The makers behind New York’s Christmas markets

A dumpling can be a candle. At SouveDeer, familiar forms from a Taiwanese table—xiao long bao, a teacup, a bamboo steamer—become objects for another kind of domestic ritual. Founder I-Chieh Wu moved to New York in 2025; her sister continues the business’s work in Taiwan. Their small-batch home goods carry that conversation between places into a New York apartment.

This is a useful starting point for Christmas shopping in the city. Follow a material, a person or an idea that interests you, and a market becomes much easier to navigate. A ceramicist’s sense of humor, a baker’s choice of flour or a candle’s reusable container can give a small purchase a life beyond the afternoon you bought it.

For the 2026 season, four Manhattan markets offer four quite different outings. Bryant Park combines its shops with food and skating. Grand Central puts an artisan fair inside Vanderbilt Hall. Union Square invites a broad gift browse downtown; Columbus Circle pairs its market with the edge of Central Park. Here is how to choose among them—and where to find some of the people behind the goods.