COVID-19 or not, the season is coming. A pandemic can stop or put a damper on many things. Just think of all that 2020 did NOT have. However, it will not take away our spirit and will especially not take away our Holiday Spirit! New York City is beyond magical as we approach the end of the year. It’s why people from all over the globe flock to our streets, jam our subways and pack our restaurants and hotels. It often becomes overwhelming just crossing the street because of the sheer volume of people. That will likely not be the case in 2020. The Holidays will come but the masses probably won’t. Although if Times Square on Election Night was any indication, we can be wrong.
The Holiday Season in New York traditionally kicks off with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and ends with the ball drop. As you likely already know, those two landmark events will be virtual in 2020. No surprise. While we would never stand in Times Square on December 31st, something about seeing all those people is special. We’ll miss that this year.
What we won’t miss are some staples that we look forward to every year and we’re happy to tell you about. The Winter Village is back at Bryant Park. There are safety precautions that have been put in place, but the show will go on. Oh, you can even ice skate! Speaking of which, the tree will rise in Rockefeller Center and you WILL be able to ice skate!
We’re no Kristi Yamaguchi but tradition is important; especially in this off year. People have come from ends of the world to race around that ice under a golden Prometheus since 1936, and we take solace knowing it’s there for us. The ice-skating rink will reopen to the public on November 21.
Don’t fret. There will be Holiday cheer in New York City in 2020! We cannot wait.