In Bryant Park, Christmas is in the air — even if it’s a balmy 80 degrees.
Temperatures in the city reached 80 degrees on Wednesday and 74 degrees on Thursday, but that didn’t stop people from ice skating and enjoying the festive fare.
The Winter Village — complete with ice rink, Christmas tree, holiday market, Lodge bar and cozy igloo — went up in Bryant Park in late October, but the unseasonal weather has left visitors questioning it.
“It’s very hot for Christmas, so you don’t really feel the atmosphere,” said Maria Kalinina, 31, who was in town from Paris on a business trip. “I’ve made a few videos about how weird it is: people in t-shirts ice skating with the Christmas tree.”
Others were doing their best – while wearing T-shirts and other summer clothing on the ice.
“It’s like we’re having a nice summer day,” said Lindsey Christensen of New Jersey, who took her 6-year-old daughter skating Thursday. “It’s pretty wild. We came here to do seasonal things and it doesn’t feel like the right atmosphere.”
She felt like she was getting tanned, adding, “I should have put on sunscreen.”
Vendors are adapting with drinks and food more suitable for the warm weather.
Shiriti Lodge added a refreshing apple cider spritz ($18) to the menu for those who don’t like 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.
Food stand S’mores N’More put an iced hot chocolate on its menu last week when the temperatures warmed up.
On Wednesday, they sold hundreds.
“It’s nice to be able to adapt to our environment,” said Sharon Tong, who has worked there for the past two seasons.
On Thursday, Lauren Lazzarro, who lives in New Jersey, was shopping for one for her daughter, Sara. “She wanted a hot chocolate at Bryant Park Village, but she’s sweating.”
Sarah didn’t seem to mind. “It tastes like hot chocolate, but it’s cold,” she enthused.
“As long as there’s sugar, she’s happy,” added her mother.
Olivia Johnson, an 11-year-old from New Jersey, who was skating with her mother, Jill, and wearing a skimpy floral skirt on Wednesday, said the experience reminded her of a time when she was skating in ice in Miami.
“I want to come back when it’s cooler,” she said. “It feels more natural this way.”
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Image Source : nypost.com