Brian Stokes Mitchell & Bebe Neuwirth to Headline 14th Annual Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square, 12/2

The Lincoln Square Business Improvement District (BID) hosts the 14th annual Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square, New York's largest outdoor holiday festival on Monday, December 2nd from 5:30PM-9:00PM to kick-off the holiday season! This year's highly-anticipated event is expected to attract thousands of people to the Lincoln Square area and light up the entire Upper West Side. There will be over 20 live performance areas, more than 30 restaurants offering tastings and many great performers including Tony Award Winning, renowned Broadway stars, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Bebe Neuwirth headlining the festival. Other performances include: the sultry songstress and rising jazz star BriAnna Thomas Quartet, world renowned DJ David Chang, Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars, Indie Flamenco and Folk Rock band City of the Sun,GRAMMY nominated Brooklyn-based children's band The Pop Ups, the talentedLaGuardia High School Show Choir, ice sculpting, Alice Farley Dance Theater, Bond Street Theatre's Shinbone Alley Stilt Band, Asphalt Orchestra, and Jazz at Lincoln Center just to name a few. The Parks Department will run a free trolley up and down Broadway during the event. Winter's Eve will take place rain, snow or shine. For details visit: www.winterseve.org

"Winter's Eve has become an annual tradition that epitomizes and showcases this thriving Upper West Side neighborhood as a vibrant cultural, culinary and shopping destination with Lincoln Square at its center," said Lincoln Square BID President, Monica Blum. "The 14th Annual Winter's Eve promises to light up the Upper West Side with holiday cheer, joy and excitement for our neighbors and visitors, families and grandparents, students and professionals, arts lovers, foodies and shoppers. This year, we are honored to support and collaborate with The Actors Fund, donating a portion of proceeds from culinary tastings towards their nationwide efforts and programs that help all professionals in performing arts and entertainment."

The festivities will kick-off with a special performance by Brian Stokes Mitchell and Bebe Neuwirth and others in Dante Park (Broadway and 63rd Street) at 5:30PM with a traditional lighting of the Upper West Side neighborhood's holiday tree. Immediately following -- Broadway, from Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle to 68th Street -- will transform into a winter wonderland featuring free musical entertainment, outdoor food tastings along the sidewalks from area restaurants and fun activities for people of all ages. Outdoor food tastings will be held in special tents on Broadway while marching bands and other New York City based musicians will delight holiday revelers.

ENTERTAINMENT - Major entertainment venues include: the Winter's Eve Main Stage at Dante Park with headliners Brian Stokes Mitchell and Bebe Neuwirth, and others; the Winter's Eve TD Bank Dance Party at Broadway and 61st Street showcasing DJ David Chang, Arthur Murray Dancers and entertainer Bryant 'Drew' Andrews who will lead a variety of dances for the crowd; Time Warner Center featuring Jazz at Lincoln Center, the talented LaGuardia High School Show Choir, and a circus show for the tween set and their family; Richard Tucker Park with City of the Sun; the American Folk Art Museum with the BriAnna Thomas Quartet; Century 21 Department Store; the Upper West Side Apple Store; TD Bank; David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center ; and many more. Dozens of other local stores and neighborhood institutions will host activities and holiday cheer throughout the evening.

FOR FOODIES - A scrumptious sampling of signature dishes (for nominal cost) from over 30 of Lincoln Square's finest and most popular restaurants are expected to join in an outdoor neighborhood food tasting festival from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. The tastings will be held under tents at Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, along Broadway between 62nd and 64th Streets and at Richard Tucker Park between 65th and 66th Streets. The Winter's Eve walk-around tasting will feature fare from the likes of Atlantic Grill, Boulud Sud, Rosa Mexicano, The Smith, Asiate, Bar Masa, Landmarc, Bouchon Bakery, Café Fiorello, Gabriel's Bar & Restaurant, Magnolia Bakery, PJ Clarke's, Sapphire Indian Cuisine, Porter House New York, and many other delectable Upper West Side eateries.

SPONSORS --Winter's Eve official sponsors include presenting sponsor Time Warner as well as The Shops at Columbus Circle and Related Companies, the American Bible Society, Con Edison, Glenwood Management, Ogden CAP Properties LLC, Fordham University, Roosevelt Hospital, Century 21 Department Stores, Trump International Hotel & Tower, Mandarin Oriental New York, Titan, New York Institute of Technology, Atlantic Grill, Rosa Mexicano at Lincoln Center, The Smith, The Dinex Group; The Empire Hotel, media sponsors include WABC-TV, WNET, WBGO, and IN New York and Where magazines.

Admission to Winter's Eve is free, but event attendees are encouraged to bring and donate gently used or new coats of all sizes to Dante Park at 63rd Street and Broadway as part of the 25th Annual New York Cares Coat Drive.

For more information about the Lincoln Square BID's Winter's Eve, www.WintersEve.org or call (212) 581-7762.

Photo by Walter McBride