretty common to see people feasting on whole lobsters from The Lobster Place. I asked a couple if they would mind my taking a picture because, really, what more is there to say!

Inside Buon Italia, there is a vast selection of hard-to-find authentic Italian ingredients to make your own meals.  Outside, there are prepared foods to eat on-site.

Dickson’s Farmstand creates sandwiches and hotdogs from their house-made charcuterie. Take home a freshly made rotisserie chicken and sides for an easy dinner.

Indie Fresh features a health-conscious, organic lineup of soups, salads, mains, and juices along with many vegan options.

It’s important to stay well-fed while shopping the Holiday handmade Cavalcade! These are just a few of the many lunch options at Chelsea Market to help you shop happy. And don’t forget the free brownie samples at Fat Witch Bakery

See you at the Cavalcade!

Lu

Lu, of LuCrafts, is a part-time crafter who lives in Manhattan where she loves using paper to create beautiful objects for everyday use. Her cat Cookie helps by being cute and not judging the state of her workroom, aka living room!

Hunt down these extra-hot deals at the Cavalcade!

We’re less than two weeks away from our eagerly anticipated Holiday Handmade Cavalcade in Chelsea Market, and some of our makers are spicing things up with an on-site Scavenger Hunt!  As a reward to you -- our faithful blog readers -- just quietly mention this Scavenger Hunt to any of the participating vendors, and you’ll enjoy a secret little freebie or discount.  

Note: when you first enter the event, stop by our team table to pick up a Vendor Map. It lists every single vendor selling, so it’ll be particularly helpful for you Scavenger Hunters.

Here are our participating vendors, and what each is offering:

Wandering Laur

One free card with $20 purchase

Be My Bee

One free Snowman card with purchase

Vicki Finkel Ceramics

One free pitcher (from a select group) with purchase

resetreality

Two free bird stickers

Astridland

A small surprise freebie with purchase

Tamara Garvey Illustration

One free birch forest card with purchase

NYC Vinyl Dreams

Free decal for a phone/laptop with purchase

Soluna Soluna

5% discount off your purchase

Divine NY & Co.

Receive 20% off any item in our booth

Koto

Free postcard with purchase

LuCrafts

Free Upcycled Magnet if you whisper, "Blitzen sent me." No purchase necessary!

SimplyNu

One lip balm of your choice with any purchase

a Studio by the Sea

A free small holiday notecard with any purchase

Birdy27 Designs

Buy 1 hat over $50 and a coordinating cowl, neck warmer or scarf and receive $5 off! (While supplies last!)
 

Again, don’t forget to stop at our team table once you arrive at the event, so you can pick up a Vendor Map and find these deals -- plus locate the rest of our fabulous vendors!  

We can’t wait to see you at the Cavalcade.  :D

Save the Date: EtsyNY's 8th Annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

This holiday season:

Shop local, support handmade, and get free stuff

Don't miss EtsyNY's 8th annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade, located in Manhattan's famous Chelsea Market!

Dates: Saturday, December 5thand Sunday, December 6th

Times: 10 AM to 8 PM (Saturday), 10 AM to 7 PM (Sunday)

Location: Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets

Admission: Free

Last year's Cavalcade at Chelsea Market hosted more than 16,000 shoppers over two days. This year's event promises to be even more exciting, with more than 50 New York-based artisan vendors offering handmade art, greeting cards, beauty products, clothing, gifts for baby, jewelry, and much more. Knock out all your holiday shopping while feeling great about supporting small businesses and local artists.

In addition to offering a selection of unique and handmade gifts you won't find anywhere else, the Cavalcade gives shoppers several opportunities to win free items from EtsyNY vendors.

GOODY BAG GIVEAWAY

EtsyNY gives exclusive goody bags to the first 100 shoppers on each day of the Cavalcade. People in the know line up long before the market opens to snag these bags crammed with handmade products, coupons, and other great prizes from EtsyNY members and our promotional partners. Don't miss out this year!

GIFT BASKET RAFFLE

Each purchase at the Cavalcade earns you one chance to win gift baskets generously filled with handmade items from EtsyNY makers. The more you shop, the better your chances to win!

FOR MORE INFO

Visit the Cavalcade website and RSVP on Facebook!

MORE ABOUT CHELSEA MARKET

Make a day of it at Chelsea Market – shop your heart out at the Cavalcade and savor the gourmet offerings at one of the world's greatest indoor food halls.

Chelsea Market has become a beloved foodie mecca and tourist destination since opening its doors in the Meatpacking District 15 years ago. With 50 shops and restaurants offering everything from books to fresh-baked bread to seafood, it boasts more than 5 million visitors every year. For more information, visit www.chelseamarket.com.

The Cavalcade Has Arrived!

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
― Winston S. Churchill

When:  Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2014
Where: Chelsea Market, 9th Ave between W. 15th and W. 16th, Manhattan
Hours:  10a - 8pSubway: A, C or E train to W. 14th Street station

First 100 through the door each day will receive a free goody bag!

The 7th Annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade is almost here! 60+ vendors from the Etsy NY Street Team will be presenting a vast collection of locally made, handcrafted goods, including great clothes, jewelry, paper goods and body products, as well as a fantastic selection of kid stuff and eco-friendly housewares too!

And we’ve got our awesome sponsors to thank for making it happen. The cool creatives at Swap-bot and Funky Finds join Purl Soho, who has graced our goody bags again this year with some of their luscious yarn. Diana, from MakeWorkshop, will be there offering amazing coupons for studio time, and Kiva Zip will be on hand to answer questions about how microfinance can change lives around the world.

Pinterest will also be there - giving out some cool T-shirts! 

As if that weren’t enough, Etsy, the online marketplace for all things handmade, is sponsoring a free gift wrap station, while Legally Addictive Foods and Vienna Cookie Company (who’ve also donated to our goody bags!), will be providing some fantastic bites as well as great gift packages.

This is an amazing amount of good stuff. With such blessings, let’s not forget those who are struggling. For them, we’ll be accepting any gently used coats for the New York Cares 26th Annual Coat Drive.

So, come give and receive, as well as support real people - who make things!

Admission to this event is free. For more information, visit www.handmadecavalcade.com.

Melissa Hile, Prairiefunk