Iconic Toy Fair To Depart Big Apple For Big Easy After Over 100 Years

MIDTOWN, NY — Since 1905, toy companies gathered in New York City each year to show of the latest developments in play, fun and joy at the iconic Toy Fair.

This weekend, after a three-year hiatus, the fair returned, bringing more than 1,000 toy makers to the four-day show, featuring nearly eight football fields filled with toys and games.

And when the tens of thousands of inventors, designers, licensors, importers, distributors and buyers weren't talking about toys, they were talking about New Orleans.

That's because the next Toy Fair in 2025 will be the 119th and final year that the fair will be held in New York City.

Starting in 2026, the Toy Fair will take place in the Big Easy instead of the Big Apple.

"After gathering opinions from key retailers, members/exhibitors of The Toy Association and based on a number of evaluation factors including timing, high-quality space availability, access to transportation, and affordability for exhibitors and attendees, it became clear that New Orleans would be the best fit for the Toy Fair – and best meet the needs of all our diverse guests," said Steve Pasierb, President & CEO of The Toy Association, in a statement.

Pasierb highlighted many things that New Orleans apparently uniquely offers, like "a brand-new airport, renowned restaurants, museums, music, an array of event spaces, and a strong collaborative partnership between the Convention Center, New Orleans & Company, and the business community, making it a perfect, welcoming fit for Toy Fair," he wrote.

For years, the toy industry was centered in Midtown at 200 Fifth Avenue — a building that at one point exclusively rented to toy companies, according to Forbes.

Since then, many major companies, like Mattel and MGA Entertainment, left for larger spaces in Los Angeles.

Despite that, many toy companies are still based in New York City today.

On Sunday, some toy fair attendees told PIX11 that they were not looking forward to leaving New York City.

“I feel bad New York’s going to lose our money that we have supported with, but if we’ve gotta move, we’ve gotta move,” Anita Naglie, Wild Republic’s sales manager key accounts, told PIX11 News.

Others told PIX11 that the main reason behind the move was because the Javits Center isn't available for their preferred — and traditional — January fair dates.

“We’re all New Yorkers who work here. We have our offices here. We love our city and state,” Pasierb, told PIX11 News. “But this is a global business with 89 countries represented here today, making decisions for companies and retailers all over the world.”

In Pasierb's formal announcement, he said that the group was "confident in delivering a high quality, energetic, and seamless Toy Fair experience over the next four shows, in the same way we have been delivering on this promise for more than 100 years."