The leaves haven’t even taken on their fall hues yet but New York City is already looking ahead the most wonderful time of the year.
The Fifth Avenue Association has officially announced the date for its annual Snowflake Illumination Ceremony, bringing the massive 3,300-pound holiday icon back to Midtown Manhattan earlier than you might expect.
A Midtown Manhattan Holiday Icon
Suspended 50 feet above one of the city’s busiest intersections, the 30-foot-wide snowflake has been shimmering above Fifth Avenue every holiday season since 1984.
The beloved installation helps New Yorkers and tourists get into the holiday spirit with colorful, multi-minute light shows at the top of every hour.
The snowflake boasts a brilliant shine thanks to a massive 2023 restoration.
During the upgrade, all 16,500 crystal light fixtures were meticulously cleaned, and its steel-and-chrome core was polished. Crews also added more than 600 double-sided miniature LEDs—tripling the lights on its side branches—and replaced outdated halogen bulbs with high-powered projection LEDs.
Even if the city doesn’t see a white Christmas this year, at least we’ll get to see this massive snowflake twinkling over NYC’s most famous shopping corridor!
Instagram / @fifthavenue
2026 Fifth Avenue Snowflake Illumination Ceremony Details
As one of NYC’s first major holiday lightings of the 2026 season, the event is hosted in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Fifth Avenue Snowflake for Humanity Foundation, and the Fifth Avenue Association.
The illumination ceremony honors St. Jude and its global work supporting children and families facing pediatric cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
The Details:
Where: Corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, New York, NY
When: Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 5 pm
Entry: Free & open to the public
Additional programming details for the official illumination ceremony, including the host and entertainment, will be announced on Instagram in the coming weeks.
While we await the snowflake lighting, don’t forget both Rockefeller Center’s iconic Ice Rink and the Bryant Park Bank of America Winter Village open for the season this October!