The Granddaddy of All Christmas Trees Gets Its Moment Tonight

Gridlock alert! Gridlock alert!
Ah, there's nothing like the sounds of the holidays in New York. Today is one of the biggest gridlock alert days of the year, because what is arguably the most famous Christmas tree in the country gets all decked out tonight in the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony. (Yes, dear reader, we told you about the tree’s arrival in the city several weeks ago…)
The tree lighting itself takes place at 8:55 PM, but the festivities start around 6:45 PM. Shakira (no doubt shaking her hips) will be on hand to get things going, and Alicia Keys and Barry Manilow (will they have anything to say to each other??) are among the celebrities slated to be on hand. (The event, which features musical performances and endless banter, will also be televised on NBC-TV.)
Rockefeller Center is located between 47th and 50th Streets and 5th and 7th Avenues. If you do plan on going, take our advice: Get there early, take mass transit, and be prepared to stake out a spot and defend it no matter what.
The tree is generally lit daily from early morning until about 11:30 PM; on Christmas, the tree will remain lit for 24 hours. It will remain on view until January 7.
The tree will be draped in five miles of lights and topped with a Swarovski crystal star.

The Calendar May Say Otherwise, But Tonight It's Winter's Eve

Winter may not make an official appearance for another few weeks, but in New York, at least around Lincoln Center, it’s already Winter’s Eve.
The tenth annual Winter’s Eve Festival takes place tonight at Lincoln Square, with entertainment and happenings occurring from Columbus Circle to Broadway and 68th Street.
The evening starts with a neighborhood tree-lighting ceremony at Dante Park, located at Broadway and 63rd Street. (Sadly, the Lincoln Center Christmas Tree has taken the year off due to economic factors.)
Festival highlights include entertainment, food tastings (either free or at a substantial discount), kids’ activities, and special shopping discounts.
Want a sample? Participating restaurants include Bar Boulud, Landmarc, and Magnolia Bakery; not to mention Picholine; Soutine Bakery and ‘wichcraft. Participating stores and cultural institutions offering discounts include the American Folk Art Museum (Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets); Kiehl’s (154 Columbus Avenue): and the TD bank at 62nd and Broadway, which is offering crafts projects.
And we promised entertainment, no? Joy Behar, co-host of ABC's “The View,” will light the 25-foot Balsam fir at 5:30 PM, and performances by The Flaming Idiots (juggling; antics; shenanigans), Chinese Lion Dances (costumed dancers), and others will be featured.
Our pick? It’s got to be the ice sculpture and demonstrations in front of the Time Warner Center.
Talk about Winter’s Eve.