A Sampling of Winter in New York

Let’s start at Central Park in Manhattan, because most visitors to New York stay at hotels in the City. The ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center is well-known the world over. The Central Park Lake was drained to a level that eased the ice to freeze each year. This is accomplished because the Lake is connected to the City’s water system.

There are two man-made ice rinks in Central Park – Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink and Pool, which is a swimming pool in the summer. The rinks were constructed by money donated by the Kate Wollman, a philanthropist.

Show times for The Three Bears Holiday Bash, are Tuesday through Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., with an additional performance at 2:30 p.m. each Wednesday; and Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The production will conclude running through January 3, 2010.

The Cottage is located in Central Park at 81th Street and Central Park West, just south of the Delacorte Theater. For more information, please visit www.CityParksFoundation.org.

Location:Central Park - The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park at 81th Street and Central Park West), Manhattan

Cost: Reservations are required. Tickets are $5/children and $8/adults. Group rates are available for schools and other large groups. For reservations, group rates, and information on birthday parties, please call (212) 988-9093.

Contact Email: info@cityparksfoundation.org

The indoor ice skating rink at the Queens’ Flushing Meadow Corona Park was the City’s first facility devoted just to ice skating. It was built for the 1939-40 World’s Fairs, and operated until 1946. What’s really unique about the building more than being than ice rink for two World Fairs (1964-65), it was used to house the United Nations General Assembly from 1946 until 1950. During the 1964-65World’s Fair Olympic figure skating champion Dick Button organized “Ice–Travaganza” performances within the facility. Its closed in 2008 and was replaced with the World Ice Arena, an NHL–standard indoor ice rink in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in February 2009.

Crystal Winter Weekends, November 27 – January 3 (plus daily December 28, 2009 – January 3, 2010)

Crystal Winter activities include:

Giant Winter Globe (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Step inside the Giant Winter Globe, a fanciful winter landscape of crystals and ice. Have your picture taken with the whole family and take home a special souvenir of your visit.

Hey Snow, Where Do You Go! Puppet Show (12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.)
Susie Snowflake is afraid to fall! Ride along with her as she befriends a gust of wind and finds a new home on a lonely tree. Free with general admission. Ages 6 and younger.

Crystal Winter Craft Workshop (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Design and create your own winter craft projects while learning about snow crystals and the animals that make their homes in the snow. Ages 5 and up.

Glacier Run Ride at Exploration Station (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Ride through the glaciers in this motion simulator ride. This nonstop action ride will take you to the freezing landscapes of the Arctic during the Northern Lights. $6, $5 members.

Crystal Winter Parade (5:15 p.m.)
Kids can join in this fun parade through the Hall’s exhibits.

Crystal Kaleidoscope Activity Session (1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.)
Make your own unique crystal-inspired kaleidoscope to take home. $3, $2 members. Ages 6 and older.

Location: Flushing Meadows Corona Park: New York Hall of Science (47-01 111th Street)Queens, NY

More Information: (718) 699-0005

Ice skating rinks in the City are:

Abe Stark Rink, Coney Island Boardwalk
Kate Wollman Rink, Prospect Park

Manhattan

Lasker Rink, Central Park
The Polar Rink, Theodore Roosevelt Park
The Pond at Bryant Park, Bryant Park
Wollman Rink, Central Park

Queens

World Ice Arena, Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Staten Island

Staten Island War Memorial Ice Skating Rink, Cloves Lake Park

18th Annual Holiday Train Show

November 21, 2009 - January 10, 2010
The New York Botanical Garden ~ Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Location - Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W) and Fordham Road, Bronx, NY

Cost -$20 All Garden Pass

Contact Number - (718) 817-8700

A visit to the Holiday Train Show is an entire day of fun. The winter wonderland of the Holiday Train Show in the Enid A Haupt Conservatory is part of the holiday season full of family traditions. The amazing display of New York landmark replicas created out of plant materials - the towering Brooklyn Bridge in sugar pine cones, a pomegranate torch for Lady Liberty, and make livelier by model trains. Sip a hot chocolate or grab a bite to eat at one of our Cafes, decorate gingersnaps, visit with Thomas the Tank Engine™ (dates/times vary), and stroll through the 250 acres of the Garden’s grounds, spectacularly decorated for the show.

Central Park Zoo

Wild Holiday Party: Presents to the Animals

December 5–6, 12–13, & 19–20

Refreshments don’t include fruitcake or eggnog at this holiday party! Party food includes fishsicles, fruit, and peanut butter are just a few of the tasty treats polar bears and other animals will enjoy during these wild weekends in December.

Location: 64th St. and Fifth Ave, New York, New York 10021

http://www.centralparkzoo.com/

Meeting Location: Tour begins near Union Square, in Manhattan (New York, NY)
(Exact meeting location details will be provided immediately upon purchase of tickets.)

The tour is 3 1/2 hour tour features the Italian-American section of Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, NY.
Every year, the people of Dyker Heights compete to have the biggest, best, and brightest Christmas decorations.:

An audio-visual presentation including Christmas specials from TV's Golden Age - mechanical reindeer, radiant nativity scenes, amazing lights, old-fashioned holiday cheer, and 30-foot toy soldiers!

Information: http://www.zerve.com/BKNYpizza/Lights

 Rolf’s French Bavarian Brasserie – A small Gramercy tavern with floor-to-ceiling Christmas lights for holiday spirit. From Thanksgiving to mid-January every square inch of Rolf’s blasts with ornaments, antique porcelain dolls, garlands, ribbons, Christmas balls, branches, icicles, sleighs, bows, and lights cover the ceiling and walls totally, in keeping with their wide-ranging 19th century Bavarian décor.
Location: 281 Third Ave., New York, NY 10010

Contact Number:  (212)477-4750