Fulton Fish Market Reimagined for Valentine’s Day
The Fulton Fish Market is shaking things up this Valentine’s Day with a unique date night experience. Picture this: a seafood tower, absinthe tasting, and even a giant hot tub right in the middle of the sales floor. It’s, well, unconventional, to say the least.
This lively 400,000-square-foot venue in the Bronx is turning itself into an unexpected romantic escape. Guests can dig into shucked oysters while enjoying some Latin jazz music, all while participating in a “guided absinthe ceremony,” according to market officials.
Nicole Accherina, the market’s CEO, shared her hopes that this quirky event—dubbed the seedy V-Day Fiesta—might draw in couples from across New York City. This is part of a broader initiative to rebrand the market as a tourist hotspot. “We wanted to do something really funky and playful to highlight the diversity of the program,” she explained.
Culinary historian Justin Fornal will be on hand to offer a unique oral history related to aphrodisiacs, in addition to serving dishes like Hidden Fjord’s salmon and seafood paella.
The event, called “Absinthe and Oysters: The Forbidden Valentine,” is poised to become the market’s first “Fish Market Monologue” history lecture. Both sessions will be hosted by Fornal, aiming to welcome a new wave of visitors to this wholesale market.
“New Yorkers have access to so many experiences that they often seek out something new,” Fornal mentioned. He added that the menu would link to maritime traditions, global trade routes, and cultural rituals, aiming for a comprehensive experience.
“Everyone who walks through the door will taste and experience something they have never tasted before,” he guaranteed.
This nautical-themed event is part of a larger effort to modernize the market, which relocated to the Bronx from Lower Manhattan’s South Street Seaport two decades ago after 183 years of operation. Accherina expressed excitement about transforming the market into a 21st-century cultural hub for food enthusiasts and history buffs alike. “Since that move, we have been working quietly behind the scenes,” she noted.
“Fish Market Monologues allows us to showcase stories and cultures that have existed here but haven’t been widely shared,” she added.
The series of events will extend through 2026 and will feature live music, historical storytelling, and ritualized tastings, exploring themes from Celtic journeys to Caribbean feasts and even a “13th Thanksgiving” celebration.
Additionally, the market has secured approval for a daytime rave featuring electronic music DJ Solomun over Memorial Day weekend, with one of the shows already sold out.
Accherina further elaborated, “We aim to elevate this historic market onto a global platform by expanding tourism, complete with dining, tours, and large-scale events.” She noted that they were inspired by Tokyo’s thriving fish market tourism scene.
“Japan’s market is the largest in the world; that’s our ultimate goal here,” she said.
Fornal added, “A lot of people believe they can’t come here. We want to make it clear that the door is open.”
This legendary late-night market is not just any seafood venue; it’s considered one of the preeminent wholesale fish markets of the 19th century and remains the largest in the U.S. Even today, it keeps a sense of nostalgia alive, with around two dozen fishmongers, some from multiple generations, still selling their catches at this bustling midnight market.
“It’s a historically tough environment, and I feel like the Bronx is the last true New York City borough because of its grit,” Accherina reflected. “Being here in the middle of the night, you can feel the legacy and the generations that have been passed down.”
