NYC & COMPANY ANNOUNCES FESTIVITIES TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT CITYS FIVE BOROUGHS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
NYC & COMPANY ANNOUNCES FESTIVITIES TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT CITY’S FIVE BOROUGHS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
—Events of All Sizes Will Bring New York City Alive with Holiday Spirit—
—Approximately 5 Million People Expected to Visit
During Holiday Season—
New York City (September 9, 2013) — NYC & Company, the City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, is encouraging visitors to book travel to New York City’s five boroughs in time for the 2013 holiday season. Celebrations will take place throughout the City starting in November, with both time-honored and new events bringing the vibrant destination alive with holiday cheer. Visitors are encouraged to explore beyond the City’s classic holiday events and activities and see the hidden treasures that make the five boroughs unique during the holidays.
“There is no better place to be during the holiday season than New York City—it’s a time when visitors can experience first-hand the unique beauty, energy and vibrancy of one of the world’s most famous destinations,” said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. “We are forecasting approximately 5 million visitors will come to the City between Thanksgiving and New Year’s so we encourage visitors to make their travel plans in advance.”
Kicking off the joyous holiday season are the more than 8,000 participants in the 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28. The festive march is quickly followed by the much-anticipated Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting on December 4. In the meantime, visitors can revel in the beauty of stunning holiday-inspired window decorations in some of the City’s famed stores and hotels. Equally as spectacular but lesser-known are the Louis Armstrong House Museum’s special guided holiday historic house tours, taking place from December 3 to 30 in Queens (louisarmstronghouse.org) and Wave Hill’s holiday craft activities on December 7 and 8 in the Bronx (wavehill.org).
Highlights of holiday events taking place in the five boroughs follows:
MANHATTAN
The 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (macys.com/parade) will march down the streets of New York City on November 28, 9am. Stepping off with its giant helium character balloons, fantasy-filled floats, marching bands, performance groups and gaggle of clowns, “America’s Parade” promises nonstop pomp and pageantry for spectators young and old. Fans will enjoy seeing returning giant balloons, including Hello Kitty, Papa Smurf, Kermit the Frog and The Elf on the Shelf. Debuting in the ballooning lineup this year will be the newest version of the iconic character Snoopy, Adventure Time’s Finn and Jake and new balloon-head characters from The Wizard of Oz; among other new stars. As before, the 2013 parade route will kick off at 77th Street and Central Park West. The parade will then march down to Columbus Circle, where it will turn onto Central Park South before making its way straight down Midtown Manhattan on Sixth Avenue from 59th to 34th Streets. The parade concludes with its final turn onto 34th Street in front of Macy’s Herald Square.
The famous Radio City Music Hall’s Radio City Christmas Spectacular will amaze locals and visitors from November 8 to December 30. This year’s show includes a new scene that will turn the stage into a glistening winter wonderland. To purchase tickets, visit radiocitychristmas.com.
Nominated for three Tony Awards in its 2012 season, A Christmas Story: The Musical is playing at the Theater at Madison Square Garden from December 11 to 29. To purchase tickets, visit theateratmsg.com.
Starting November 29, New York City Ballet will present one of the season’s favorite annual productions, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, complete with marching toy soldiers, a one-ton Christmas tree that grows before the audience’s eyes and crystalline snowflakes. The show runs through January 4 (nycballet.com).
This holiday season, Carnegie Hall will come alive with Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra’s rendition of Handel’s Messiah. Performances will take place on December 12 and 15 (carnegiehall.org).
The American Museum of Natural History is celebrating the holiday season with two events this year: its famous Origami Holiday Tree, on display from November 25 to January 5, and a Kwanzaa Celebration on December 28.
A hidden gem in Upper Manhattan, the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden will conduct candlelight tours on December 6 and 7. As December 6 is St. Nicholas Day, tours will kick off with a reading of Clement Clark Moore’s famous poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” The following day, visitors can enjoy music in the Upper Hall.
23 Days of Flatiron Cheer will take place in the Flatiron District this holiday season with events, promotions, giveaways and more. Don’t forget to take a photo next to the giant pop-up holiday card at the intersection of Broadway, 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue (flatironbid.com/holiday).
The Big Apple Circus is coming to Lincoln Center from October 25 to January 12. This annual show is a New York City holiday season favorite; this year’s show, Luminocity, is a brand-new spectacle that won’t disappoint (bigapplecircus.org).
The Lighting of the World’s Largest Hanukkah Menorah will take place at Grand Army Plaza, West 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, in front of The Plaza Hotel, from November 27 to December 5.
Le Parker Meridien will host their fifth annual Gingerbread Extravaganza from December 6 to January 6 with the theme “Quintessential New York.” Local bakeries and restaurants will create the gingerbread masterpieces, and visitors can vote for their favorite by purchasing one ticket at the hotel’s concierge for $1 or eight tickets for $5. Proceeds will go to City Harvest (parkermeridien.com).
THE BRONX
Family visitors will love the New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show, which features model trains traveling through more than 100 scaled replicas of NYC landmarks, including the Brooklyn Bridge and Yankee Stadium, made from natural materials such as bark, twig and seeds. The show will be on display between November 16 and January 12 (nybg.org).
The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum Annual Holiday Family Day will take place on December 6. Families will love the festively decorated 19th-century mansion and can participate in various kids’ activities, including photos with Santa Claus (bpmm.org).
BROOKLYN
Thousands of visitors travel from all over to behold the borough’s famed Dyker Heights Christmas Lights. Each year, the neighborhood goes all out with spectacular lighting exhibits, complete with 30-foot toy soldiers and nativity scenes. For a guided experience, check out A Slice of Brooklyn’s Christmas Lights & Cannoli Tour, which also offers festive holiday music and old-time Christmas television variety specials on the bus, topped off with a taste of Brooklyn’s best cannoli and hot chocolate. Tours run from November 30 – December 31 (asliceofbrooklyn.com).
Brooklyn Borough Hall lights up with holiday spirit each year, with the lighting of this year’s Menorah of Brooklyn taking place at Columbus Park (right outside of Borough Hall) on December 3 at 5pm. The following week, a Christmas Tree Lighting will take place in Borough Hall Plaza on December 10 at 6pm (brooklyn-usa.org).
QUEENS
The Queens Historical Society presents the Annual Historic Holiday House Tour on December 8, 1–5pm. The guided trolley tour includes stops at seven festively decorated museums and historical sites in Queens: the Kingsland Homestead, the Flushing Quaker Meeting House, Flushing Town Hall, the Voelker Orth Museum, Lewis H. Latimer House, Louis Armstrong House and Museum, and the Bowne House. Pre-sale tickets cost $10 for adults; tickets at the door cost $12. Free admission for children under 12 (queenshistoricalsociety.org).
Take a tour of the decorated Queens County Farm Museum during the Holiday Open House from December 26 to 28. Visitors can sip on mulled cider while children partake in winter craft activities. For more information, go to queensfarm.org.
STATEN ISLAND
Historic Richmond Town will hold its annual holiday favorite, Candlelight Tours, on December 14. The town will be ablaze with the light provided by candles, oil lamps and flickering fireplaces. Visitors can also expect a wassail bowl reception in the Courthouse. Prepaid reservations are required; call 718-351-1611, ext. 281, for tour times and reservations (historicrichmondtown.org).
For more information on planning your holiday visit to New York City, visit nycgo.com.
About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For all there is to do and see in NYC, visit nycgo.com.
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NYC & Company/ Kimberly Spell 212-484-1270
NYC & Company/ Chris Heywood 212-484-1270