Smorgasburg food market debuts in Central Park

Smorgasburg opened a new Central Park location on Thursday, May 14, bringing the open-air food market to the southwest corner of the park near Columbus Circle. The launch adds Central Park to the operator’s existing New York lineup in Williamsburg, Prospect Park and the World Trade Center, according to Smorgasburg’s locations page. (timeout.com) Time Out New York reported the opening as part of the city’s May 11-17 events calendar, which also highlighted the NYCxDESIGN festival running this week. The Central Park outpost is scheduled to feature more than 25 vendors and run from noon to 8 p.m., according to Time Out’s April 24 report on the opening. Smorgasburg’s own locations page now lists Central Park hours as Thursday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., a broader schedule than the Thursday-through-Saturday cadence described in earlier coverage. (smorgasburg.com) That discrepancy means visitors should check the operator’s site for the latest operating days. ### Where in Central Park is the market set up? Columbus Circle and West 59th Street are the reference points given in multiple listings for the new market. Time Out said the setup is at the Columbus Circle entrance on the park’s southwest edge, and a Central Park-focused local listing described the site as near the Columbus Circle entrance as well. (timeout.com) The location puts the market at one of the park’s busiest gateways, with direct access from Midtown and the Upper West Side. Time Out said the site offers a picnic-ready setup because visitors can carry food directly into the park rather than stay within a fenced market footprint. (timeout.com) ### How many vendors are involved, and who are they? More than 25 vendors are expected at the Central Park opening, according to Time Out’s April 24 report. Smorgasburg’s main locations page says the 2026 season spans more than 70 vendors across Brooklyn and Manhattan, but it does not break out a Central Park roster in the excerpt available through search results. (timeout.com) The operator’s vendor directory lists many of the businesses active across its other New York markets this season, including Red Hook Lobster Pound, Raclette Street, Mao’s Bao, Paella Party and Virginia Smashburginia. But the directory excerpt available publicly does not identify which of those vendors are assigned specifically to Central Park, so the Central Park lineup could not be independently confirmed from the operator’s site. (timeout.com) ### Is this part of NYCxDESIGN week or a separate seasonal launch? Time Out included the debut of Smorgasburg in Central Park in its roundup of things to do in New York for May 11-17. The official NYCxDESIGN festival calendar says the 2026 festival runs May 14-20, with some events beginning earlier and continuing later. (timeout.com) Those listings place the opening within the same week as the city’s annual design festival, but Smorgasburg is not described in the official NYCxDESIGN materials reviewed as a core festival program. Smorgasburg’s own materials present the Central Park market as part of its 2026 seasonal expansion across New York. (smorgasburg.com) ### How does the Central Park opening change Smorgasburg’s footprint? Smorgasburg’s locations page says the 2026 season is operating across Brooklyn and Manhattan, with weekly markets at the World Trade Center, Williamsburg, Prospect Park and now Central Park. Time Out said the Central Park move comes after more than a decade in Brooklyn-centered locations and as the market enters its 16th season. (timeout.com) The new site also changes the schedule mix. The World Trade Center market is listed for Thursdays and Fridays, Williamsburg for Saturdays and Prospect Park for Sundays, while Central Park is listed on the operator’s site for Thursday through Sunday afternoons and evenings. ### What should visitors check before going? (nycxdesign.org) Smorgasburg’s website is the clearest source for current hours because published reports differ on the number of operating days. Time Out’s April 24 story said the market would run May 14 through September 19 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while the live locations page now says Thursday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. (smorgasburg.com) The next concrete date on the citywide calendar is May 20, when the official NYCxDESIGN festival ends, according to the festival calendar. For the market itself, Smorgasburg’s locations page and recent local event listings indicate Central Park service is underway now near Columbus Circle, with schedule updates posted by the operator. (smorgasburg.com) (nycxdesign.org) (timeout.com)