Hudson Yards turns its holiday season on at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 16, with the second annual Vessel Holiday Lighting Ceremony on the Public Square and Gardens. Anthony Ramos, the Grammy-winning singer and actor, headlines the hour-long show. It is free and open to the public, and it ends with the first look at a new light show on the Vessel itself.

Helen Little of 106.7 Lite FM hosts. The New York Vocal Collective and the Brooklyn United Drumline are on the bill with Ramos, along with other performers Hudson Yards has not yet named.

What gets lit

The ceremony opens Shine Bright at Hudson Yards, the neighborhood's holiday display, which runs from November 16 through January 7. Hudson Yards puts the count at more than two million lights spread across the development. The pieces it lists:

  • The Vessel, wrapped in 115 miles of string lights
  • 725 evergreen trees
  • Illuminated set pieces 16 feet tall
  • Eight toy soldiers, each 12 feet tall
  • A 32-foot hot air balloon hung as the centerpiece of The Great Room inside The Shops at Hudson Yards

The plaza displays are outdoors and need no ticket. The Great Room balloon is inside the mall, which is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Inside the Vessel that night

The Vessel has a new holiday display inside it this year. On the night of the ceremony, from 7 to 9 p.m., visitors can climb in to see it with a special $10 ticket, sold through the Vessel's own booking page on the Hudson Yards site.

The rest of the season at Hudson Yards

Two more dates are already on the Hudson Yards calendar. Imitation of Life opens at The Shed on November 21 and runs through January 3, with tickets sold by The Shed. Here Comes Santa runs from November 27 through December 23, from 5 to 8 p.m., with an RSVP on the Hudson Yards site. Bluey's Aussie Christmas is listed for the Thanksgiving weekend, November 27 to 29.

How to get there

The 7 train's 34 St-Hudson Yards station lets out on the edge of the Public Square and Gardens, a short walk from the Vessel. The plaza is also reachable from the High Line's northern end at West 30th Street and Tenth Avenue. For a seat near the stage on November 16, plan to arrive before 6 p.m.; the ceremony runs about an hour.

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