Bryant Park Winter Village Returns For 2020

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Not all holiday traditions have been derailed by the pandemic. The popular Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park is set to return this month, with free ice-skating and food offerings into next spring.

Returning for its 19th year in Bryant Park, the winter village will be in place from Friday, Oct. 30 through March 7, 2021.

Things will, of course, be somewhat different this year: face coverings will be required, the ice rink will have limited capacity and require reservations in advance, including a name and email address to allow for contact tracing. More information about new protocols for the rink — the only free-admission ice rink in New York — is available online.

The outdoor market has also been rearranged with fewer shops to allow for social distancing, organizers said.

The market will be open daily through Jan. 3, with a mixture of new and returning merchants. Also on display will be a Small Business Spotlight, giving four minority-owned small businesses in the city the chance to showcase their products in a rent-free both.

A live webcam gives the public the ability to watch the village be set up in real-time.

The full list of merchants will be announced in the coming days, and people can follow Bryant Park's Instagram account for updates.