In mid-October, Oyster Fest split its crowds between Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and Audrey Avenue. On Saturday, December 5, the whole event is on Audrey Avenue. The Holiday Stroll Market & Tree Lighting takes over the street from 1 to 5 p.m., and the day starts to change character with the tree lighting around sunset. The outdoor market gives way to a candlelit house museum, a new sushi counter and the galleries and bookshop along the same few blocks.
If you live here, the day is easiest to plan around 4:30 p.m.
The street that now carries every big weekend
In October, Audrey Avenue was the second stage of Oyster Fest. The Herald's preview of the 43rd annual festival put the Main Stage at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and added a second lineup of local and regional performers on Audrey Avenue. Saturday featured Al Smith, Ape Theory, Juice, Chris Ruben Band, Dysfunktone and Miss J Experience. The same preview said the downtown stretch along Audrey Avenue would feature local businesses, vendors, food and entertainment.
The holiday event uses the same street, this time without the waterfront. The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce lists the Holiday Stroll Market & Tree Lighting at "Audrey Avenue, Downtown Oyster Bay," presented with the Oyster Bay Main Street Association.
The event has history. The Herald's coverage of last December's edition called it the fifth Holiday Market & Winter Stroll, organized by Oakcliff Sailing, the Main Street Association and the Chamber. That edition had dozens of local vendors, fire pits and live entertainment throughout downtown. It ended with Santa brought down from the North Pole to hand out gifts to local children, with transportation courtesy of the Atlantic Steamer Fire Company.
Daylight belongs to the market
The Chamber's listing gives a short schedule. The kids' ice skating rink and the market both open at 1 p.m., with "continuous activities throughout the afternoon including a visit from SANTA!" The tree lighting is set for around sunset, about 4:30 p.m.
Put every listing for the day side by side and you get a full schedule:
| Time on Dec. 5 | What's happening | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 p.m. | Kids' ice skating rink and holiday market open | Audrey Avenue |
| Afternoon | Continuous activities, Santa visit | Downtown Oyster Bay |
| About 4:30 p.m. | Tree lighting at sunset | Downtown Oyster Bay |
| 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. | Holiday Candlelight Tour with the Holy Roamin' Carolers | Raynham Hall Museum |
| Evening | Dinner service, open until 11 p.m. on Saturdays | HOSHI, 34 Audrey Avenue |
The market only runs until 5 p.m., so for families with young skaters the afternoon is the main event. The Chamber's own wording sums up the afternoon: "Take a stroll around town, check out the shops and market, grab some gifts for friends and loved ones, grab a bite, grab a drink, and be merry!"
Sunset is when the day changes hands
Raynham Hall Museum times its holiday program to start right after the tree lighting. Its Holiday Candlelight Tour is listed for December 5, 5 to 6:30 p.m. The museum describes it as taking place "following the Oyster Bay Tree Lighting."
The evening opens with a performance by the Holy Roamin' Carolers, followed by a candlelight tour of the house. A guide dressed in period holiday clothing covers how the Townsends, their neighbors, and the people who lived and worked in the family's home celebrated the winter holidays nearly 250 years ago. The tour moves from the plain customs of the Revolutionary era to the more elaborate ones of the Victorian period. Hot spiced cider and seasonal treats are served. The tour lasts about 90 minutes, and tickets are $25 for members and $35 for the general public, sold through the museum's event page.
The timing works neatly. The market closes at 5, the tree is lit around 4:30, and Raynham Hall starts at 5. You can stay downtown from afternoon to evening without any gap between events.
After dark, Audrey Avenue's storefronts take over
The newest place to eat on the street opened this fall. HOSHI, the sushi bar and Japanese restaurant from Stellina Hospitality, opened on Monday, October 5, at 34 Audrey Avenue, on the corner that used to be Stellina Bakery. Long Island Wave's opening report began with the line, "For years, a serious sushi night on the North Shore meant a drive." The same report lists an omakase counter, a wagyu list and a sake shelf.
The HOSHI site describes the menu as sushi and sashimi, specialty rolls, Japanese kitchen dishes and the Chef's Omakase. According to the Long Island Wave report, it opens at noon daily and closes at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, though hours may change seasonally. That 11 p.m. Saturday close leaves plenty of room after a 6:30 museum exit.
HOSHI has a sister restaurant on the same street. The same report places The Audrey, another Stellina Hospitality restaurant, a few doors up Audrey Avenue. Stellina Ristorante and L'Étoile, also from the group, are around the corner on South Street.
The same blocks also hold a bookshop and a cluster of galleries and studios.
- Theodore's Books, 17 Audrey Avenue
- Long Island Picture Frame & Art Gallery, 20 Audrey Avenue
- Bahr Gallery, 95 Audrey Avenue
- The Teaching Studios of Art, 98 Audrey Avenue
- Hive Market and Gallery, 100-102 Audrey Avenue
These storefronts have their own holiday evening, separate from the stroll. Last year, the Long Island Press reported on the fourth annual Holiday Art Night, held Saturday, December 13, 2025. Galleries and studios around Oyster Bay opened free to the public from 5:30 to 8 p.m., often past their usual hours, and served gallery-style refreshments. Ted Bahr, owner of Bahr Gallery, told the Press the event shows the more "artistic realm" of Oyster Bay. "It's something nice to do during the holidays to showcase the community," he said. Participants that night included Pagio Gallery on Spring Street and an open studio by artist Nola Zirin on West Main Street, along with the Audrey Avenue storefronts listed above.
A Saturday plan for December 5
Here's one way to spend the whole day on Audrey Avenue:
- 1 p.m. Start with the skating rink and the market while there's daylight, when the outdoor part of the event is in full swing.
- Mid-afternoon. Shop the storefronts between market stalls. Theodore's Books, Hive Market and Gallery and Long Island Picture Frame & Art Gallery are on the same blocks as the market.
- About 4:30 p.m. Stay for the tree lighting at sunset.
- 5 p.m. Walk to Raynham Hall for the carolers and the candlelight tour if you booked tickets ahead.
- After 6:30 p.m. Have dinner at HOSHI or The Audrey, both on Audrey Avenue.
Audrey Avenue has events before December 5, too. Theodore's Books lists Teddy's Rough Readers Book Club on Monday, November 16, at 7 p.m., discussing Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer, with RSVP through the shop's event page. On Monday, December 7, two days after the stroll, the shop's calendar lists a Gold Coast Forum author evening at 7 p.m. at 111 South Street.
At Team Knoell, we love seeing Audrey Avenue fill up for the holidays. If you'd like to know what your Oyster Bay home is worth while you're thinking about the year ahead, start with our Instant Home Valuation and we'll follow up with a local read on your street.
