In Bryant Park, Christmas is in the air – even if it’s 80 degrees.
The city’s temperature reached 80 degrees on Wednesday and 74 degrees on Thursday, but that didn’t stop people from going ice skating and enjoying the festivities.
The Winter Village — complete with an ice rink, Christmas tree, holiday market, lodge bar and cozy igloos — debuted at Bryant Park in late October, but the unseasonable weather has visitors questioning it.
“It’s very hot for Christmas, so you can’t really feel the atmosphere,” said Maria Kalinina, 31, who was in the city from Paris for a business trip. “I took some videos of how weird it is: people in T-shirts ice skating with Christmas trees.”
Others were making the most of it – wearing tank tops and other summer attire on the snow.
“It feels like we’re having a nice summer day,” said Lindsey Christensen of New Jersey, who took her 6-year-old daughter skating on Thursday. “It’s pretty wild. We’re here to do seasonal things, and this doesn’t feel like the right environment.”
Feeling as if she was darkening, she said, “I should have worn sunscreen.”
Vendors are adapting beverages and snacks to suit the warm weather.
The Lodge Bar has added a refreshing Apple Cider Spritz ($18) to the menu for those who don’t want hot cider.
“It’s probably the most popular drink right now,” a bartender named Eva, who declined to give her last name, told The Post.
S’mores N’More food stall put iced hot chocolate on its menu as temperatures soared last week.
On Wednesday they sold hundreds.
“It’s nice to be able to adapt to your environment,” said Sharon Tong, who has worked there for the past two seasons.
On Thursday, Lauren Lazzaro, who lives in New Jersey, was buying one for her daughter Sarah. “She wanted hot chocolate at Bryant Park Village, but she was sweating.”
Sara didn’t care. “It tastes just like hot chocolate, but it’s cold,” she said excitedly.
“As long as there’s sugar in it, he’s happy,” his mother said.
Olivia Johnson, 11, of New Jersey, who was skating with her mother Jill on Wednesday and wearing a light floral skirt, said the experience reminded her of the time she went ice skating in Miami Was.
“I want to come back when it gets colder,” she said. “This way it feels more natural.”
(TagstoTranslate)Metro(T)US News(T)Lifestyle(T)Bars(T)Bryant Park(T)Casual Dining(T)Christmas(T)Ice Skating(T)Midtown(T)Weather