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The tree at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park will be lit on November 28 at 6pm, officially catapulting the city into the holiday season. Woohoo!
As usual, the Winter Village will be replete with a slew of other offerings as well, including ice skating, holiday shopping and top-notch food and drink options.
Some things to keep in mind: the on-site rink is actually the largest free-admission destination of its kind in NYC, so give yourself enough time to actually get on the ice as it's a pretty popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Skate time and rentals can be reserved through the end of the month right here.
Pirouetting on the ice will work up your appetite, so do stop by the Lodge after your session to grab some food from local restaurants and cheer up even more with some festive cocktails. Bonus points: the area actually grants the best view of the tree.
Your visit to Bryant Park will not be complete without a stop at the now uber-popular Winter Village. The open-air seasonal market is already open, featuring over 180 new and returning merchants selling the sorts of items that make for ideal holiday gifts.
This year will also see the return of the Small Business Spotlight program that gives four New York City-based minority-owned small businesses, with annual revenues of $1 million or less, an opportunity to showcase their products in a free booth at the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. You can read more about the Winter Village right here.
In other tree-related news: the Rockefeller Christmas Tree has now been selected!
The 80-foot-tall Norway Spruce hails from Vestal, New York in the Binghamton region, making it an exciting local pick. Donated by the McGinley Family, the tree is about 85 years old and weighs about 12 tons. It’s a whopping 43 feet in diameter!
The selection will be cut down on Thursday, November 9 and then driven south to midtown Manhattan over five hours, where it will be erected on November 11 and lit up on November 29. It will stay put through January 13, 2024.
Can you smell the holidays yet?