A Huge Success!

Thanks to great weather, great entertainment and a fantastic crowd, this year’s Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square, held on Monday November 28, 2011, was the largest ever — over 20,000 revelers flocked to Lincoln Square for New York City’s largest holiday festival! The night kicked off to an exciting start at the annual Winter’s Eve Tree Lighting ceremony at Dante Park. Event-goers eagerly packed the park, spilling out onto Lincoln Center’s plaza to watch folk legend Arlo Guthrie and family, WABC-TV’s Sade Baderinwa, Former NYC Mayor Edward I. Koch and the Outer Borough Brass Band as they helped to light the tree. Arlo and ten members of the Guthrie family performed some Guthrie favorites along with holiday tunes to the delighted audience- and even treated the crowd to an extended show. The tree itself was dazzling, decorated in handmade ornaments crafted by the women of the Merasi Tribe in Rajasthan India, and donated through a local organization, Folk Arts Rajasthan, in partnership with the American Folk Art Museum. The tree will be on display until early January, so be sure to stop by Dante Park (Broadway and 63rd Street) one evening and enjoy the holiday spirit. Smaller versions of the ornaments are available for sale in the American Folk Art Museum Gift Shop, on Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th Streets.

Immediately following the tree lighting, the sidewalks along Broadway came alive from Time Warner Center to 68th Street. Over 40 local retailers and businesses–including banks, small stores, the Apple Store, Century 21, Bed Bath and Beyond, Gracious Home and countless others–opened their doors to the public with live entertainment, shopping specials and holiday cheer. The ever-successful food tastings did not disappoint this year as revelers lined the streets, patiently waiting to sample fare from 32 of Lincoln Square’s finest restaurants and eateries, including small take out shops, bakeries, and individually owned eateries, all outdoors under beautifully decorated individual tents. Our not-for-profits opened their doors, too, offering performances, studio tours, museum visits, craft making and holiday cheer. Finally, Time Warner Center was hopping with activity on three levels,  including performances by the Broadway musical Sister Act, Big Apple Circus, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and student performers.

We are tremendously grateful to our sponsors and partners, who help make this event a success, year after year. For video and photos of the event, please check our flickr and YouTube pages.

See you at Winter’s Eve 2012!