The Bank of America Winter Village 2020-2021 Season

I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. I cannot believe the end of October is here but I am happy to tell you about the opening of the Bank of American Winter Village at Bryant Park October 30th. I am so pleased they are going to open, this will be the first year that I have not visited in a long time. It is truly a magical place, as I often spend Christmas Eve here enjoying the wonderful hot chocolate and lovely vendors. I love finding unique gift items here for friends and family, as well as myself! 

If you are able to visit the city this holiday, please give this place a visit. You will not be disappointed and they are taking very good measures to ensure your health and safety. 

Information from their website is below: 

Smaller, safer: We’ve reduced the number of kiosks and reconfigured the layout to avoid congestion and allow for more spacious walkways. Staff will wear face coverings, make hand sanitizer available, and conduct contactless payments.

Park safety: Handwashing stations are available throughout the park. Visitors must wear a face covering at the Holiday Shops and maintain social distance while circulating through the park. Be safe, be kind, and please heed all park and Holiday Shops’ directives.

New York City's only free admission ice skating rink, which is located in the park, is scheduled to return this year. Tickets, however, must be reserved online in advance. (Reservations are expected to come online in the coming days.)

Health and Safety

New this Year: Ice skating at Winter Village is now a fully outdoor experience, and the Holiday Shops have a reconfigured layout with fewer shops to allow for more spacious walkways. At The Rink we are also implementing:

Enhanced cleaning protocol: high contact surfaces will be sanitized throughout the day.

Contactless payment: advance online booking is now required for all rink reservations.

Skate sessions: to reduce capacity on The Rink and give more visitors a chance to skate, skate time will be booked per timed session.

Masks: all visitors must wear face coverings over their noses and mouths for the duration of their visit to The Rink.

The Lodge Deck 

This season, ​The Lodge has transformed into The Lodge Deck, a completely outdoor experience.

Visitors can still enjoy rinkside eats and drinks with a stellar view of skaters and the Christmas Tree.

Safety

Face coverings are required unless patrons are seated at a table.

Contactless ordering will be available.

To enjoy food and drink at The Lodge Deck, you must be seated at a table.

High-touch surfaces will be disinfected throughout the day.

Hand-washing stations and hand sanitizer can be found throughout the park.

We ask all visitors to the park to please maintain social distance from other guests.

MARKET DATES & HOURS

October 30th, 2020 - January 3rd, 2021

Monday - Friday, 11am - 8pm

Saturday - Sunday 10am - 8pm

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Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park 2019

Okay, I know today is Halloween BUT one of my favorite spots in the city is opening today for the winter/holiday season. Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park opens today! I cannot believe the time is here already for this wonderful spot to be open again. 

I have been enjoying this winter village for many years, and usually spend Christmas Eve here, which makes me feel like I am on a movie set. Christmas music playing, folks ice skating and some of the BEST hot chocolate on earth from No Chewing Allowed. They have many shops that have been here for years, but each year new vendors pop up which keep the winter village fresh. If you have never visited, I highly recommend it and skating here is cheaper than Rockefeller Center (and I think prettier too!). Here are some of the great places I have visited through the years at this wonderful holiday tradition.  The chocolate selections here are just amazing and great for grabbing a gift for the chocoholic in the family! 

Every year I look at these lights and I never buy one. This year just may be the year I break down and get one. So. Much. Fun.  

 

William Cullen Bryant for whom Bryant Park was named in 1884 was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.

Gertrude Stein was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in the Allegheny West neighborhood of Pittsburgh and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris in 1903, and made France her home for the remainder of her life.  She hosted a Paris salon, where the leading figures of modernism in literature and art, such as Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, Ezra Pound, Sherwood Anderson and Henri Matisse, would meet. Two quotes from her works have become widely known: "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose," and "there is no there there", with the latter often taken to be a reference to her childhood home of Oakland.

Winter Village opens noon Thursday, October 31, for the 2019/2020 season. New this season: plan ahead and reserve your skate time online!

Hours
October 31, 2019 – January 5, 2020
Monday – Friday: 11am-8pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am-8pm

Many Shops are open on major holidays and after Thanksgiving will be open later than 8pm

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Visit Lucid New York At The Bank of America Winter Village

We are at the Holiday Shops in Bryant Park Lucid New York booth. I have been purchasing their items for a few years now, and they hold up beautiful. I am always looking for quality products for myself and as gifts that are affordable. Almost all items in the shop are under the $100.00 price range. 

Anna Sabino, the owner, has had lots of wonderful press on her jewelry, it is really fun and unique as well as delicate too! Let's do some shopping: 

I love love love rose gold, and Anna has many items in rose gold available. I like the idea of mixing these necklaces, would look so great all together! 

Wonderful bracelets here, the colors are fabulous, and the prices are good enough that you can buy 2 for layering. 

The Earrings are really great too and unique styles. You can get quite a bit of holiday shopping here for sure! 

More rose gold necklaces, along with silver and yellow gold too! Are you a rose gold fan? 

If you are a Sex and and the City fan, these reminded me of the Love keychain Louise gave Carrie when she left for her wedding! And they are in rose gold too! A great gift for $19.00, and is available on Lucid New York website HERE. 

Some of the fun rings available! 

Ahh, more rose gold here - this time lovely bangles with charms dangling - these are also great to layer with, you could do a silver with rose gold, or yellow gold with silver If you don't want to do all 3. These were just fabulous in person! 

The famous snowflake jewelry. I just love it! Earrings, pins, pendants and necklaces. These make a fabulous gift, and what I love about snowflakes is you can enjoy them all winter, not just during the holiday season. 

This is one of her new ones, in rose gold, and I have mine ordered already! It is gorgeous! 

This snowflake necklace is one of the largest in the snowflake pack. The pendant is 2.5 inches and it comes on a 36" chain. It's rhodium plated. It's available in silver, rose gold or gold plated. You can purchase from her website as well HERE. 

While you are shopping, you have this lovely view of the skating ring which just screams "holiday season" !! You can do some shopping at Lucid New York at their online shop HERE if you can't get to Bryant Park this season. Snowflake jewelry is available online which is just wonderful!

Holiday Shops

October 28, 2017 – January 2, 2018

The Holiday Shops include more than 125 boutique-like shops offering exquisite gift ideas from distinctive apparel to jewelry, decorative goods, local foods, and much more. There's something for everyone – adults, kids, and even pets.

This European inspired open-air market features artisans from around the world. Located along Bryant Park's allées and terraces, the Holiday Shops are housed in custom-designed, “jewel box” kiosks.

Hours

Monday–Friday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm

Just want to clarify, this is in no way a sponsored post. I am a customer of Lucid New York, & want to be sure my readers are aware of the shop, especially during the holiday season. As always, if it is not stated as a sponsored post, it is not sponsored, as I obey legal guidelines for bloggers. 
Thank you! 

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No Chewing Allowed Truffles are Back!

One of the best things about NYC during the holidays are the fabulous Holiday Markets. I found No Chewing Allowed a few years ago, and each season I am sure to pick up something at their booth. 

I love the packaging of their products, very colorful and make great gifts. They make the truffles in France, just as they did for 3 quarters of a century. The reason they are called No Chewing Allowed is because when you enjoy their truffles, you just let them melt in your mouth. You can really experience the flavor by eating a truffle in this manner, brilliant I think ! 

I really love the canisters as they can be used for other storage once the truffles are gone, would look really great on a shelf in your kitchen. 

Some of their new products, which are only available at the Holiday Shop locations I have listed for you below.  The truffle flavors here are just fabulous - Classic, Salted Toffee, Hazelnut, Raspberry Nuggets, Toasted Almonds, Candied Orange Peels - 

Their hot chocolate is pretty amazing as well, so nice to enjoy at the Holiday Shops at Bryant Park with the ice skating rink and Christmas Tree. For sure gets you into the holiday spirit. 

The hot chocolate is available for purchase to make at home, it is also available in their online shop. Once you have had European Hot Chocolate, you cannot go back. 

If you are a chocolate lover, you do need to stop by the No Chewing Allowed booth at one of the holiday shops below. Everything they carry makes great holiday or hostess gifts, I always like to give unique gifts. Most people would have a big smile on their face receiving these amazing chocolate creations!!

You can also follow No Chewing Allowed on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Bryant Park Holiday Shops       New York

42nd Street towards 5 Ave, Store E30 
October 28th 2017 – January 2nd 2018
Mon-Fri, 11 am – 8 pm

Sat-Sun, 10 am – 8 pm

Union Square Holiday Market New York

Union Square, 14th Street, Store A56
November 16th – December  24th, 2017
Mon-Fri,   11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday,   11:00 am – 7:00 pm

Columbus Circle Holiday Market New York

59th street & Central Park West (See Map)
November 28th – December  24th, 2017
Mon-Sat, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday,   10:00 am – 7:00 pm

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