Come to Lincoln Square this winter to experience the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District’s Magical Lights, featuring a sensory light show in Dante Park. We hope you also enjoyed the illuminated neighborhood Procession led by the iconic Frost Giant Puppets.
Magical Lights kicked off with live music and family fun on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, and culminated on the shortest day of the year – the winter solstice – with an illuminated neighborhood procession led by Processional Arts Workshop’s Frost Giants on Thursday, December 21, 2023. Participants made a mini-lantern, carried a lantern or just walked with us on the sidewalks to be part of our neighborhood for a magical holiday season.
Whether you’re enjoying iconic performances at Lincoln Center, dining out, or shopping for the latest styles, stroll up Broadway to enjoy the lights in the Broadway Malls, and be dazzled by our Magical Lights at Dante Park as they change color and respond to singing, clapping, music, and even the NYC soundscape.
There’s lots going on in Lincoln Square, so make sure you visit as the whole neighborhood comes alive this winter with special events, activities, and entertainment.
Lincoln Square’s Magical Lights Dante Park, Broadway & West 64th Street
Join the excitement with Lincoln Square’s Magical Lights in Dante Park featuring audio reactive lighting by Limbic Media. The interactive installation is hanging from the spectacular branches of the eight giant London Plane trees surrounding Dante Park and twinkles to the rhythm of a beat.
We turned on the dazzling display and kicked off the holiday season on Tuesday, December 5 at 4:30pm. The fun began with The Department of Spectacle – classic circus arts wrapped in holiday style that interacted and entertained at one of their favorite neighborhood events of the year! The stilt walker, jugglers, and hilarious Princess Schneeflocken joined us in Lincoln Square as we celebrated a heart-warming neighborhood tradition.
Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School Chorus joined us, too. The concert choir featured high school vocal students from Kaufman’s K-12 public school that provides students with an intensive music education program with fully-funded lessons, music classes and ensembles along with academics. The choristers have collaborated with many acclaimed artists including the celebrated British ensemble VOCES8 and composers Caroline Shaw and Lisa Bielawa.
People got their feet moving in the glow of the lights with CHIA’s Dance Party, Martin Vejarano’s Brass Quintet. Chia’s Dance Party delivered a unique musical experience where infectious, danceable grooves mixed harmoniously with extensive compositional and improvisational work. The music was fun, driven, and adventurous; some of the songs were originals inspired by Colombian marching band traditions, while the rest were tropical standards that lifted spirits. We hope you didn’t miss complimentary Mexican hot chocolate from Rosa Mexicano, too!
You can see fantastic photos from our Magical Lights kick-off event on our Flickr.
The lights will remain on, and you can visit Dante Park to clap, sing, or play a tune to make the lights dance throughout the winter!
Witness the magic for yourself as sound and light become one with a sensory experience in Dante Park at Broadway and West 64th Street.
Lincoln Square’s Magical Lights in the News
- 25 Best Holiday Light Displays Illuminating NYC This Year, Secret NYC (12/11/2023)
- A dazzling, interactive light installation has just taken over the trees of Lincoln Square, Time Out (12/7/2023)
- Lincoln Square hosts holiday ‘Magical Lights’ show, festivities in Dante Park, ABC 7 (12/5/2023)
- Where to see stunning holiday lights in NYC, Time Out (12/4/2023)
- 5 Fun Things to Do in December, I Love the Upper West Side (11/29/2023)
- Lincoln Square BID Announces Winter Festivities, I Love the Upper West Side (11/25/2023)
- For a comprehensive report on press coverage for Magical Lights and WinteRamble, read this summary.
WinteRamble with the Frost Giants Community Procession on December 21, 2023
The Lincoln Square BID rang in the winter solstice at the second annual WinteRamble – an illuminated community procession of Frost Giant puppets and icicle lanterns led by Processional Arts Workshop. The procession started at 5:00pm in front of 1886 Broadway (between 62nd St and 63rd St), then meandered through the Lincoln Square neighborhood to the ethereal sounds of J.C. King’s Kalimbascope (a rolling ensemble of acoustically-enhanced thumb pianos) until 6:00pm. Residents, neighbors, and volunteers joined the procession from anywhere along the route, which was mostly on the sidewalks of Broadway.
Participants made their own mini lantern by joining a workshop between 3:00pm and 5:00pm at TD Bank.
Volunteers carried their own mini-lanterns during the procession, joined the Kalimbascope (an interactive processional sound installation of acoustically enhanced thumb pianos), carried icicle lanterns, or simply walked along with the group. Everyone was welcome to take part in this family-friendly event by watching or following along as we celebrated winter’s arrival together.
You can see fabulous photos from our WinteRamble on our Flickr, or relive the event in this West Side Rag story by Daniel Krieger.
SING-ALONGs with the Magical Lights in Dante Park
December 6, 13 & 14 5:00pm – 6:00pm
tThe Fabulous Fezziwigs reflect the festive spirit of Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig, hosts of an important and lovely party in the narrative of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Performing in gorgeous, handmade Victorian period attire, the Fezziwigs presented songs styled for the season in a variety of formats, from time honored classics to contemporary favorites.
December 7 & 12 5:00pm – 6:00pm
We got in the spirit of the season by joining sing-alongs led by The Broadway Carolers! These showbiz pros have a collective resume spanning Broadway, the Met, Carnegie Hall, and beyond. Everyone was in good hands as they joined in for classic and contemporary songs that covered a range of traditions. Every year, people tell this group that it was singing with them that finally put them into the holiday spirit!
December 19 & 20 5:00pm – 6:00pm
itletVocalSouL joined us to spread some musical cheer this year! From soulful interpretations of holiday favorites to the best of Motown, R&B, Rock, and Blues – VocalSouL is one of New York’s most respected and requested a cappella groups. Its members have worked with many A-list artists and have also appeared independently on a variety of TV shows, movies, and commercials. VocalSouL lifted up spirits through the universal language of music.
Thank you to
- Glenwood
- Con Edison – Deutsche Bank – Extell Development – Related
- 15 Central Park West – Fordham University – Trump International Hotel & Tower
- Ogden CAP Properties – TD Bank – Mandarin Oriental, New York
- NY Institute of Technology – Global Holdings Management – Milstein Properties
- New York City Council – NYC Parks & Recreation
for generously supporting our holiday lighting and programming.