Holiday Markets

Art fairs scattered throughout Manhattan run simultaneously during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Many of them are juried, and feature artists and food vendors from all over the country.

• No Chewing Allowed sells French-style chocolates and hot chocolate containing a melted truffle
• Chikahisa Studio is a Seattle-based designer selling textured, metal-based earrings and necklaces

One bracelet I saw gave me an idea for a future jewelry project: bracelet made of many strands of metallic silk thread, each thread looped through a series of seed beads; all strands are tied together at the clasp.

Storefronts

Along 5th Ave and Madison Ave, elaborate storefront displays attempt to one-up the neighbors.

Tiffany’s had small dioramas featuring holiday scenes, such as a rollicking taxi with a trunk overflowing with presents.

Van Cleef & Arpels, a jewelry designer, featured a series of windows telling a fairy tale story (and illustrated with the assistance of their fabulously elaborate jewels).

Bergdorf Goodman had a series of windows based on the theme “Inspired”: literature, architecture, sculpture, music, and theater.

Barney’s had a party to celebrate the revealing of the holiday windows; Pentatonix performed live. When we went to see the windows, Pentatonix Christmas music was playing through the speakers. A skater was performing in one of the windows and elaborate moving metal sculptures were displayed in others.

Gingerbread Houses

The Le Parker Meridien New York Hotel had an exhibit of spectacular gingerbread houses — although some were more like sugary sculptures, the base of which just happened to be gingerbread.