Big Apple Revival: Toy Fair Returns to New York, Reversing Course from New Orleans Plan

In a surprising turn of events, the Toy Association's decision to move Toy Fair from its traditional New York City location to New Orleans has been met with a swift reversal, just as we were getting used to saying Toy Fair New Orleans. The announcement was made via email, by the Chair of The Toy Association's Board of Directors, who expressed the association's commitment to the industry's prosperity and unity.

At 5:35 pm EST, I was forwarded the email signaling the end of Toy Fair New Orleans.

374 words in, my eyes struck gold. “We have recommitted to New York and the Javits Center. We will return to the first available opening (March 1- 4, 2025) and are working with Javits Center leadership to confirm dates in February for 2026 and beyond.”

Toy Fair New Orleans Has Been Cancelled

My mouth nearly hit the floor.

The letter continued to highlight a new understanding, that the location of Toy Fair is just as important as the date. And after hearing the feedback from the members, the Association has decided to fully cancel the move of Toy Fair to New Orleans.

On one hand, it is wholly reassuring that the Toy Association took the thoughts of the industry to heart. Many members of our toy community were against Toy Fair New Orleans, preferring the New York location. It seems our articles, comments, survey responses, and LinkedIn posts were not in vain! And that’s a good thing.

However, the damage may already be done.

On the heels of the Association’s announcement last week, shows like NETS, The Atlanta Gift Show, and Toy Fest West all quickly started to rise to “it-girl” status for Q1 in 2024, signaling an evolving landscape.

For now, at least, our tradition stands. Toy Fair: New York is back, and it’s here to stay.