Carolers, singers, ice skaters and visitors celebrated the lighting of the tree in Bryant Park on December 2nd with songs, dances and more, ushering in the holiday season.
Despite the cold and rainy weather, the Midtown ceremony drew many New Yorkers and tourists eager to celebrate the holidays. The free event began at 5:30 p.m. and celebrated the lighting of the 45-foot-tall, over 8,000-pound tree with fireworks and Christmas carols. More than 1,200 ornaments decorated the tree and around 12,000 lights illuminated it.
Across the park, shoppers often flocked to the park's Winter Village, where more than 190 vendors sell everything from hot chocolate to jewelry. The market takes place outdoors and is inspired by European markets. It opened at the end of October and is open daily until early January. The centerpiece of the winter park is a 17,000 square meter ice rink that offers admission-free ice skating, skate rentals and ice events. Weather permitting, it is open every day until March.
The park also includes a rink bar and dining room called The Lodge, private igloos and a glass box venue called the Overlook Lounge that offers communal dining, wine and live music.
Antara Afrin, a New York native, visited the Christmas market with a friend and said she enjoyed the abundance of food options. She said she usually eats pancakes when she shops at the market. The market has been busier in recent years, Afrin said, but she was lucky because it wasn't too crowded when she came on the same night as the tree lighting. “It’s not too late in the season so it’s not too crowded today, which is nice,” Afrin said.
Actor and chef David Burtka hosted the tree lighting ceremony. While hosting the event, he sang “Frosty the Snowman” and other festive songs and introduced the numerous skaters performing at the rink. Skaters included 2022 Olympians Mariah Bell, Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, as well as 2024 Canadian national champion Kaiya Ruiter, two-time U.S. national medalist Emmanuel Savary and the groups Ice Theater of New York, Figure Skating in Harlem and The Skyliners.
The Ice Theater of New York, a nonprofit professional ice dance company, performed to Tom Hanks' song “Hot Chocolate” from “The Polar Express,” with skaters dressed like waiters from the iconic Christmas movie. The Skyliners, a synchronized skating team, skated to “It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams.
Kris Roberts came to the park to watch the tree lighting ceremony, which she said put her in the holiday spirit. “I love watching the skating, I think that makes it more fun than the other tree lightings,” Roberts said. “I’m obsessed with fireworks, so I love this.” Participating in the tree lighting is an annual tradition for Roberts, a New York native. “I’m going for Christmas and this is the beginning,” she said. “It’s Christmas time now that we have the tree lighting.”