NEW YORK – The Winter Village in Bryant Park is open and offering holiday cheer through January 3, 2021.

The venue is not as crowded as in previous years, and “that’s in part by design,” the New York Times reported, adding that “there are roughly 60 booths — normally about 175 vendors set up shop — and the temporary rink is allowing only up to about 200 people to skate at once, instead of nearly 500, in an effort to maintain social distancing.”

Greek-American Irene Vagianos, a vice president for the nonprofit Bryant Park Corporation which manages the park, commented on the opening of the Winter Village with less crowds. She told the Times that “the market is seeing only a third of the visitors it usually does at this time of year.”

Vagianos is Biederman Redevelopment Ventures' (BRV) Director of Brand Partnerships and is based out of the New York office. She is an experiential marketing specialist. Vagianos manages brand relations and partnerships, helping brands find ways to tell their story through events, programming integrations and sponsorships. She has produced thousands of events, working closely with designers, production teams, media specialists, civic agencies and authorities to bring brands to life in public and private spaces across the United States.

Prior to joining BRV, Vagianos developed and oversaw the experiential marketing department at a communications agency in New York City. She holds a Bachelors of Architecture from Pratt Institute.

Dan Biederman, president of the Bryant Park Corporation, told the Times that “demand has been robust, in part because the holiday markets in Union Square and Columbus Circle will not open, and theaters and other diversions are closed.”

He said, “There’s not much to do in Manhattan. I can’t tell you how many people thank us,” the Times reported.

The Winter Village Holiday Shops are open on weekdays 11 AM-8 PM and 10 AM-8 PM on weekends.

For those interested in skating at the Winter Village in Bryant Park, The Rink is open Monday-Thursday, 8 AM-11 PM, and Friday-Saturday, 8 AM-11:30 PM, but online skate time reservations are required.

More information is available online: https://bryantpark.org/?/amenities/bank-of-america-winter-village-at-bryant-park.